Tributes to Sheffield Woman of Steel who refused to hide in air raid shelters and made ammo during WW2 instead

Ruth Violet Shepherd sadly passed away at home surrounded by her family on April 6.

Born in Syke House, Denby Dale, Ruth - known lovingly as Violet - was one of the youngest and last remaining members of her 12 siblings.

Her story starts when she left school at 14 years old to work in a fabrics factory, which foreshadowed the first signs of a war, when her usual crafting fabric was abruptly changed to khaki.

When the war began, Violet joined St John’s Ambulance before changing roles and assembling ammunition at Fox’s Steel Mill, Stockbridge, Sheffield, instead.

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Her grandson Lewis Townsend, relayed his grandmother’s favourite memory of refusing to enter an air raid shelter, and alternatively stating that if bombs were being dropped she would rather watch the ‘dog fight like fireworks’ with her colleagues than hide.

However Violet’s bravery to continue working during the war led to her narrow escape, in a spontaneous choice to walk home after work instead of getting a bus.

The bus she frequently travelled home on after work was filled with injured soldiers that day, so instead she decided to walk home.

However her decision spared her life, as the bus she had missed was tragically bombed shortly after.

Her bravery and strength shown during the war earned a medal and a commemoration in her name, in the ‘Women of Steel’ ceremony in Sheffield.

In 2016, the people of Sheffield united to celebrate the brave women – who kept the munitions factories going through two world wars – with the official unveiling of a statue in their honour in the city centre.

Her grandson told The Star: “Her daughter Rita, and myself - her grandson - will remember her as the strongest, most hardworking person we’ve known. Who cared about nothing more than her family, and would do anything for us.”

After the war Violet served Earl and Lady Wharncliffe as a nanny, and proudly helped raise their children Lady Joanna and the current Lady Rowena Wortley.

She was very proud of her work for the Wharncliffes, and told her family amusing stories of when she used to prepare pheasants after the family’s winter hunts, and repeated getting tipsy after over-testing their party punch.

In her later years her family recited that she lived peacefully in the same bungalow she had lived in for 70 years, and remembered her love of baking with her family – even teaching her grandson how to cook from her 1964 recipe book.