Princess Elizabeth working on a car engine, 1945

Photograph, World War Two, Home Front (1939-1945), 1945.

Princess Elizabeth (later Queen Elizabeth II) enlisted as Second Subaltern Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Windsor in the Auxiliary Territorial Service (ATS) in February 1945. Her Army Number was 230873.

During her service she trained at Aldershot as a driver and mechanic. These were two operational support tasks carried out by ATS women during the war. In this photograph the Princess is busy removing the spark plugs from an engine.

One of 388 photographs of the Auxiliary Territorial Service, 1939-1949.