The A.T.S.

The Women’s Auxiliary Territorial Service (ATS) was formed on 9 September 1938, initially as a women’s voluntary service of the British Army and existed until 1 February 1949. It is perhaps best known as the uniformed branch of the British military in which then-Princess Elizabeth, now Queen Elizabeth II, served as a second subaltern during World War II. 1938 was a common year starting on Saturday (link will take you to calendar). ... The British Army is the land armed forces branch of the British Armed Forces. ... 1949 is a common year starting on Saturday. ... Elizabeth II in an official portrait as Queen of Canada (on the occasion of her Golden Jubilee in 2002, wearing the Sovereigns badges of the Order of Canada and the Order of Military Merit) Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary) (born 21 April 1926), styled HM The... World War II was a truly global conflict with many facets: immense human suffering, fierce indoctrinations, and the use of new, extremely devastating weapons like the atom bomb World War II, also known as the Second World War, was by far the bloodiest and most expensive war in history, estimated...

Introduction

The ATS had its roots in the Women’s Auxiliary Army Corp (WAAC) which formed in 1917 as a voluntary service. During the First World War its members served in a number of jobs including clerks, cooks, telephonists and waitresses. The WAAC was disbanded after four years in 1921. 1917 was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar (see link for calendar) or a common year starting on Tuesday of the Julian calendar. ... Ypres, 1917, in the vicinity of the Battle of Passchendaele. ... 1921 was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ...

Prior to the Second World War, the government decided to establish a new Corp for women, and an advisory council which included members of the Territorial Army (TA), the Women’s Transport Service and the Women’s Legion was set up. The council decided that the ATS would be attached to the Territorial Army, and the women serving would receive two thirds the pay of male soldiers. Mushroom cloud from the nuclear explosion over Nagasaki rising 18 km into the air. ... In the United Kingdom the Territorial Army is a part of the British Army composed of reserve units, or part-time soldiers. ... In the United Kingdom the Territorial Army is a part of the British Army composed of reserve units, or part-time soldiers. ...

Structure

Organization of the Service was similar to the Army. The ATS was split into six Command Units, based on the structure of the TA. These units were Southern, Northern, Western, Eastern, Scottish and Northern Ireland District. Royal motto: Nemo me impune lacessit (Latin: No one provokes me with impunity) Scotlands location within the UK Languages with Official Status1 English Scottish Gaelic Capital Edinburgh Largest city Glasgow First Minister Jack McConnell Area - Total - % water Ranked 2nd UK 78,782 km² 1. ... Royal motto: Quis separabit (Latin: Who will separate?) Northern Irelands location within the UK Official languages English, Irish, Ulster Scots Capital and largest city Belfast First Minister Office suspended Area  - Total Ranked 4th 13,843 km² Population  - Total (2001)  - Density Ranked 4th 1,685,267 122/km² NUTS 1...

A Command Unit was broken down into a number of Areas or Divisions, usually the size of a county. Each Area/Division then broke down into between one and five Companies that consisted of one to two platoons each.

At the inception of the Service the ATS rank structure was decided as follows. In brackets are the equivalent Army ranks. Leading the ATS was the Chief Controller, a rank equivalent to a Major General. Insignia of a United States Air Force Major General German Generalmajor Insignia Major General is a military rank used in many countries. ...

Volunteer (Private); Private refers to: privacy the ability of a person to control the availability of information about and exposure of him or herself. ...

Chief Volunteer (Lance Corporal); Lance Corporal (LCpl or L/Cpl) is a military rank used by some elements of the British and U.S. armed forces. ...

Sub-Leader (Corporal); Corporal is a military rank (equivalent to NATO Rank Code OR-4) in use by several militaries of the world. ...

Section Leader (Sergeant); This article is about the rank of sergeant. ...

Senior Leader (Warrant Officer 2);

Company Assistant (Second Lieutenant); Second Lieutenant is the lowest commissioned rank in many armed forces. ...

Junior Commander (Lieutenant); A Lieutenant is a military, paramilitary or police officer. ...

Company Commander (Captain); Captain is both a nautical term and a military rank. ...

Senior Commandant (Major); Badge of rank of a Major in the British Army. ...

Chief Commandant (Lieutenant Colonel); In the U.S. Army, Air Force and Marine Corps, a lieutenant colonel is a commissioned officer superior to a major and inferior to a colonel. ...

Controller (Colonel); Colonel is both a military rank and civilian title, used by nearly every country in the world. ...

Senior Controller (Brigadier); Brigadier is a rank in the British Army, Royal Marines, Australian Army, New Zealand Army, and several other armies ranking above Colonel and immediately below Major-General. ...

