Why No One Wanted to Marry Female Soldiers After WWII
In the aftermath of World War II, the world was forever changed. The stories of victory, valor, and sacrifice dominated the airwaves, etched into the collective memory of a generation. But while men were hailed as heroes, thousands of women, who had played an equally crucial role in the fight, returned home expecting the same recognition. Instead, they faced something far worse: silence, prejudice, and shame. They were called “field wives” and “forgotten soldiers,” and their bravery was overshadowed by society’s rigid expectations of what a woman’s role should be. These are the forgotten stories of women who fought at the frontlines, won countless battles, and yet were left to fight another battle for recognition in a world that had little room for their contributions.
The Battlefield Shift
When the war began, society was in turmoil. With millions of men leaving for the frontlines, women were called upon to take up jobs and roles traditionally held by men. But some women didn’t just stay behind to work in factories; they went into battle. In the Soviet Union, the most famous example was the “Night Witches,” female pilots who became a symbol of defiance in the air. In France, the French Resistance saw women like Lucie Aubrac, who led dangerous missions to sabotage German operations. And in the United States, women served in the armed forces, becoming pilots, mechanics, and intelligence officers.
But when the war ended, those women returned home. Many had been discharged, often unceremoniously, to resume their domestic roles in a world where men were expected to reclaim their place as soldiers and leaders. While male soldiers returned home to parades and medals, women returned to silence. Their service was dismissed, their contributions erased from history as if they had never existed.
The “Field Wives” Stigma
While the men returned as war heroes, the women who had risked their lives were relegated to a less-glamorous narrative. They were labeled as “field wives”—a term designed to diminish their sacrifices. These women had fought and bled alongside their male counterparts, but their bravery was deemed inconsequential. Society branded them as anything but the warriors they were. If they had been part of the war effort, they were expected to keep quiet about it, to fit back into the mold of wife and mother, roles that were deemed more acceptable for women in peacetime.
In many countries, women who had served in the military were silenced, some even choosing to hide their service for fear of social rejection. They were expected to be just as passive and compliant as the women before the war, seen and not heard, fulfilling their roles as wives, mothers, and caretakers. Those who spoke out or carried their wartime experiences openly were often ostracized, labeled as “unladylike” or, worse, as women who had betrayed the norms of femininity.
The stories of women like American WACs (Women’s Army Corps) members, British ATS (Auxiliary Territorial Service) soldiers, and Soviet snipers and pilots like Lyudmila Pavlichenko, were lost in the noise of postwar male heroism. These women had stood shoulder to shoulder with men on the battlefield, yet their contributions were minimized or completely forgotten.
Fighting Against The Tide
For many of these women, the postwar years were an internal battle. They had fought in the war, but now they had to fight against the prejudice that denied them their place in the narrative of history. Some returned to their homes in secret, trying to rebuild lives that had been disrupted by war, only to face the expectation that they would fit into the traditional roles of wife and mother without question. Those who had been soldiers found themselves at odds with the very fabric of society they had fought to protect.
One poignant example is that of the “servicewomen” who had served in the Soviet army. Many of them had fought in the most harrowing conditions, facing not only the brutal enemy forces but also the dehumanizing conditions imposed by the harsh Soviet leadership. Some had fought at Stalingrad and on the frontlines of the German advance, but their valor was downplayed in the public sphere after the war. They were seen as anomalies in a society that didn’t know how to handle the role of women in combat. When asked about their experiences, many of these women were forced to downplay their roles, fearing they would be branded as unworthy of respect.
In the United States, the Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps (WAAC), which had been formed to support the army during the war, was disbanded after the war ended. Despite their vital work, women were sent back to civilian life with little recognition, as the military focus shifted back to male soldiers. For decades, the contribution of women to the war effort was marginalized, their roles either minimized or ignored by the mainstream narrative.
The Road to Recognition
As the years passed, the narrative surrounding these women remained unchanged. It wasn’t until the late 20th century, when social movements began to challenge traditional gender roles, that the bravery of these women started to be acknowledged. Over the years, several organizations, including veteran groups and military historians, began to highlight the stories of women who had served. These efforts slowly brought attention to their sacrifices and contributions.
But the road to recognition was not easy. For decades, these women lived with the stigma of being “field wives,” their wartime efforts overshadowed by the culture of silence and prejudice that had gripped the postwar world. It wasn’t until the 1970s and 1980s, when women’s rights movements began to gain momentum, that society began to reassess the roles women played during the war. Slowly but surely, the stories of women like Lyudmila Pavlichenko, the Soviet sniper who killed over 300 German soldiers, and the British ATS soldiers, who worked tirelessly in support roles, began to find their place in the history books.
The impact of their contributions didn’t stop with recognition, however. For many, the war had changed them in profound ways. The realization that they had been soldiers, leaders, and warriors in their own right, even if their stories had been hidden for decades, empowered these women to reclaim their space in history.
The Lasting Impact of Their Fight
Despite the hardships they faced upon returning home, these women made lasting contributions not just to their countries during the war but also to the history of gender equality. In the decades following the war, their stories became an essential part of the ongoing fight for women’s rights and recognition in both the military and civilian spheres. The legacy of their courage became a foundation for future generations, showing that women could not only contribute to the war effort but could also be heroes in their own right.
Today, these women are finally being recognized. Memorials, books, and documentaries have been dedicated to telling their stories. The Women’s Memorial in Washington, D.C., and other institutions now highlight their bravery alongside the stories of male soldiers. Women who once served as soldiers, pilots, and spies during the war are finally receiving the accolades they were denied for so long.
These women were not just victims of war; they were warriors, trailblazers, and heroes. Their courage helped shape the future of women’s roles in combat, and their stories, long buried beneath the weight of societal norms, have finally been brought to light.
Conclusion
The story of the women who fought in World War II is a testament to the resilience of the human spirit and the strength of women who were not afraid to step into roles that were traditionally reserved for men. The prejudice and silence they faced upon returning home were a stark reminder of the battles they fought—not just against foreign enemies but also against the limitations placed on them by their own society.
Their stories are finally being told, but it has taken decades for society to catch up with their bravery. The “field wives,” as they were called, are no longer forgotten. Today, they are celebrated, not only for their bravery during the war but for the quiet revolution they sparked in the years that followed—a revolution that continues to inspire women around the world to fight for their rightful place in history.
