A newly discovered photographic postcard showing women who kept Portsmouth's railways running during the First World War has been revealed by a researcher at the University of Portsmouth - and he is appealing to local people to help identify those in the image.
The postcard, found by Dr Mike Esbester from the University of Portsmouth's School of Area Studies, Sociology, History, Politics and Literature , shows a group of women workers believed to have been employed on Portsmouth's railway network between 1914 and 1918.
When the First World War broke out, women stepped into railway roles that had previously been closed to them. Research into the records of the National Union of Railwaymen - the forerunner of today's RMT Union - has identified women working as porters, carriage cleaners, ticket collectors, goods checkers and clerks at Portsmouth Town station, which is now Portsmouth & Southsea, and across the network.
The research uncovered details about sisters Alice and Ethel Allaway - two Portsmouth women who both became carriage cleaners, each going on to marry fellow railway workers they met on the job. Their story, and those of dozens of other local women, is documented in new research published by the University of Portsmouth.
Dr Esbester's findings further revealed that at least 73 women worked on Portsmouth's railways during the war - but the identities of many of those pictured in the postcard remain unknown.
Dr Esbester, co-lead of the Railway Work, Life & Death project , said: "These women changed history - and history is still catching up with them. A century or so ago, women like Alice and Ethel Allaway were quietly keeping Portsmouth's railways running, in jobs nobody expected them to do.
"Today, women are driving trains, managing stations, maintaining track and more. That journey started here, with women like the ones in this photograph. We just need Portsmouth to help us find out who they were."
Dr Esbester has worked closely with South Western Railway and Network Rail, who also collaborated with him on a video about Portsmouth's Railway women to provide further insight.
Speaking on behalf of South Western Railway and Network Rail Wessex, Phil Dominey, Senior Regional Development Manager, said: "We think of the railway as one big family that has a place for everyone. The inspirational women in the photograph took on roles that were previously unavailable to them and kept the railway running during the First World War. Each of them paved the way for today's diverse railway where all roles are open to anyone.
"We look forward to reading more of these amazing women's stories as they are uncovered."
"The railway wasn't just a transport link - it was at the heart of this community and the women who worked on it were part of the fabric of this city. In Portsmouth's centenary year, it feels right to shine a light on them. Someone in Portsmouth today almost certainly has a great-grandmother or great-aunt in this picture and I'd love to hear more about their story," added Dr Esbester.
About the Railway Work, Life & Death project
The 'Railway Work, Life & Death' project is a collaboration between the University of Portsmouth, the National Railway Museum and the Modern Records Centre at the University of Warwick. The project researches accidents involving British and Irish railway staff that occurred before 1939. Working with the current industry to try to use the past to make a difference today is an important part of the project's work.
