Auxiliary Territorial Service (ATS) uniform

This Auxiliary Territorial Service, or ATS, uniform belonged to Florence Bolton from Wavertree, Liverpool. The uniform consists of a smart khaki green jacket buttoned and belted up at the front, with sewn-on embroidered insignia patches on each sleeve. There is also a matching knee-length skirt, shirt and tie. Women volunteering for service during wartime dated back to the First World War but during the Second World War the phenomenon really took hold and female ATS units were attached to existing male Territorial units. Liverpool women were able to join the ATS and serve in England alongside the territorial branch of the King’s Regiment during the Second World War. They were not allowed into combat. Florence Bolton served with the ATS having trained in experimental searchlights and served with an anti-aircraft unit in Nottinghamshire. Her ATS unit was attached to the 38th Searchlight Battalion, King’s Regiment. Florence remained in the ATS after the war, which was re-formed as the Women's Royal Army Corps, and was attached to 573 Anti-Aircraft Regiment in Liverpool. Florence and her husband Henry were reunited when he joined the same Regiment in 1947 and the following year they married. Florence left the Territorials when 573 Regiment was disbanded in 1955. Henry finally retired in 1967 after serving for 36 years. He and Florence continued to work voluntarily for the Royal British Legion. Florence was a standard bearer for the Tuebrook branch, and they were active poppy sellers each November. Henry died in 1997 and Florence the following year.