Women in WWII typically didn't work in combat, as it was a widespread belief that women were unfit for war. However, there is a first time for everything and someone always brings audacious ideas to the otherwise cowardly table.
women are introduced to the U.S. armed forces
Many Americans stood against the idea of women working in non-nursing postions in military jobs but when the Japanese attack Pearl Harbor on December 7th, 1941, many of those Americans would change their minds. Following the attack, Congress authorized women to serve alongside the US Army, Navy, and Coast Guard in 1942 and the Marines in 1943 for the duration of the emergency plus six months. In total, more than 400,000 women served, 432 died, and 88 were prisoners of war. At first, women were prohibited from supervisory positions, jobs that required a considerable amount of physical strength, or work in conditions "improper for women." However, while the first recruits attempted to show their worth, the Army tried to enlist as many as 1.5 million women. Unfortunately, these goal were never met, in spite of the intensive public education program designed to prove to a skeptical public that servicewomen were pretty, feminine, capable, and absolutely necessary to help the men and the nation win the war.
Polish Women join the fight
Women in Poland had an extensive role in the resistance movement against Germany. They were amongst the few women to participate in actual combat. Wanda Gertz commanded and organized the DYSK (The Woman's Sabotage Unit), a group that fought against German occupation in Poland. Gertz was also a major and soldier of the Armia Krajowa and fought in the Polish defensive war of 1939. She also participated in the defensive of Warsaw. Gertz was also a member of the SZP, or the Polish Victory Service. She was a prisoner of war in several camps and when the U.S. liberated Poland, she became a member of the Polish I Corps in the West.
Denmark and norway's Female Fighters
Women had been involved in combat since 1946 in Denmark. In 1946, the Danish Women Army and Naval Corps were formed. In Norway, women had been involved in combat since 1938. Women were permitted to serve in any branch they wanted to, including direct combat. Many women were also involved in the resistance movement against Germany.
Women fighting for the soviet union
Russian women played a much larger role in the military than women in any other country and the Soviet Union was the nation to allow women as pilots. Women did work as aviators, one particularly famous woman being Marina Raskova, who is known as the Russian Amelia Earhart, the first female pilot in the Soviet Air Force. Female aviators flew over 30,000 missions and several were branded Heros of the Soviet Union. Women also worked as snipers, women such as Nina Alexayevna Lobkovskaya and Lyudmila Pavlichenko killed over 300 German soldiers in total. Women worked as machine gunners, medics, political officers, tank drivers, and communication personnel. In total, over 80,000 women served on the front line, 89 of which eventually received the highest military honor, The Hero of the Soviet Union. However, very few women were promoted to officers. Women also aided in the resistance movement against Germany.
German women in the armed forces
Women in Germany worked in auxiliary units in the Army, Navy, and Air Force. The Third Reich offered many positions to women, including pilot positions. Thea Rasche was the first female pilot in Germany. She was the only woman in the air show in Berlin. She was also awarded "wings around the world for peace."