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.
History
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. 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.
Ranks +WAAAF RankEquivalent RAAF RankDaily Pay (in shilling/pence)Commandant-in-ChiefAir MarshalUnknownAir Chief CommandantAir Vice Marshal UnknownAir CommandantAir CommodoreUnknownGroup OfficerGroup Captain24/6Wing OfficerWing Commander22/-Squadron OfficerSquadron Leader19/6Flight OfficerFlight Lieutenant17/-Section OfficerFlying Officer13/6Assistant Section OfficerPilot Officer12/4Under OfficerWarrant OfficerSubject to group system (see below)Flight SergeantFlight SergeantSubject to group systemSergeantSergeantSubject to group systemCorporalCorporalSubject to group systemLeading AircraftwomanLeading AircraftwomanSubject to group systemAircraftwomanAircraftwomanSubject to group system
Group System The WAAAF used a group system based on occupation to determine the pay of NCOs and non-officers. +GroupOccupationsDaily Pay (in shilling/pence)1Draughtswoman, laboratory technician, Link trainer instructress, meteorological assistant, X-ray technician6/82Armourer, cinema operator, dental mechanic, fabric worker, flight mechanic, flight rigger, hygiene inspector, instrument repairer, painter, photographer, radar operator, telegraphist, wireless assistant6/83Accounting 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, tailoress6/-4Canteen 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, disciplinary5/-5Aircrafthand, anti-gas instructress, armament assistant, cook's assistant, drill instructress, gardener, office orderly, postal orderly, stewardess, storeshand, trainee4/4
See also
Women in World War II Women's Auxiliary Air Force – UK example established 1939 Australian women during World War II Australian Women's Land Army Australian Women's Army Service Women's Royal Australian Naval Service Royal Australian Naval Nursing Service Royal Australian Air Force Nursing Service Women in warfare and the military (1945–99) Women's Royal Australian Air Force
References