Teens Working in the Homestead

Since the strong men that worked in the factories and farms went off to help in the war,
many teens were assigned for their jobs in the early 1940s.Because of this, many
states had to change their labour laws to allow the teens to work. The temptation of
patriotism, adulthood, and money made many teens to drop out of school and take a
defense job. Between 1940 and 1944, the number of teenage workers increased by 1.9
million, and the number of students in public high schools dropped from 6.6 million in
1940 to 5.6 million in 1944, as a million students and many teacher took jobs.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_home_front_during_World_War_II#Teenage
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Page name: United States home front during World War II

Author: Wikipedia contributors

Publisher: Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia.

Children/Teens war efforts

Mostly the teens would take over the cropping and harvesting jobs from the able bodied
men that went off to war. Kids would also learn how to save and make money for war
efforts like recycling, begging, and scavenging for items. Millions of the dollars raised for
war efforts were raised by children, some even selling their own toys.
Cant find source

A personal story of a young teen girl during WW2:

Like many other girls my teenage years were spent during World War 2, working in
factories, on munitions. Most teenage boys were in the Armed Forces.
I started work when I was 14 yrs 1938. The only work in our village was Horticultural,
growing carnations and tulips, but when there was talk of war we had to turn some of
the greenhouses over to planting tomatoes that was our contribution to the war effort.
I was working on a Sunday morning packing carnations ready for Monday morning
market,it was 3rd September 1939, the radio was on, when the announcement was
made, War had been declared, silence in the packing shed, our Boss came in to give us
our instructions, should the air raid sirens go, He had installed an Anderson shelter in
the grounds ,all prepared. He told us Gas masks and Identity cards must be carried at

all times etc. He was about to show where the shelter was when the air raid siren
sounded,so he took us to the shelter, inside he had put provisions should it be a long
stay, and also an old gramophone and some Flanagan and Allan records, one of them
he played was Underneath the Arches, so whenever I hear that hear that tune it reminds
me of the start of WW2 Fortunately it was a short raid, I can't remember if any damage
was done then but it was the start of things to come.
After awhile I had to leave for health reasons, so I had to look further away from home
for work, which took me to the Great West Road ,Isleworth, which was about half to
three quarters hour cycle ride from home to Gillettes. They also had to convert some
space to install large machines , Capstanes, drilling and tapping ets. to make aircraft
components, but they still had to produce razors and blades to supply the men in the
Forces and civilians. I then became a machine operator, us girls had to were Brown
Dungarees. Wooden Clogs, and Snoods on our hair, which was handy if we wanted to
keep our curlers in, if we had a date, or was going dancing that evening, not a pretty
sight, but we all had to dress the same so it didn't matter too much..
We worked from 8a.m till 7p.m when on days, 8a.m till 1p.m on Saturdays, 7p.m till8a.m
when on night shift which was every two weeks, not very pleasant eating dinner at
1a.m. and trying to keep awake around 2a.m. Working at Gillettes we were very
vulnerable because their clock was a landmark for aircraft, but of course like every
where it wasn't lit up during the war, but somehow, we managed to escape any bombing
Cycling to and fro work in the winter was weird ,no street lamps, our cycle lamps had to
be half covered to prevent the light from shining upwards I remember some very foggy
nights I had to walk home it took me about an hour and a half, but a least there was no
raids those nights, but it was still a bit scary.
I found two diaries 1943 and 1944 looking at the they read "Worked till 7 came home
wrote some letters" ( I used to write to various lads that I knew who were in the forces),
did some sewing, trying to make do and mend , because clothes were rationed by
coupons, my friend's mother was a dressmaker, and lace was not rationed, but
expensive, we bought some and she made us a blouse each, we thought we were the
cat's whiskers. I think we wore them every time we went to a dance, we always looked
smart even though we couldn't buy many clothes.
Any way getting back to my diaries, they consisted mostly of writing letters, or going
dancing may be skating on Monday afternoons before going on night shift, where did we

get our energy from. Dating was always with members of the Armed forces stationed
nearby, but it was hard not to get too involved, because they would be moved on very
shortly and it was sad having to say goodbye, not knowing if we would ever meet again.
Although some girls did get too involved and found they were pregnant, the chaps were
already married but hadn't told the girls. He moved on with no forwarding address the
girls were left to fend for themselves with no government help those days, and parents
weren't so lenient then, most babies were put up for adoption.
I have an entry for early 1944,letter from Jock, answered it, he was a lad to who my
sister had given my address because he wanted a pen pal, this was in March, he was
hoping to meet me if he was posted to the south, he even sent me a piece of tartan
which he had carried around with him, he said it was for luck. We corresponded a few
times , but in May I received a brown H.M.S card with a new address, I wrote, but never
received a reply, he was in the 8th Parachute Regiment, D day was in June, I suspect
he was in the D day landings, which was in June 1944.
I also read that in November 1944, my friend and I decided to go to a dance hall that we
had not visited before, a Sailor and a chap in the R A F both on leave had done the
same thing, we were asked to dance by them, and met up afterwards while they were
on leave, my Sailor was posted to the far east, we wrote numerous letters, while he was
out there, the Japanese surrendered it was on 15th August 1945 my 21st birthday, what
a relief, hopefully he was not in anymore danger. He managed to send me an airmail for
my birthday also I received a some what battered key card, he came home safely, we
were married in 1946 and have a daughter and son and three lovely grandchildren, and
he is still my dancing partner, and the one person in the Armed Forces I did get truly
involved with.
Looking back I was a very lucky teenager I never really thought about the danger of war,
I think we knew that we just had to get on with it, fortunately our village wasn't so
vulnerable as those in the southeast of England those people had so much to contend
with, and I admire their spirit.
I don't feel that I did anything to be proud of. My only restrictions were having to be
home by 10p.m or 11.30 if I went to a dance, or I would be grounded for a week. I can
understand that now I am a parent, in fact my or any parent had a lot of worries during
the war, how our Mothers managed to cope with the food and coal rationing they were

they were the hero's always a meal on the table and a warm fire to come home to We
took our Mothers very much for granted, they did a grand job during World War II.
Author: Dorothy Rumbles
http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/ww2peopleswar/stories/59/a2490059.shtml
Conditions on the Homestead
During WW2, the home front was much more organised and well run because of the
experience they had from WW1. Also, the Wartime Prices and Trade Board(WPTB) had
control over goods and the prices of simple goods like food. This created black markets
of common items that were now scarce. Most citizens viewed this as a criminal offense.
:
Children were encouraged to contribute to the war funding by purchasing stamps that
showed either a tank or a plane for 25 Cents each. Children would also help collect
essentials like cooking fat, milkweed, and bone to help with the war effort. All this help
on the Homestead from children, teens and adults alike was raised because of the fact
that all the men on the front lines were in desperate need of supplies that the
government alone could not provide. So, the citizens back home helped.
http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/wartime-home-front/
Author: JJ Granatstein