To Those Women of All Ages
DEDICATED TO THE GIRLS BEHIND THE GUNS
“Give Us The Tools” … Immortal words,
Were heard in darker days,
And answered by Canadians all,
In various fields and ways.
An urgent need — the guns to feed,
They heeded Scarboro’s calls,
Those “Women of All Ages”
In “The Cleanside” shops and halls.
Both night and day, in spirits gay
To time clocks they make tracks,
Then journey to the Change House for
Their turbans and their slacks.
They cross “The Cleanside” barrier,
“All Clear” … and without fuss
To … “Keep ’em Firing” … vital role,
“The Boys” to them entrust.
In spotless, air conditioned shops,
In to the fuse they pack
Explosive power … pressing need,
The “key” to the attack.
They deal with primers, tubes and gaines,
They fill … They press … They stem,
To increase Allied might … and save
The lives of valiant men.
They’re soldiers of production lines
In uniforms of white,
The GECO Diamond is their badge,
They’re workers in the fight.
While rhythmic music fills the air,
They seal the fate of Huns,
The songs they sing are “Preludes” to
“The Voices of the Guns.”
When “Victory” trumpets sound the call,
For Gunners to … “Cease Fire!”
From ammunition-filling jobs,
They proudly can retire.
They’ll hear … “They Kept ’Em Firing”
From Canada’s fighting sons
Those “Women of All Ages”
The Girls behind the Guns.
— F.G. Brimicombe1