OUR ASSOCIATION
WELCOME TO www.airforce-women-qld.org.au
HOME OF THE WOMEN’S ROYAL AUSTRALIAN AIR FORCE ASSOCIATION QUEENSLAND INCORPORATED
In July 2018, members of the WRAAF Branch of RAAFA Qld Div. showed interest in forming their own independent unincorporated association to be known as the Women’s Royal Australian Air Force Association Queensland thereby severing all ties with RAAFA Qld Division.
At this meeting, Mrs Pam Condie was elected President, Mrs Pamela Ritter Deputy President, Ms Jill Buckland Treasurer and Ms Janet Noack Secretary. Members also voted to seek Incorporation through Queensland’s Office of Fair Trading. Over the following months, more than 80% of WRAAF Branch members continued to show interest in joining the newly formed WRAAF Assn. Qld.
On 22nd November 2018, approval was granted by The Hon Christopher Pyne MP, Minister for Defence, Leader of the House and the Member for Sturt to use the prohibited words and letters, “Royal Australian Air Force”. Subsequently our application for Incorporation was granted 7th December 2018 and we received certification to use WOMEN’S ROYAL AUSTRALIAN AIR FORCE ASSOCIATION QUEENSLAND INCORPORATED (Short Title: WRAAF Assn Qld Inc.).
Subsequently, WRAAF Assn Qld Inc. held their Inaugural Annual General Meeting January 19th 2019 with the following members being elected to our first Management Committee:
Executive: President - Mrs Pam Condie, Deputy President Mrs Pamela Ritter, Secretary and Assistant Treasurer Ms Janet Noack, Treasurer & Asst Secretary Ms Jill Buckland.
Committee Members: Mrs Eunice Smith, Mrs Gillian Shepperd, Mrs Vi Speis, Mrs Judy Evans, Mrs Anne Quinell and Mrs Dorelle Mumford; Health & Well-Being: Mrs Maureen Stewart; Council of Ex-Servicewomen Associations Delegates: Mrs Lyn Wilkes, Mrs Margaret Stevenson and Ms Janet Noack.
The highlight of our independence was the opportunity to award Life Membership to Mrs Dulcie Noonan (nee Kunde); Mrs Gwen Lovett (Clark); Ms Maureen Souter and Mrs Vonnie Weir (Mengel) in recognition of their loyalty to Australian Air Force Women commencing with their membership to the Women’s Auxiliary Australian Air Force Branch of RAAFA Qld Div, then transferring to the newly established WRAAF Branch of RAAFA Qld Div in January 1996 and finally, to the WRAAF Association in 2018.
With renewed enthusiasm and perspective, we are committed to growth and have opened our membership to not only women who served in the Women’s Royal Australian Air Force between 1951 and 1977 but to Ex-Servicewomen who have served in the Royal Australian Air Force; Servicewomen of the Royal Australian Air Force and Ex-Servicewomen who have served in an allied Women’s Royal Air Force.
By the end of 2019, our Membership numbers had grown in excess of 60 with a further 16 interstate ex-WRAAF’s subscribing to our quarterly Newsletter.
Our Purpose is to foster camaraderie and preserve the history of women who have served in the Royal Australian Air Force.
Per ardua ad astra
"through adversity to the stars".
OUR HISTORY
FROM WAAAF TO WRAAF TO RAAF – 3 GENERATIONS OF AUSTRALIAN AIR FORCE WOMEN
Women’s Auxiliary Australian Air Force (Triple A’s)
WAAAF embroidered badge and Cap
Not long after World War 2 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.
For the first three months (24 Feb – 21 May 1941) of its existence the WAAAF had been under the temporary command of Flight Officer Mary Bell, wife of an RAAF group captain and former Australian Commandant of the Women's Air Training Corps, an organisation of female pilots and ground staff that had been formed in 1939 and had been providing voluntary support to the Air Force. More were appointed from 10 March 1941 and a WAAAF Training Depot was established at Malvern, Melbourne. Recruiting commenced on 15 March 1941 and on 17 March the first nineteen airwomen reported at the Training Depot, ten of them being teleprinter operator trainees.
Claire Grant Stevenson AM, MBE (18 July 1903 - 22 October 1988)
Late in 1940, Stevenson was nominated to be the first Director of the planned Women's Auxiliary Australian Air Force (WAAAF).[5] Although keen to support the war effort in some capacity, she refused owing to the administrative and social obstacles she foresaw in the role; her appointment went ahead regardless on 21 May 1941.[9] The Air Member for Personnel, Air Vice Marshal Henry Wrigley, had selected Stevenson on the basis of her management background, academic qualifications and knowledge of women's organisations, and because she was not a "socialite".[10][11] Despite her misgivings, Stevenson felt she had no choice but to accept the a appointment, which took effect on 9 June 1941.
