The Memory Project archive has many contributions from women who served during the Second World War. Outlined below are a few sample activities you may want to use when teaching about this aspect of the war.

Note: You may want students to use headphones if they are doing these activities independently.  Alternatively, simply play the brief clips from war veterans over a pair of speakers.

This activity is best-suited as a way of enhancing knowledge students may already have about women in the war or as a way of giving them first-hand insight into women’s activities.

ACTIVITY #1

Learning Outcomes:

1.    To allow students to appreciate the different types of work done by women serving in the Second World War;
2.    To learn more about espionage (Ultra, Enigma, War Secrets Act, code-breaking)

1. Before listening to the clip from Madge Trull and Olive Peat have students look up the following information:
   Ultra
   Enigma
   Bletchley Park
   Wrens (WRNS)
   CMHQ
   Doodlebugs

Listen and Learn

Students can answer the following questions while listening to the Madge Trull clip :

1.    What was Madge Trull’s job?
2.    What would happen if she divulged secrets? What example does she give to show how secretive her work was?

Listen to the clip from Olive Peat :

1.    Where was Olive Peat working and what was her job?
2.    What did she remember about doodlebugs? How often did bombing occur?
3.    What reason did Olive Peat give for going to serve in the war?
4.    What types of things did she do in the office at CMHQ?

Discussion Questions

What insights do the clips give you into some of the work women did during the war?

What skills do you think would have been important to have to do either Madge Trull’s or Olive Peat’s job?

Extensions and other ideas

1.    Play a clip from the film Enigma
2.    Have students conduct some research about Camp X
3.    Madge Trull worked as an “intelligence writer”. Ask students to go to this Canadian War Museum website and find a propaganda poster that is related to the work Madge Trull did or to women’s work in the war in general.

Further Resources

“Secret Life of Women Spies” (The Toronto Star)
Women in the Military (The Canadian Encyclopedia)
Camp X (The Canadian Encyclopedia)