Everyday life in the units of the Voluntary Women’s Legion (1918–1922)

Abstract

The Voluntary Women’s Legion was established on November 1918 in Lvov, during the war of Polish borders. The women participated in military operations because of difficult military situation when Lvov was attacked by Ukrainians. The second Voluntary Women’s Legion was organized in Vilnius during the Polish-Soviet war. The threat from the Soviet side caused that the Ministry of Military Affairs founded the another units of the women’s legion – in Warsaw, in Cracov and in Poznan. Women-soldiers were serving as couriers, guards and clerks. The women formation was terminated in 1920, after the end of the war of Polish borders. The difficult military situation caused economic crisis which influenced on their accommodation, uniforms andequipment of women-soldiers. They were living in destroyed barracks and had to wear masculine uniforms which were too large for them. Their shoes were also too big and damaged. Sometimes they had to change their own footwear, for example – cut the heels. In that situation the shoes which were used by them were uncomfortable and caused cuts and abrasions of feet. Many women didn’t accepted living conditions in the army and didn’t want to continue their service. But it has to be emphasise that a large part of them were patriots and regardless of the conditions, they devoted themselves to their tasks.