The Women's Air Service: Two Wars and Beyond

By Louise Wilkinson

The Women's Air Service, in its different forms, was set up to replace, where possible, officers and airmen and thus, whilst living under the same conditions, sharing the same dangers and carrying out the same duties, it became an integral and vital part of the Royal Air Force. It began as the Women's Royal Air Force in 1918 where up to 32,000 women served in trades such as drivers, shorthand typists, store keepers, riggers and fitters and acetylene welders.

Demobilized at the end of the First World War, women such as Dame Helen Gwynne-Vaughan, Viscountess Trenchard and Katherine Trefusis Forbes worked together to form the Emergency Service, whose role was to train women to become officers should they be needed in a time of war. The Auxiliary Territorial Service was formed in September 1938, within which a number of RAF companies had existed. These companies were affiliated to Royal Auxiliary Air Force squadrons, but by May 1939 the Government decided that a separate women's air service was necessary. As a result, the Women's Auxiliary Air Force was formed by Royal Warrant on 28 June 1939.

Two months after its creation, Germany invaded Poland, and the call immediately went out via the wireless, for air women to report to their units. Appeals were also made for women to come forward to enlist in the WAAF. Initially women were recruited into trades in which they were qualified by their civilian jobs. However, that soon changed and many more openings became available for women from all backgrounds to become trained. Such was its size and importance, a quarter of a million women from forty-eight different nationalities had served in the WAAF by 1945. Being employed in over 110 different trades, these women supported air force operations around the world. The WAAF had, without doubt, become an integral and vital part of the RAF's war effort.

In 1949, the organisation was recreated as the Women's Royal Air Force. Today, in the twenty-first century, women can train as pilots, aircrew and plenty of other trades which are equal to the men who serve in the Royal Air Force.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1036123499
• ISBN13: 9781036123499
• Release Date: May 2027
• Publisher: Air World