England Bus Conductors - Occupation Category

Question

Hi,

During WWII, when the men were called up to active service, my grandmother worked as a Bus Conductor. I want to categorise this occupation, but there is no Category:England, Bus Conductors or Bus Conductors.

In looking to create this with a similar structure to Category:England, Tram Conductors, I found there is a category for Conductors (transportation), but this is nested under Railroad Workers.

Which category should I assign to my grandmother and if England, Bus Conductors is the correct one, what should be its structure?

Thanks,

David

Answer 1

I believe the new category would go under

England: Drivers

https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Category:England%2C_Drivers

If it works like the American category, for example my great-grandfather and his brother were both motormen (streetcar drivers) with the CTA here in Chicago. That category is [Motormen] under Drivers.

https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Category:Drivers

https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Category:Motormen

I'm not part of the categorization team, but since you posted I am curious if these categories I just mentioned will be updated to United States, as another occupation category I've been using was recently updated to be United States specific.

Comments

Conductors never drove. They were really special, mostly helpful and chatty and didn't try to stop you jumping off a moving bus.

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As C. Mackinnon says, the conductor was a completely separate role from the driver. Possibly this role and distinction did not exist outside of the UK.

I would feel that a bus conductor is more like a tram or train conductor than a bus driver.

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WW2 clippie ( bus conductress ) in Manchester photo + info from Museum of transport

https://www.flickr.com/photos/gmts/23094669584

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As a categorist, I have long thought that the occupations categories do not need to be broken down to such specifics as locations. A shopkeeper is a shopkeeper, no matter where the shop is. Some countries seem to have occupations that were uniquely theirs such as bus conductors, which I doubt would be used anywhere else.  I'm sure there won't be need for Category:Italy, Bus Conductors or Canada, Bus Conductors, so using England, Bus Conductors makes little sense to me. Just use Category:Bus Conductors and put it under [[Category:England, Occupations]] and [[Category:Occupations by Name]] and [[Category:Transportation Occupations]].

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Thank you very much for that correction C. MacKinnon.

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Bus conductors also existed (at one time) in parts of Australia.  Train conductors still do.