Violet Drabble

Violet Drabble worked at the Royal Ordnance Factory at Ruddington near Nottingham, filling shells and bombs from the age of 17. The work was extraordinarily dangerous—handling high explosives in wooden huts that offered no protection. She recalled the yellow tinge TNT gave to their skin, earning them the nickname "canary girls." Despite the hazards and minimal pay, she and thousands of other women kept the ammunition flowing to the front lines throughout the war.