The phrase Work of National Importance is used in the National Roll of the Great War to describe the valuable work of female Special War Workers in the manufacture of armaments. I have used the National Roll to identify 28 women who worked  at George Kent's Munitions factories in Luton and added these munitionettes  to the website.  (They can be found by name or by following the links from the George Kent Factory or by the keyword: munitionettes).

 Clearly this is merely a tiny proportion of the thousands of women who carried out this vital task. I would be delighted if someone visiting the site could spot an ancestor and add more details about the woman's life after WWI. Or perhaps you know of war work carried out by a member of your family and could add another person to the site?  

Sadly, ten workers at George Kent's ( 6 men and 4 women) were killed by explosions and are listed on the George Kent War Memorial. We know little about these accidents or the people affected. May Constable's funeral was reported in the local press but mostly the newspapers were discouraged from reporting such deaths in the interests of civilian morale.  The anniversary of WWI is an opportunity to remember and learn more about all the women carrying out Work of National Importance during the Great War.