More than 75 million people fought in World War II - nearly all of them
men. Who was going to produce the weapons and the food, and do countless
other vital jobs? The answer was women. Millions stepped forward to take
on work they had rarely done before, such as fighting fires, ploughing
fields and cracking codes. These are the stories of four trailblazers
who achieved amazing things in difficult circumstances: Anne-Marie
Walters became a secret agent in constant danger of being captured,
working behind enemy lines in France. A painting of Ruby Loftus
operating machinery became an iconic image of women's contribution to
the war effort. By the time Nancy Love was in her early twenties, she
was one of America's leading woman pilots. When "Red" Harrington and her
fellow nurses were captured by the Japanese, they set up a hospital to
look after the thousands of other prisoners of war. Many of the rights
women have today are down to their actions. They helped change society's
image of women forever.