BY THE end of the First World War, more than 30,000 women had jobs in shipyards and munition factories on the Clydeside.
In September 1917, to help support the war effort including the role of women, King George V toured shipyards, steel works and engineering companies on Clydeside.
He was greeted by large crowds as he went including female munitions workers of the National Projectile Factory.
Women workers on the shipyards (Image: Alamy)
Dressed in their work clothes, they filled the stands at Ibrox Stadium where they watched the King carry out a royal investiture.
At the same event Lizzie Robertson became the first woman to be decorated by the King, receiving medal of Order of the British Empire for devotion to duty at the Cardonald Munitions Factory.
Lizzie Robertson receiving her OBE from King George V (Image: Newsquest)
It was seen by many as a turning point in the world of women’s work, although most returned to domestic service afterwards, and equal pay continued to elude those who remained.
In 1940, at the start of the Second World War, perhaps inspired in part by those female trailblazers, teenager Janet Harvey joined the shipyards as an electrician.
Janet Harvey (Image: BAE Systems)
Janet played a crucial role in the UK’s war effort and was one of just a handful of women working as electricians alongside the 100,000 strong male workforce.
At the age of 96, she was awarded an Honorary Degree of Doctor of Engineering from Glasgow Caledonian University in recognition of her outstanding contribution to Glasgow’s shipyards during the war.
Janet Harvey receiving her honorary degree (Image: Newsquest)
Poignantly, Janet died on Armistice Day (November 11) in 2023 at the age of 101.
Now, a vast new ship build hall being constructed on the Clyde has officially been named in her honour.
The Janet Harvey Hall is currently under construction at BAE Systems’ site in Govan.
Jen Blee, business operations director of BAE Systems’ Naval Ships business, said naming the hall after Janet "not only honours her contribution, but also the efforts of all the women who stepped up and became electricians, welders, engineers and platers when the call came."
She added: “It’s fitting that a pioneer such as Janet will remain synonymous with our efforts to re-imagine complex shipbuilding on the upper Clyde.
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“Today, women like Janet are much more commonplace in our yards than they once were and their numbers and impact continue to grow.
“We owe so much to generations past and will use the wisdom they gave us to create our own legacy for generations to come.”
Janet on her 100th birthday (Image: Newsquest)
Janet left school at the age of 14 and at the age of 18 trained for three months at technical college, where she first began to work for the Fairfield shipyard in Govan.
She moved across the river to John Brown's yard in Clydebank where she worked on HMS Vanguard, then the biggest and fastest Royal Navy battleship ever built.
When men returned from war, the women were made redundant, and Janet went on to work for the Co-operative and Tennent’s Brewery.
When she was awarded her honorary degree, Janet told the Glasgow Times it still annoyed her that she, and other female workers, did not receive the recognition they deserved.
“We were tossed aside like old rags at the end of the war,” she said. “They just pushed us out. We never even got a thank-you note to say ‘you did a good job’.”
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June Cofflet, Janet’s niece, said: “Janet would have been absolutely delighted to have the ship build hall named after her.
"She was so very proud of the work she did during the war. She had great memories of her time working on the Clyde and felt that the work she did made a difference.
“As a family we are delighted that BAE Systems has chosen our aunt’s name to go on the ship build hall, it is a real honour.”
The hall is a key element of the £300m transformation of BAE Systems' shipbuilding facilities in Glasgow. Once complete, the facility will be large enough for two Type 26 frigates to be constructed side-by-side.
Share your stories of pioneering women in your family by emailing Times Past on ann.fotheringham@glasgowtimes.co.uk or write to Ann Fotheringham, Glasgow Times, 125 Fullarton Drive, Glasgow G32 8FG.
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