warworkers

The Women's Auxiliary Australian Air Force (WAAAF) was formed in March 1941, after considerable lobbying by women keen to serve and 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 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] Source: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Women%27s_Auxiliary_Australian_Air_...

We've had amazing stories of family members identifying their parents or grandparents from our Flickr Commons collection. We would love to know the identity and story of these two young women.

Very beautiful.......

The 1940's were the decade of style.

[http://www.flickr.com/photos/51979177@N02] There is a story here! Thanks for starting us off. There appear to be stories relating to these "Manila girls" for a couple of years. We'll post our findings here.

I believe that is my mother on the right - Kathleen Miller (nee Bahen) from Melbourne. After returning from the Manila, she went on to Japan to help & met my father who was in the US Air Force. They married had 6 children & moved around the world with the Air Force. Settled back in Melbourne 50 years ago & she passed away last year at 96. Amazing women.

The Women's Auxiliary Australian Air Force (WAAAF) was formed in March 1941 after considerable lobbying by women keen to serve and by the Chief of the Air Staff who wanted to release male personnel serving in Australia for service overseas. The WAAAF was the largest of the Second World War women's services. It was disbanded in December 1947. A new Australian women's air force was formed in July 1950 and in November became the Women's Royal Australian Air Force (WRAAF). The WRAAF was disbanded in the early 1980s and female personnel were absorbed into the mainstream RAAF. Australia's first female air force pilots graduated in 1988 and today, every role in the Air Force is open to women. Source: www.awm.gov.au/learn/understanding-military-structure/raa...