Ms Stevenson was described in 2001 as "the most significant woman in the history of the Air Force". Colonel Sybil Irving, the head of the Australian Women’s Army Service (AWAS), who observed first hand the WAAAF’s training methods before the large scale AWAS recruitment commenced, later declared that Stevenson “did the most pertinent pioneering work” in gaining acceptance for women in the armed forces.
Ms Stevenson was promoted to Wing Officer 1 October 1941, and Group Officer on 1 April 1942,[3] which was to be the highest rank attained by a serving WAAAF member.
A founding patron of the Council of Ex-Servicewomen's Associations, she was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 1960 Queen's Birthday Honours for her welfare work on behalf of female veterans.
Group Officer Stevenson retired from the Service on 18 March 1946 on medical grounds. Suffering reduced muscle function in her left arm and pain on her left side of her face and neck, she was diagnosed with brachai neuritis, traced to the typhus, tentanus and smallpox injections she had received in the previous May in preparation for a proposed visit to Manila that never eventuated. Her unsparing efforts, in helping to weld the WAAAF into an effective component of the RAAF, were an inspiration to all members. Lady Gowrie, wife of the Governor-General, was the first Honorary Air Commandant.
In 1981, to commemorate the fortieth anniversary of the formation of women's services in World War II, Stevenson was asked to lead the female contingent in the Anzac Day parade in Sydney. She published The WAAAF Book, a collection of reminiscences by former members of the service, with Honor Darling in 1984.[ Stevenson was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) in the 1988 Australia Day Honours for her services to the community and her welfare work with veterans. Ms Stevenson died in Mona Vale on 22 October 1988, leaving her body to the University of Sydney.
Group Officer Stevenson (centre) with Honorary Air Commandant
of the WAAAF, Lady (Zara) Gowrie (left), and the Deputy Director WAAAF, Squadron Officer Miller (right), Melbourne, November 1942
Group Officer Stevenson (centre), flanked by the American First Lady, Eleanor Roosevelt (left), and Air Commodore Frank Lukis (right), September 1943
The formation of the Women's Auxiliary Australian Air Force (WAAAF) set a precedence 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, as mentioned above, Squadron Officer Clare Grant Stevenson was appointed Director of the WAAAF.
The first 20 WAAAFs were posted to Townsville between 28 October 1941 and 7 February 1942 to work at the North-Eastern Area Headquarters in Sturt Street. They were urgently required to fill the roles of teleprinter operators and general clerks. This initial intake of WAAAFs in the area were living in various homes or flats in Townsville. The Officer-in-Charge of WAAAFs in the Townsville area, Assistant Section Officer Yvonne Rentoul established the new WAAAF Barracks in St Anne's Church of England School in Townsville. It was a difficult task as Townsville was rapidly filling with American and Australian military units. This influx lead to a shortage of equipment and a demanding role in protecting the well-being of the fresh new female recruits.
From an early intake of 320, by 1944 the WAAAF had grown to 27,000 women serving in 73 different trades.
These included aircraft maintenance and construction, telegraphy, electricians, fitters, flight mechanics, fabric workers, instrument makers and meteorologists. They also served in clerical, transport, catering, equipment, signals, radar and medical roles.
In 1941 Dr Mildred Hutchings was the first female doctor to join the WAAAF as a medical specialist. She was also a qualified pilot but did not fly for the Air Force during her service.
WAAAF War Casualties
Hilda Harrison was only 19 years old when she died on active service in Queensland in 1943.
Hilda was a radio operator in the Women’s Australian Auxiliary Air Force. A military truck in which she was a passenger overturned on 22 February 1943 and Hilda was thrown from the vehicle. She suffered concussion and shock and died three days later in Nambour General Hospital.
Aircraftwoman Harrison is one of 57 women of the WAAAF recorded as casualties on the Australian War Memorial Honour Roll for service during the Second World War.
Photo:- Ian Jenkins
'Red-Eye'd Shoulder Eagle'
"...Seniority of service was prized by every early WAAAF, and 1941/early
1942 girls had a red eye shown on the eagle on the arm, the later 1942 girls
hadn't. Cutting words were exchanged on our unit when it was discovered
that some cheating WAAAF were actually sewing the red eye in".
(The WAAAF Book, Stevenson and Darling, P.110, 'The well dressed WAAAF')
The WAAAF was demobilised at the end of the war but re-emerged in 1951 as the Women’s Royal Australian Air Force (WRAAF). There were different conditions of service to the RAAF but pay rates were equalised in 1972.
Not long after World War 2 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.
