You Weren't Taught That with the Welding: Lessons in Sexuality in the Second World War

British officials worried that increased participation in the uniformed services and industry during World War II would defeminize women and encourage promiscuity. To historians, women's wartime experiences pointed them toward future liberation. Interviews with women show that a heightened awareness of issues of sexuality was a significant part of their wartime experiences. Family and class standards were challenged, they became more aware of sexual opportunities, and they encountered various forms of male hostility and sexual harassment. While all of the women interviewed encountered the sexual tensions in wartime situations, their responses were shaped by individual interpretations and reactions.