Certificate; L.G.O.C. certificate of service, issued to Ellen Bulfield for her work as a World War One bus conductor, 1919

The Underground Group employed 5,551 women during the First World War. They took up a variety of temporary positions on the buses and railways At the end of the war, all the conductors were issued with commemorative certificates and photographs to mark their service. This certificate was presented to Ellen Bulfield, who served as a conductor from March 1916 to November 1919. It is estimated that during this time she travelled 70,000 miles. The trade unions were assured that the employment of female bus conductors was only a temporary measure. The London General Omnibus Company fulfilled its national promise to discharged soldiers, keeping all jobs open to those who returned from war. Bulfield was the last female bus conductor to hand over her position, almost a year after the war ended.