'Empire Day. Cairo 1943. A.T.S. Contingent'

Photograph by Major Wilfred Herbert James Sale, MC, 3rd County of London Yeomanry (Sharpshooters), World War Two, North Africa, 1943.

The first women recruited into the Auxiliary Territorial Service (ATS) worked as cooks, clerks and storekeepers. As time went on the range of duties expanded and women served as office, mess and telephone orderlies, drivers, postal workers and ammunition inspectors.

Women were not allowed to fight in battle but as more and more men were called overseas to serve, their duties extended to include radar operators, military police, gun crews, and many other operational support tasks. By June 1945, there were over 190,000 members of the ATS from all across the British Empire.

From an album of 45 photographs compiled by Major W H J Sale, MC, 3rd/4th County of London Yeomanry (Sharpshooters), 1938-1945.