The Auxiliary Territorial Service (ATS): Women on the British Home Front
The Auxiliary Territorial Service (ATS) was the women’s branch of the British Army during World War 2. They were established to play a pivotal role in supporting military operations and releasing men for active combat duties. The ATS formed on September 9, 1938. They initially operated as a voluntary service, created in response to the pressing need for women to assume non-combat military roles.
Diverse Roles and Essential Contributions
ATS members served in a wide array of capacities, quickly moving beyond traditional support roles to take on technically demanding and vital tasks. Logistics & Admin, Anti-aircraft, and specialised training. Early in the war, military strategists recognised that servicewomen were the ideal for Wireless Telegraphy (WT) or Morse code interception. The Army ‘Y’ Service—which specialised in intercepting enemy communications—began recruiting from the Auxiliary Territorial Service (ATS) in October 1941. This training took place at the Trowbridge Barracks which was the home of the Special Operators Training Battalion (SOTB). The ATS operators trained here in Trowbridge were essential to the secret ‘Y’ Service.
The coded messages recorded by these operators were sent to be deciphered at Bletchley Park. This work was a vital part of the British Signals Intelligence effort, providing crucial information that directly supported the war effort. ATS women trained in Trowbridge later served at various secret intercept establishments both in the UK and overseas.
Specialised Training at Trowbridge
ATS recruits destined for Signals Intelligence underwent six months of intense instruction at the Special Operators Training Battalion (SOTB) in Trowbridge. The training was exceptionally demanding. Trainees had to accurately transcribe Morse code for a continuous 30 minutes at a speed of 18 words per minute (WPM), allowing no more than two errors. Once deployed, operators typically achieved speeds of 25 WPM, with some highly proficient personnel reaching up to 32 WPM.
ATS Impact and Enduring Legacy
By the conclusion of World War 2, the ATS had become the largest of the British military’s women’s services, with over 250,000 women having served. The ATS was officially disbanded in 1949, with its personnel integrated into the newly formed Women’s Royal Army Corps. The service’s legacy is immense. It not only contributed significantly to the Allied victory but also fundamentally transformed perceptions of women’s capabilities in the military, setting a crucial precedent for their inclusion in armed forces globally.
