WOMEN'S AUXILIARY AUSTRALIAN AIR FORCE (WAAAF)
IN AUSTRALIA DURING WW2

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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

 

First WAAAF's allocated to an Operational Squadron Gwen Stark (WAAAF) was Staff Officer, at North-Eastern Area Headquarters RAAF, Townsville Jan Arthur (WAAAF) was regular driver  for General Walker of 5th Bomber Command
Three WAAAF amongst 23 killed in the crash of a C-47 at Archerfield on 27 March 43 Townsville WAAAF Recruit Course WAAAF in North Queensland during WW2 
WAAAF Display at RAAF Townsville Museum WAAAF Messing Orderlies at HQ, North Eastern Area, Townsville WAAAF teleprinter operators worked at RAAF Central Area HQ at Point Piper
WAAAF Margaret Jones Carey amongst those killed in crash of an Avro Anson at Crescent Heads, NSW on 7 April 1945  WAAAF's worked in Zillmere underground Operations Room, W/T Remote Receiving Building, Beams Road, Fitzgibbon, Brisbane WAAAF's worked in Transmitting Station and Cypher and Receiving Station at Dubbo, NSW
WAAAF's working in a typical RAAF Fighter Section Headquarters WAAAF's working at 12 Signals Unit, Townsville WAAAF's worked for Central Bureau Intelligence
WAAAF's worked in No. 1 Fighter Sector Headquarters (1FSHQ) WAAAF barracks at "Netherway" Boarding House on corner of North Quay & Herschel St., Brisbane WAAAF barracks at "Kensington", a Boarding House next to 1FSHQ in Ann Street, Brisbane
WAAAF barracks at "Whytecliffe" Albion Heights, Brisbane WAAAF Base Camp, Belgian Gardens, Townsville WAAAF's with No. 1 Wireless Unit
WAAAF's in a secret Signals and Cypher Office at Victoria Barracks in Melbourne WAAAF's operating Hollereith Machines at Victoria Barracks, Melbourne   WAAAF's working at Section RO4, Directorate of Signals

 

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