For the first three months (24 Feb – 21 May 1941) of its existence the WAAAF had been under the temporary command of Flight Officer Mary Bell, wife of an RAAF group captain and former Australian Commandant of the Women's Air Training Corps, an organisation of female pilots and ground staff that had been formed in 1939 and had been providing voluntary support to the Air Force. More were appointed from 10 March 1941 and a WAAAF Training Depot was established at Malvern, Melbourne. Recruiting commenced on 15 March 1941 and on 17 March the first nineteen airwomen reported at the Training Depot, ten of them being teleprinter operator trainees.
Claire Grant Stevenson AM, MBE (18 July 1903 - 22 October 1988)
Late in 1940, Stevenson was nominated to be the first Director of the planned Women's Auxiliary Australian Air Force (WAAAF).[5] Although keen to support the war effort in some capacity, she refused owing to the administrative and social obstacles she foresaw in the role; her appointment went ahead regardless on 21 May 1941.[9] The Air Member for Personnel, Air Vice Marshal Henry Wrigley, had selected Stevenson on the basis of her management background, academic qualifications and knowledge of women's organisations, and because she was not a "socialite".[10][11] Despite her misgivings, Stevenson felt she had no choice but to accept the a appointment, which took effect on 9 June 1941.
Ms Stevenson was described in 2001 as "the most significant woman in the history of the Air Force". Colonel Sybil Irving, the head of the Australian Women’s Army Service (AWAS), who observed first hand the WAAAF’s training methods before the large scale AWAS recruitment commenced, later declared that Stevenson “did the most pertinent pioneering work” in gaining acceptance for women in the armed forces.
Ms Stevenson was promoted to Wing Officer 1 October 1941, and Group Officer on 1 April 1942,[3] which was to be the highest rank attained by a serving WAAAF member.
A founding patron of the Council of Ex-Servicewomen's Associations, she was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 1960 Queen's Birthday Honours for her welfare work on behalf of female veterans.
Group Officer Stevenson retired from the Service on 18 March 1946 on medical grounds. Suffering reduced muscle function in her left arm and pain on her left side of her face and neck, she was diagnosed with brachai neuritis, traced to the typhus, tentanus and smallpox injections she had received in the previous May in preparation for a proposed visit to Manila that never eventuated. Her unsparing efforts, in helping to weld the WAAAF into an effective component of the RAAF, were an inspiration to all members. Lady Gowrie, wife of the Governor-General, was the first Honorary Air Commandant.
In 1981, to commemorate the fortieth anniversary of the formation of women's services in World War II, Stevenson was asked to lead the female contingent in the Anzac Day parade in Sydney. She published The WAAAF Book, a collection of reminiscences by former members of the service, with Honor Darling in 1984.[ Stevenson was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) in the 1988 Australia Day Honours for her services to the community and her welfare work with veterans.
Ms Stevenson died in Mona Vale on 22 October 1988, leaving her body to the University of Sydney.
Reference:
Clare Stevenson, From Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia.
WOMEN’S ROYAL AUSTRALIAN AIR FORCE (WR’s)
At the end of the war all of the women's auxiliary services were disbanded. Despite women's achievements in traditionally male areas, there was a strong push from within the military, as well as in the government and the general community, for women to return to their traditional roles. For some of the women who had served in the armed forces, the process of returning to home life was difficult but others were ready to marry and settle down.
The government only allowed female nursing and medical staff to serve in Japan with the British Commonwealth Occupation Force, mainly because it did not want the women's services to be a permanent part of the armed services then or in the future. In the early 1950s, however, the Cold War was escalating, regional tensions were growing, and Australia became involved in the Korean War. Despite recruitment campaigns, the armed forces were unable to raise sufficient numbers and it became apparent that, whether they wanted to or not, the government was going to have to re-form the women's services. In July 1950,federal cabinet approved the creation of ongoing women's services, thus beginning a new era for women in the Australian armed forces.
A new Australian women’s air force was formed in July 1950, being the Women's Royal Australian Air Force (WRAAF) after the success of women serving in the Air Force had been demonstrated by the Women's Auxiliary Australian Air Force (WAAAF). The first 16 recruits began training at Laverton on 30 January 1951, with Section Officer Richards as Officer-in-Charge and Wing Officer Doris Carter as the service's director.
As in the other two women's services, conditions for women in the WRAAF were similar to wartime conditions, with women receiving two-thirds the pay rate of airmen, prohibited from many positions, unable to serve north of Townsville, and forced to resign upon marriage. Doris Carter aimed to change conditions for the nine hundred or so women she commanded and, by the end of her tenure in 1960, she had helped to make the WRAAF an essential element of air force operations.
Wing Officer Carter left the Service in 1960 and was succeeded by Wing Officer Lois K. Pitman, later Group Officer.
Lois Katrine Pitman OBE (1919 - 30th Ocotber 2014)
Group Officer Pitman was born in Melbourne and educated in America and at St Michael’s Church of England Grammar School, Victoria. She joined the WAAAF in 1942 as a Section Officer, qualified as Licentiate of the Advertising Association of Australia.
