War Women's Work

I have heard tell that women had to take over and do "men's work" while the men were away during World War II but hadn't realized my mother had done such work while my dad was gone.   I ran across a picture in my parent's things with writing on the back - mom had apparently mailed this photograph to dad, who was a supply officer in Calcutta, India at the time.  Here's what she wrote:

One of my daughters wanted to put this message and the following picture on her wall, evidence that her grandmother was an empowered woman ahead  of her time.  Mother was a small, slight woman but surprisingly mechanically adept when given the chance, which subsequently wasn't often.   I knew she had it in her.