ID-Documents of a WWII Blitz Ambulance Driver
The following fantastic document set of a female ambulance driver found its way into my archive. Meet Miss Marjorie McMahon. She drove an ambulance for the British Red Cross in London during the Blitz and later into Europe after D-Day. ID-Documents WWII Ambulance Driver
Women Ambulance Drivers in WWII ID-Documents WWII Ambulance Driver
In the early months of 1939, the looming threat of another war in Europe prompted urgent preparations. Lessons from the First World War guided individuals, volunteers, and charities in addressing home front and frontline needs.
War Preparations
After the declaration of war in 1939, the Joint War Organization of the Order of St John and the British Red Cross Society started to prepare once again to support the war effort. After Germany had invaded France in May 1940, the Luftwaffe, the German Air Force, targeted Britain.
They failed to win control of the skies in the Battle of Britain in August 1940, and Germany’s invasion plans had to be postponed. However, Nazi leaders were convinced Britain would surrender if her civilians lost the will to fight. The plan was to destroy morale through heavy bombing raids on towns and cities.
Throughout the Blitz, Joint War Organization members operated ambulances, acted as stretcher-bearers, ran mobile units, and made up first-aid parties, rescuing people from buildings demolished by bombs. They also handled first-aid posts, for example, in the London Underground stations that people were using as air-raid shelters.
Women ambulance workers
During the Second World War, women played a crucial role, especially in transporting the wounded to British hospitals. Despite societal gender expectations, women at the home front and in France actively shaped history, defying odds and restrictions.
In 1939, a General wrote regarding the existence of female personnel in France: “Of course, you can say that we don’t smile on the proposition.” However, women who took part in these life-saving operations proved that their contribution to a more humane world was voicing its vision in the most elaborate way, in an act that demanded to be heard and recognized. ID-Documents WWII Ambulance Driver
The Documents
The collection includes her passport and Allied Expeditionary Force Permit. Additionally, there are two photos, a Red Cross Motor Transport embroidered cloth arm badge, a British Red Cross ID, and a gratuity letter from the British Red Cross. The war gratitude letter, e.g., from 1946, grants Marjorie £13 or £500 today for her service during the war.
The photograph shows a fleet of ambulance trucks and Marjorie in a Red Cross uniform with a horse. The passport photo of her 30 April 1945 travel document also shows her in uniform; as an occupation, it’s mentioned: British Red Cross. The British Officer’s Club card seems to be from somewhere in France.
Marjorie died on 24 December 2008 at age 87. ID-Documents WWII Ambulance Driver
Tom Topol | Passport History Expert & Author.
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