Lilian Hopkins was born on 14 March 1894; the family lived in 12 Otto Street, Hafod, Swansea. She was thus 23 years old when she joined the Women's Army Auxiliary Corps on 18 June 1917. (The WAAC was formed in 1917 due to concerns that men who could be fighting in the Army were occupied in administrative tasks. Thus it was decided to recruit women to do many of these duties). Even though those who served in the WAAC did not have full military status they had a uniform as seen in this photograph, which shows Lilian along with a number of her fellow-servicewomen.