Chief Controller (Major General). Insignia of a United States Air Force Major General German Generalmajor Insignia Major General is a military rank used in many countries. ...

The badges of rank were the same as the equivalent ranks in the Army. Superior officers were addressed as Ma’am.

The ATS uniform was the same as that of the Army. The badge of the ATS was comprised of the letters ‘ATS’ (the letter T central and larger) surrounded with a laurel wreath. This was surmounted by the Kings Crown. Officers wore the badge on their caps an on the collar of their jackets. Members only wore the badge on their caps. Due to wartime shortages, the bronze badges were later replaced with plastic versions. This page describes uniform in the sense of clothing. ...

The first ATS shoulder tittles consisted of the letters ‘ATS’ in bronze block capitals. In order to stop any confusion with the Army Technical School, and to bring the Service in line with the former Women’s Transport Service and Women’s Legion members who wore the cloth title from their previous organization, the King suggested a cloth title for the ATS. At first it was simply a cloth version of the bronze title, but as the war progressed, a larger beech on green cloth title with the wording ‘Auxiliary Territorial Service’ in brown block capitals was issued.

The ATS in action

The first recruits to the ATS were employed as cooks, clerks and storekeepers. At the outbreak of the Second World War, 300 ATS members were billeted to France. As the German army advanced through France, the British Expeditionary Force was driven back towards the English Channel. This lead to the evacuation of troops from Dunkirk in May 1940, and some ATS telephonists were among the last of the British to leave the country. Mushroom cloud from the nuclear explosion over Nagasaki rising 18 km into the air. ... The British Expeditionary Force (BEF) was the British army sent to France and Belgium in World War I and British Forces in Europe from 1939 - 1940 during World War II. The BEF was established by Secretary of State for War Richard Haldane following the Boer War in case Britain ever... Dunkirk is the English name for the city of Dunkerque in northern France: see Dunkirk, France. ... 1940 was a leap year starting on Monday (link will take you to calendar). ...

As more men joined the war effort, it was decided to increase the size of the ATS, with numbers reaching 65,000 by September 1941. Women between the ages of 17 and 43 were allowed to join, although these rules were relaxed in order to allow WAAC veterans to join up to the age of 50. The duties of members were also expanded, seeing ATS orderlies, drivers, postal workers and ammunition inspectors.

On 9 May 1941, the ATS rank structure was reorganized, as from July 1941 the ATS was given full military status and members were no longer volunteers. The new ranks were:

Private (Private);

Lance Corporal (Lance Corporal);

Corporal (Corporal);

Sergeant/Lance Sergeant (Section Leader);

WO1/WO2/Staff Sergeant (WO2);

Second Subaltern (Second Lieutenant);

Subaltern (Lieutenant);

Junior Commander (Captain);

Senior Commandant (Major);

Chief Commander (Lieutenant Colonel);

Controller (Colonel);

Senior Controller (Brigadier);

Chief Controller (Major General).

The uniforms and badges of rank remained the same.

The National Service Act

In December of 1941 Parliament passed the National Service Act, which called up unmarried women between 20 and 30 years old to join one of the auxiliary services. These were the ATS, the Women’s Royal Naval Service (WRNS), the Women’s Auxiliary Air Force (WAAF) and the Women’s Transport Service. Later on married women were also called up although pregnant women and those with young children were exempt. National Service was the name given to the system of military conscription employed in the United Kingdom (although excluding Northern Ireland) between 1949 and 1960. ...

Other options under the Act included joining the Women’s Voluntary Service (WVS) which supplement the emergency services at home, or become a member of the Women’s Land Army, helping on farms.

There was also provision made in the Act for objection to service on moral grounds -about a third of those on the Conscientious Objectors List were women. A number of women were prosecuted as a result of the Act, some even being imprisoned.

Despite this by 1943 about 9 out of 10 women were taking an active part in the war effort.

As today, Women were bared from serving in battle, but due to shortages of men, ATS members, as well as members of the other women’s voluntary services took over many support tasks, such as radar operators, ground gun crews and military police. By VE Day, there were over 190 000 members of the Women’s Auxiliary Territorial Service.

Post War

After the cessation of hostilities women continued to serve in the ATS, the WRNS and the WAAF. The ATS was succeeded Women’s Royal Army Corps (WRAC), which formed on 1 February 1949 by Army Order 6. All women in the British Army continued to serve in the WRAC until 6 April 1992, when it was in turn disbanded and their members transferred to their appropriate corps in the army. Since then women have been fully integrated into non-combat role in the army.

The WRNS was integrated into the Royal Navy in 1993.