Women's Auxiliary Australian Air Force

Women's Auxiliary Australian Air Force
WAAAF recruiting poster
Active1941–47
CountryAustralia
BranchRoyal Australian Air Force
TypeWomen's service
EngagementsWorld War II
Commanders
Notable
commanders		Mary Bell (1941)
Clare Stevenson (1941–46)
Military unit

The Women's Auxiliary Australian Air Force (WAAAF) was formed in March 1941 after considerable lobbying by women keen to serve, as well as by the Chief of the Air Staff, who wanted to release male personnel serving in Australia for service overseas. The WAAAF was the first and largest of the wartime Australian women's services. It was disbanded in December 1947.[1]

History

W.A.A.A.F technicians, Mascot airport, 4 July 1944.

Not long after World War II was declared in 1939, the Royal Australian Air Force had an urgent need for more skilled and semi-skilled signals and maintenance personnel to fulfil its wartime commitments to the Empire Air Training Scheme (EATS) for local defence in Australia.

On 4 February 1941, the formation of an air force women's auxiliary was approved by the War Cabinet. It had taken 14 months of difficult discussion and opposition to achieve this final outcome.

The formation of the Women's Auxiliary Australian Air Force (WAAAF) set a precedent for the formation of other women's service organisations such as The Australian Women's Army Service (AWAS) and the Women's Royal Australian Naval Service (WRANS).

Approximately 27,000 women enlisted in the WAAAF between 15 March 1941 and 24 August 1945. In June 1941, Squadron Officer Clare Stevenson was appointed Director of the WAAAF.[1] She took over from Flight Officer Mary Bell, wife of an RAAF group captain and former Australian Commandant of the volunteer Women's Air Training Corps, who had held temporary command for the first three months of the WAAAF's existence.[2]

Ranks

WAAAF Rank Equivalent RAAF Rank[3][4] Daily Pay (in shilling/pence)[4]
Commandant-in-Chief Air Marshal Unknown
Air Chief Commandant Air Vice Marshal Unknown
Air Commandant Air Commodore Unknown
Group Officer Group Captain 24/6
Wing Officer Wing Commander 22/-
Squadron Officer Squadron Leader 19/6
Flight Officer Flight Lieutenant 17/-
Section Officer Flying Officer 13/6
Assistant Section Officer Pilot Officer 12/4
Under Officer Warrant Officer Subject to group system (see below)
Flight Sergeant Flight Sergeant Subject to group system
Sergeant Sergeant Subject to group system
Corporal Corporal Subject to group system
Leading Aircraftwoman Leading Aircraftwoman Subject to group system
Aircraftwoman Aircraftwoman Subject to group system

Group System

The WAAAF used a group system based on occupation to determine the pay of NCOs and non-officers.

Group Occupations Daily Pay (in shilling/pence)[4]
1 Draughtswoman, laboratory technician, Link trainer instructress, meteorological assistant, X-ray technician 6/8
2 Armourer, cinema operator, dental mechanic, fabric worker, flight mechanic, flight rigger, hygiene inspector, instrument repairer, painter, photographer, radar operator, telegraphist, wireless assistant 6/8
3 Accounting machine operator, caterer, clerk general, clerk pay, clerk stores, cypher assistant, dental orderly, driver motor transport, equipment assistant, fabric worker's assistant, hairdresser, meteorological charter, nursing orderly, postal assistant, recorder, tailoress 6/-
4 Canteen stewardess, clerk, clerk librarian, clerk medical assistant, clerk signals, clerk stores assistant, radio telephony operator, service policewoman, sick quarter attendant, telephone operator, teleprinter operator, tracer, under officer, disciplinary 5/-
5 Aircrafthand, anti-gas instructress, armament assistant, cook's assistant, drill instructress, gardener, office orderly, postal orderly, stewardess, storeshand, trainee 4/4

See also

Sculpture in Tocumwal recognising the servicewomen of the WAAAF, July 2021
  • Aviation portal
  • flagAustralia portal
  • flagMilitary history of Australia portal

References

  1. ^ a b "Women in Air Force". Royal Australian Air Force. Archived from the original on 20 July 2008. Retrieved 10 April 2016.
  2. ^ Gillison, Douglas (1962). "Chapter 5 – The New Command" (PDF). Australia in the War of 1939–1945: Series Three – Air Volume I – Royal Australian Air Force, 1939–1942. Vol. I. Canberra, ACT: Australian War Memorial. pp. 99–100. OCLC 2000369.
  3. ^ "Women's Auxiliary Australian AIr Force (WAAAF) in Australia during WW2". www.ozatwar.com. Retrieved 21 August 2024.
  4. ^ a b c "Investigating the reality -- what women did and were paid - ANZAC Day Commemoration Committee". anzacday.org.au. Retrieved 21 August 2024.
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