Women's Auxiliary Australian Air Force

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.^[1]

Women's Auxiliary Australian Air Force
WAAAF recruiting poster
Active	1941–47
Country	Australia
Branch	Royal Australian Air Force
Type	Women's service
Engagements	World War II
Commanders
Notable commanders	Mary Bell (1941) Clare Stevenson (1941–46)

History

W.A.A.A.F technicians, Mascot airport, 4 July 1944.

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.^[1] 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.^[2]

Ranks

WAAAF Rank	Equivalent RAAF Rank[3][4]	Daily Pay (in shilling/pence)[4]
Commandant-in-Chief	Air Marshal	Unknown
Air Chief Commandant	Air Vice Marshal	Unknown
Air Commandant	Air Commodore	Unknown
Group Officer	Group Captain	24/6
Wing Officer	Wing Commander	22/-
Squadron Officer	Squadron Leader	19/6
Flight Officer	Flight Lieutenant	17/-
Section Officer	Flying Officer	13/6
Assistant Section Officer	Pilot Officer	12/4
Under Officer	Warrant Officer	Subject to group system (see below)
Flight Sergeant	Flight Sergeant	Subject to group system
Sergeant	Sergeant	Subject to group system
Corporal	Corporal	Subject to group system
Leading Aircraftwoman	Leading Aircraftwoman	Subject to group system
Aircraftwoman	Aircraftwoman	Subject to group system

Group System

The WAAAF used a group system based on occupation to determine the pay of NCOs and non-officers.

Group	Occupations	Daily Pay (in shilling/pence)[4]
1	Draughtswoman, laboratory technician, Link trainer instructress, meteorological assistant, X-ray technician	6/8
2	Armourer, cinema operator, dental mechanic, fabric worker, flight mechanic, flight rigger, hygiene inspector, instrument repairer, painter, photographer, radar operator, telegraphist, wireless assistant	6/8
3	Accounting 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, tailoress	6/-
4	Canteen 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, disciplinary	5/-
5	Aircrafthand, anti-gas instructress, armament assistant, cook's assistant, drill instructress, gardener, office orderly, postal orderly, stewardess, storeshand, trainee	4/4

See also

Sculpture in Tocumwal recognising the servicewomen of the WAAAF, July 2021

• Aviation portal
• Australia portal
• Military history of Australia portal

• 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