RISE OF THE WAAF

How a group of women risked their lives to protect their nation in WWII and shatter social norms

- Written by Frances White

The Women's Royal Air Force (WRAF) first came into being along with the Royal Air Force (RAF) in April 1918. However, by 1920 it was disbanded along with the other women's services. It was not until June 1939, when the Second World War seemed inevitable, that the Women's Auxiliary Air Force (WAAF) was formally established by King George VI. The Auxiliary Territorial Service (ATS) had previously existed as the female equivalent of the Territorial Army, but the motive behind the creation of the WAAF was that a separate women's air service was needed. It was not a totally independent service but rather interlinked to the RAF so women could be brought in to replace RAF personnel when required. Recruitment for the WAAF was not just from Great Britain; many overseas women also joined the organisation, and recruitment took place in the Middle East from 1942, including recruits from the Egyptian, Palestinian, Greek and Cypriot communities.

The roles of women recruited into the WAAF initially consisted of clerks, kitchen orderlies and drivers. This allowed men previously fulfilling these roles to be moved to frontline duties. These roles were generally seen as more acceptable for women due to their domestic nature. The ability of women to fulfil more mentally taxing roles was doubted from the start of the WAAF's formation. However, as the war progressed and situation became more dire, the strain the RAF was under led it to place women in roles previously thought unfathomable, including telephony, telegraphy and intercepting codes and ciphers. Women also entered the male-dominated worlds of mechanics and engineering.