Who were the Ack Ack girls?

What was the ATS?

The Auxiliary Territorial Service (ATS) was formed in 1938, just before the start of the Second World War, as the first all-women’s branch of the British Army. It built on the legacy of the brave women who'd served in the First World War under the Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps (WAAC).

When the ATS first began, the women were given traditional roles like cooks, clerks, and storekeepers. They received little training and didn’t have uniforms at first. But as the war progressed and more women joined, the range of roles expanded.

They started working as telephonists (connecting calls through a switchboard), drivers, butchers, postal workers, ammunition inspectors (keeping track of all the guns), and even military police.

Did you know the late Queen Elizabeth II served in the wartime ATS as 2nd Lieutenant Elizabeth Windsor?

The oldest surviving member of the ATS

The ATS was made up of women from different countries. Ena Collymore-Woodstock OD MBE travelled from Jamaica to join the ATS in 1943, when Black women were finally allowed to enlist.

She blazed a trail for more than 600 women of colour who joined from British territories in the Caribbean. Ena would go on to become the army's first female radar operator, tracking incoming enemy planes. Now the British army's oldest female veteran, Ena spent her life uplifting women through her groundbreaking law work and as chief commissioner of the Girl Guides Association of Jamaica for over 10 years.

Women of colour in the ATS

Women from all over the British empire came to help with the war effort. At first, they were rejected by the war office, facing racist and discriminatory claims that they’d struggle to adapt to the British climate and culture, and this would affect their ability to work effectively.

But as the war progressed, demand for personnel grew and the ATS saw the start of non-discriminatory recruitment, to help improve relations between Britain and the Caribbean. This meant after a long struggle to be accepted, from 1943, Black women were finally allowed to enlist in the ATS.

Our 2024 Remembrance badges reflect their bravery and sacrifice.

Who were the Ack Ack girls?

During the Second World War, the women of the ATS played an important role in defending Britain’s skies. Many of these women joined the Anti-Aircraft Command, also known as ‘Ack Ack.’

The Ack Ack girls worked in mixed-gender squads where men fired the guns, and women had essential jobs like spotting enemy planes, calculating how far to shoot, and making sure the shells exploded at the right time. They were trained just as intensely as the men and had to pass tough tests on their fitness, eyesight, and nerves.

Even though they weren’t supposed to be on the front lines, during the Second World War, the home front was often just as dangerous. Many women of the Anti-Aircraft Command faced extreme conditions during the bombing raids.

The Royal British Legion

Since 2019, Girlguiding has proudly partnered with the Royal British Legion to create special badges for Remembrance. We split the profits from the badges, and so far, we’ve raised almost £700,000 for both organisations.

The Royal British Legion is a charity which provides care and support to the Armed Forces community, past and present, along with their families.