Introduction
Queen Elizabeth II, Britain‘s longest-reigning monarch who passed away in September 2022, was a beloved figure known for her devotion to duty and life of service. But long before she ascended the throne, the young Princess Elizabeth rolled up her sleeves and served her country during the darkest days of World War II. In 1945, at age 19, Elizabeth became the first female member of the royal family to join the armed forces as a full-time active member, marking a significant break from traditional royal roles. Her wartime service as a mechanic and truck driver in the Women‘s Auxiliary Territorial Service (ATS) not only endeared her to the British public but also deeply influenced her sense of duty and commitment to a lifetime of public service.
Early War Years and Elizabeth‘s Radio Broadcast
When World War II broke out in 1939, 13-year-old Princess Elizabeth and her family remained at Buckingham Palace despite the risk of German bombing raids. As the conflict intensified, Elizabeth sought ways to contribute to the war effort. In 1940, at age 14, she made her first radio broadcast during the BBC‘s Children‘s Hour, addressing children who had been evacuated due to the war. "We are trying to do all we can to help our gallant sailors, soldiers, and airmen," she said in the broadcast. "And we are trying, too, to bear our share of the danger and sadness of war. We know, every one of us, that in the end, all will be well."
Joining the ATS in 1945
As the war raged on, Elizabeth grew increasingly determined to serve in a more active capacity. However, her parents, King George VI and Queen Elizabeth, were initially reluctant to allow their heir to put herself in harm‘s way. "Elizabeth was keen from the start to join one of the women‘s services and do her bit for the war effort," says historian and biographer Robert Lacey. "But it took a lot of persuading for her parents to agree."
Finally, in February 1945, with the tide of the war turning in the Allies‘ favor, the King and Queen relented, and 19-year-old Elizabeth enlisted in the ATS. She was registered as Second Subaltern Elizabeth Windsor, No. 230873, at the time making her the only female member of the royal family in history to have held a rank in the armed forces.
The ATS Training Experience
After enlisting, Elizabeth began a six-week auto mechanic training course at Aldershot in Surrey. She learned to deconstruct, repair, and rebuild engines; change tires; and drive trucks, jeeps, and ambulances. According to the Imperial War Museum, the training program covered "everything from basic motor mechanics to map reading and servicing heavy vehicles."
Elizabeth tackled the dirty, physical work with gusto. A fellow ATS trainee later recalled, "She never minded getting her hands dirty and was always keen to learn more and to do her bit." By the end of her training in July 1945, the princess had risen from the rank of Second Subaltern to Junior Commander.
Life as a Wartime Mechanic
As an ATS mechanic and driver, Elizabeth‘s daily life was a far cry from the privileged royal upbringing she was accustomed to. She worked servicing and repairing vehicles and drove trucks and ambulances as part of the war effort. The Collier‘s Weekly magazine reported in 1947, "One of her major joys was to get dirt under her nails and grease stains in her hands, and display these signs of labor to her friends."
However, there were still some concessions to her royal status. Unlike other ATS members who lived in barracks, Elizabeth returned each night to sleep at Windsor Castle. She also took most of her meals in the officers‘ mess hall rather than with the other enlistees.
The "Princess Auto Mechanic" in the Public Eye
The British public was enthralled by the idea of the heir to the throne getting her hands dirty and serving alongside ordinary citizens. Newspapers affectionately dubbed Elizabeth the "Princess Auto Mechanic," and photographs of the fresh-faced 19-year-old working on engines became some of the most enduring images of the war.
King George VI and Queen Elizabeth, along with Princess Margaret, visited Elizabeth‘s ATS unit in 1945, further highlighting her hands-on contributions. The King told the unit, "You are doing a grand job. I am very proud of you." The morale-boosting effect of the young princess‘s service cannot be overstated. "She was one of us," remembers a fellow ATS veteran. "It felt like she was in the trenches with us, mucking in."
Breaking New Ground for Royal Women
Elizabeth‘s ATS service was groundbreaking in an era when royal women were expected to take on only ceremonial military roles. Historian Kate Williams explains, "No other royal had ever done anything like this before. Elizabeth was forging a new path and showing that she was determined to do her duty, no matter what it took."
In fact, Elizabeth‘s ATS enlistment numbers are a testament to just how unusual her hands-on military service was. Records from the National Archives show that she was one of only 335,000 women who served in the ATS during the war—a tiny fraction of the millions who served in the British armed forces in total.
Victory in Europe and the End of Service
As the war neared its end, Elizabeth was still an active ATS member. On Victory in Europe (VE) Day, May 8, 1945, the princess and her sister Margaret famously snuck out of Buckingham Palace to join the raucous celebrations sweeping London. The pair went unrecognized as they danced the conga, drank rum-laced cider, and cheered with the exuberant crowds.
Elizabeth later called it "one of the most memorable nights of my life." Describing the scene, she said, "I remember lines of unknown people linking arms and walking down Whitehall, all of us just swept along on a tide of happiness and relief." Japan‘s surrender a few months later marked the end of Elizabeth‘s time in the ATS, but the experience would remain one of the most formative of her life.
A Lifetime of Service Shaped by Wartime Experience
Reflecting on her time in the ATS, Elizabeth once said, "I never regretted it. I enjoyed being with the other girls and doing the same as them." The experience instilled in the young princess a sense of discipline, duty, and lifelong commitment to service—qualities that would define her historic 70-year reign as queen.
In a radio address on her 21st birthday in 1947, Elizabeth publicly dedicated herself to a life of service, vowing, "I declare before you all that my whole life, whether it be long or short, shall be devoted to your service and the service of our great imperial family to which we all belong." This pledge, made just two years after her ATS stint, echoed the selflessness and sense of duty she had witnessed and embodied during her wartime service.
The Mechanic Queen
When Elizabeth became Queen just five years later in 1952 upon the death of her father, she carried the lessons and perspective gained during her wartime service to the throne. Her Majesty‘s down-to-earth warmth, tireless work ethic, and unwavering commitment to public service all had roots in her time as a young ATS mechanic.
Even as Queen, Elizabeth retained a passion for driving and was known to occasionally slip away to change a tire or tinker under the hood of her vehicles. Biographer Tim Graham recounts an anecdote of Elizabeth driving a visiting Crown Prince Abdullah of Saudi Arabia (a country where women were forbidden from driving) around one of her estates at breakneck speed. "He implored the Queen to slow down," Graham writes, "but she simply turned to him and smiled, saying, ‘I learned to drive in the war.‘"
Conclusion
Queen Elizabeth II‘s 1945 service in the ATS as a mechanic and driver was a formative chapter in the late monarch‘s extraordinary life, instilling the sense of duty and public service that would become hallmarks of her reign. At a time when royal women were expected to take on only symbolic military roles, the young princess broke with tradition to serve her country in a practical, hands-on way during WWII, boosting morale and forever endearing herself to the British public.
As we remember the remarkable life and legacy of Queen Elizabeth II, it is worth reflecting on how her experiences as a wartime mechanic helped shape the monarch and woman she would become. From teenage princess to "Princess Auto Mechanic" to Britain‘s longest-reigning Queen, Elizabeth‘s life was one of tireless service—service that began in earnest in an ATS uniform, proudly getting her hands dirty under the hood of a military truck.
