Civil Defence Woman, 1941-42 In pre-war Soviet Ru defence and pre-mi training was undertaken by the voluntary Society for Aviation and Chemical Prepara At the beginning of the war ‘vil di n (Osoaviakhim jence became the esponsibility of an organ isation called Prot Voedachnyct-Oborona (PVO). As the Wehrmacht struck ever deeper into Russia Byelorussia and the Ukraine he civil populations of towns jong day's work in wa factories, perhaps on ver w food ra all ages turned out in their kind of duty that would free the men for service at the systems of anti-tank ditches with pick and shovel 10 during nightly enem Tris girl air raid warden's tft consists of a version of the British steel helmet made by a Leningrad saucepan factory, an army shirt with Osoaviakhim and Volua' Medical Society b the left breast, and a civilian skiet. She carries tongs for the handling of b cendiary bombs, which she is expected to simply pick up and drop in a bucket of water40 Orderly, Medical Service, 1943 Many of the medical per- sonnel serving at the front, even under fire, were ‘women. The dark blue beret and skirt wer © official service and parade uniform for Red Army women personnel dating from pre-war days, and were retained under regulations of May and August 1942, For duty in the ld khaki equivalents were prescribed, but under fron line seem to have been issued standard male unifor have worn whatever mixed outfits were convenient. The arm-of-service colour for medical personnel was green, with scarlet piping and the nnditions most women serpent and chalice, This orderly earries the standard issue medical musette D Under the pressure of casualties women were accepted first into non combat support branches, and later into combat arms, They served as anti-aircraft gun- ners; as snipers, though apparently not in the ranks of line Rifles units; and as combat airerew, in three famous all-woman regiments In the last year of the war qualified women from tank factories were recruited combat tank drivers, some rising to command posit There were 76 awards tc women of the ultimate decoration,"Hero of the Soviet Union”, many of them posthumous; of the total, went to aircrew, 12 to med: ical personnel, ten to snipers and scouts, and one 10 a member of the Tank Forces.