WOMEN'S AUXILIARY AUSTRALIAN AIR
FORCE (WAAAF)
IN AUSTRALIA DURING WW2
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| visits since 15 June 2002 |
Not long after World War 2 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 precent 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 Grant Stevenson was appointed Director of the WAAAF.
The first 20 WAAAFs were posted to Townsville between 28 October 1941 and 7 February 1942 to work at the North-Eastern Area Headquarters in Sturt Street. They were urgently required to fill the roles of teleprinter operators and general clerks. This initial intake of WAAAFs in the area were living in various homes or flats in Townsville. The Officer-in-Charge of WAAAFs in the Townsville area, Assistant Section Officer Yvonne Rentoul established the new WAAAF Barracks in St Anne's Church of England School in Townsville. It was a difficult task as Townsville was rapidly filling with American and Australian military units. This influx lead to a shortage of equipment and a demanding role in protecting the well-being of the fresh new female recruits.
Three
WAAAF amongst 23 killed in the crash
of a C-47 at Archerfield on 27
March 43
REFERENCE BOOKS
"The WAAAF in Wartime
Australia"
by Joyce Thomson
"The WAAAF Book"
Edited by Clare Stevenson and Honor Darling
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This page first produced 15 June 2002
This page last updated 13 September 2003