During WWII, while the men went to war, women in the allied nations rolled up their sleeves and went to work on the assembly lines, turning out war munitions and equipment. America had it's fictional "Rosie the Riveter," but Canada had a woman war worker icon even before that. She was called "Ronnie the Bren Girl," ...and she was real.
Veronica "Ronnie" Foster worked with her sister at the John Inglis Company in Toronto, on the Bren gun production line in the early 1940s. This 20-something year-old was quite photogenic, and the company and the country soon noticed her. She was photographed on the line and in other war effort propaganda photos. Her daily life at the plant and off work was recorded and was of interest throughout Canada. Here are some representative pictures.
These are a couple of of her most famous photos, taking a smoke break and admiring her handiwork:
Posing with her Bren gun and Winston Churchill:
Here are a couple of photos of Ronnie at her lathe:
The Inglis company used her as a model for employee manuals. Here is a picture of her showing how new employees are photographed on their first day on the job:
Here's another picture of her checking in at the guard post early in the morning:
The Inglis company had an active softball league for recreation, and Ronnie was pictured here batting the ball for fielding practice:
She was often photographed at company social activities; here she was jitterbugging with a manager:
After the war, Ronnie became a model and a vocalist with a band. She wound up married to the trombone player in the band. Here's she's at the mike:
Ronnie and her husband continued in the music business for years. Here is a picture of her taken in 1960:
In her life, Ronnie became mother to seven children, and she lived until the year 2000. Sadly for Canada and the rest of us who appreciate the effort that women put forth to help win WWII, she is no longer with us.
I thought you might like to know about her. Bless her and the thousands of other women who stepped up and helped their sons, husbands and boyfriends defeat the enemy. They were proud members of the "greatest generation."
John
Veronica "Ronnie" Foster worked with her sister at the John Inglis Company in Toronto, on the Bren gun production line in the early 1940s. This 20-something year-old was quite photogenic, and the company and the country soon noticed her. She was photographed on the line and in other war effort propaganda photos. Her daily life at the plant and off work was recorded and was of interest throughout Canada. Here are some representative pictures.
These are a couple of of her most famous photos, taking a smoke break and admiring her handiwork:
Posing with her Bren gun and Winston Churchill:
Here are a couple of photos of Ronnie at her lathe:
The Inglis company used her as a model for employee manuals. Here is a picture of her showing how new employees are photographed on their first day on the job:
Here's another picture of her checking in at the guard post early in the morning:
The Inglis company had an active softball league for recreation, and Ronnie was pictured here batting the ball for fielding practice:
She was often photographed at company social activities; here she was jitterbugging with a manager:
After the war, Ronnie became a model and a vocalist with a band. She wound up married to the trombone player in the band. Here's she's at the mike:
Ronnie and her husband continued in the music business for years. Here is a picture of her taken in 1960:
In her life, Ronnie became mother to seven children, and she lived until the year 2000. Sadly for Canada and the rest of us who appreciate the effort that women put forth to help win WWII, she is no longer with us.
I thought you might like to know about her. Bless her and the thousands of other women who stepped up and helped their sons, husbands and boyfriends defeat the enemy. They were proud members of the "greatest generation."
John
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I was always embarrassed when the other boys told stories about their fathers who saw real combat. My Cub Scout den father was an insurance agent who had been an infantry company commander in Europe.