After completion of No42 WAAAF Officer Training Course, Miss Pitman served between 1942 and 1943 as Officer-in-Charge WAAAF Pearce and Staff Officer WAAAF Headquarters Western Area. Between 1943 and 1944, Flight Officer Pitman was in turn Recruit Training Officer at No.1 WAAAF Depot Larundel, and Recruit Training Unit, Sandgate, Queensland, Staff Officer WAAAF Headquarters Southern Area, and later Officer-in-Charge WRAAF Officer Training Section, back at Larundel.
Squadron Officer Pitman left the Service to assist in settling Service girls into civilian life, and stayed with the Department of Post-War Reconstruction as an information officer for approximately six months.
Miss Pitman then commenced her career as a social worker, completing the Diploma of Social Studies Course with the University of Melbourne under the Commonwealth Reconstruction Training Scheme, and in 1949 completed an Almoner’s Course. Miss Pitman has worked as a social worker with the Red Cross Society, as a medical social worker in the Psychiatric Clinics at the Heidelberg Repatriation Hospital, and while visiting the United Kingdom on leave in 1955/56, as a psychiatric social worker at St Thomas’ Hospital, London.
In 1960, Miss Pitman was invited to join the peace-time WRAAF and did so. After her appointment as Director, Group Officer Pitman, BA, Dip Soc Stud, undertook further study, and majored in Psychology at the National University Canberra. Her interest in this subject and her training as a social worker made her admirably suited to understand the behaviour and problems of young girls.
In 1968 Group Officer Lois Pitman was awarded the OBE for her distinguished service in senior staff appointments associated with WRAAF administration, for her untiring efforts to ensure the welfare of members of the WRAAF, and in recognition of the credit due to her for the high regard in which members of the WRAAF are held.
Lois Pitman and Doris Carter were both residence of Rushall Park Retirement Village
operated by the Old Colonists' Assocition of Victoria (OCAV), North Fitzroy Victoria.
Miss Pitman was the Director of WRAAF until 1972 when she was succeeded by Group Dawn Parsloe.
Dawn Parsloe
Wing Officer Parsloe was appointed Director of the WRAAF on 17 May 1972 with the rank of Group
Officer. She was the first Director who has not seen service during the Second World War.
Miss Parsloe was appointed to the WRAAF on 19 March 1951 with the rank of Section Officer. Immediately prior to appointment she was an education officer in New Guinea. She graduated from the University of Queensland and taught school for several years before she attended the School of Pacific Administration and went to New Guinea.
The WRAAF was disbanded in 1977 and female personnel were absorbed into the mainstream RAAF. Australia's first female air force pilots graduated in 1988 and today, with the exception of the airfield defence units, there are few jobs within the RAAF barred to women.
Reference: www.airforce.gov.au/history/women
ROYAL AUSTRALIAN AIR FORCE
During 1977 all members of the WRAAF were transferred to the RAAF and women could contest promotion and training without discrimination. Today, approximately 22 per cent of the Permanent Air Force (PAF) are women, with 97 per cent of all jobs, including combat flying, open to them, the only exception being airfield defence guard.
In 1977, Flight Lieutenant Estice La Bav became the first female Dentist in the WRAAF and rose to Squadron Leader, Senior Dental Officer. Today she has a general practice in Kew Victoria.
Female Pilots
The first female Royal Australian Air Force pilots were Flight Lieutenant Robyn Williams and Officer Cadet Deborah Hicks. Both graduated from the same flying course (No 144 PLTCSE) on 30 June 1988. Officer Cadet Hicks flew Mystere VIP aircraft at No 34 SQN and discharged in 1994.
Flight Lieutenant Williams went on to qualify as a flying instructor in 1992 before undergoing test pilot training in the UK. After serving with the Aircraft Research and Development Unit, she was promoted to Squadron Leader and posted to the US for five years. There she led the resident Air Force project team taking delivery of new C-130J Hercules. Promoted to Wing Commander in March 2000, she returned to Australia later that year to manage the C-130J program office.
Engineers
The first female engineer is less clear. On 1 February 1978, the Air Force appointed its first female engineering student, Pilot Officer Margaret Maxwell. It appears that she had already completed two years of tertiary education as an engineer before enlisting, because in 1980 she was posted to an Aeronautical Engineering position.
On 21 August 1979, the Air Force appointed Flying Officer Rosalea Hotchkies as our first qualified engineer. She was a direct entry Radar Engineer.
Reference: www.airforce.gov.au/history/women
The first female to attain an air star rank was Julie Hammer CSC, a graduate in electronics engineering from the University of Queensland, who was appointed Air Commodore on 16 December 1999. In 2003 she was promoted to Air Vice Marshal, remaining the highest-ranking female in the RAAF until her retirement in 2005.
Reference: www.airforce.gov.au/history/women
