WAAF ground crew - when and where?

[Tim R-T-C]

Hi all,

 

After finding a nicely presented set of WAAF ground crew figures from Modelu
 - https://www.modelu3d.co.uk/product/50220/ - I'm curious as to when and where they could be realistically displayed.

 

Online searches turn up a few staged pictures but not too much detail on mechanic roles specifically.

 

I'm looking in particular to find out if any particular airfields or squadrons had WAAF mechanics and whether any were known to have been deployed outside the UK, in occupied Europe or the Far East for example.

 

Also curious as to whether they would work alongside male mechanics on a plane or was there generally segregation of roles? Again the propaganda photos with female mechanics always just seem to show them working alone - perhaps they thought it looked improper to have mixed crews?

 

Many thanks for any information.

[Pete in Lincs]

I have a biography that may help. I'll dig ot out and have a look, It's a couple of years since I read it.

[Hornet133]

Looking at all countries, female mechanics were not usually in front line operational units apart from the Russians (they had many females servicing them at the front line in photos).   But they were much more common on training bases, for instance there are lots of RAAF (my area of interest) images showing WAAAF members servicing all types.

 

They did work alongside males, the photos showing exclusion of such are propaganda images, to boost the public perception of the worth of female workers.

[Ed Russell]

You would have to convert them to Wrens but this fascinating picture is worth a diorama.

https://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/235134932-faa-corsair-colors-help/

It's probably posed but not ostentatiously so.

 

Deployment outside the UK seems very unlikely. Based on other musterings, it's likely they worked in all-female teams but the person in charge would be male - note the picture. Sexism was as alive and well as it is today!

 

Somewhat off-topic, this pcture of ground crew has perhaps three female members (and many more male members).

https://www.facebook.com/HistoricAustralianAircraft/photos/the-cracks-in-the-raaf-mirage-fleet-are-really-apparent-in-this-photo-happy-sund/1776425842440093/?_rdr

[ColFord]

WAAFs - looking for photos have a look at the Imperial War Museum website, and using their search function  search "WAAF".  You can narrow that down to 'Photographs' and  'Second World War', which will give you 1,329 photos in their collection that have been digitised.  Those photos will show WW2 RAF WAAF in the UK and overseas involved in a number of roles.  They range from nursing, to administrative, the well known control room plotters, radar operators, telephone exchange and cipher operators, barrage balloon operations, photo analysts, those working in a range of administrative/clerical roles as well as support roles such as cooks and messing, motor transport servicing and drivers, then you get into the more directly aviation related technical roles - packing parachutes, maintaining survival & pilot's equipment (Mae Wests and Dinghys, pilot's helmets), through to those on training units maintaining aircraft, on Bomber Command bases doing certain types of maintenance and support including driving the tractors pulling bomb trolleys, and even on certain bases in the UK as armourers maintaining weapons and making ammunition belts.

 

See (IWM photo reference which you can search by):

CM 5322

CH 178

CH 15010

CH 15776

CH 8325

CH 10437

CH 8973

CH 14210

CH 8357

CH 8375

CH 10091

CH 10450

CH 8975

CH 11880

CH 11875 - this series is of RAF and WAAF personnel at Turnhouse in 1943 - search numbers either side for quite a few photos of WAAF in various roles including armourers.

 

If you look at the photo captions, which were usually written at the time, it can give you a good appreciation of the different roles.  Photo details accompanying the photos also give a broad indication of the date photos were taken.  From the photographic evidence and captions, seems the WAAF in the UK had a broader range of roles and more direct connection with aircraft maintenance roles than overseas eg on Bomber Command bases in the UK doing tasks supporting day to day operations by the bombers including mechanical and technical support roles.  Overseas, seems to be largely support roles well behind the front line areas and in larger established support units.

 

HTH.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited March 6 by ColFord

[MikeC]

At least one WAAF groundcrew member once went flying,  albeit inadvertently!  https://rafa.org.uk/blog/2021/03/08/magaret-horton/

 

As well as the story, it illustrates that there were quite a number of WAAF groundrew on that station; I dare say a quick search could turn up details on the unit involved.

Edited March 6 by MikeC

[Pete in Lincs]

Found the book. Our Wartime Days The WAAF by Sqn Ldr Beryl Escott.

It says that WAAF's were working on Aircraft in technical jobs from sometime in 1943.

It contains a picture of two WAAF Wireless Mechanics by an Oxford at Little Rissington. They are in shirt sleeves with headphones around their necks.

Another ex WAAF Wireless Mech says that a group of them went up in an Anson to satisfy the Squadron Pilots that their work could be trusted.

It was common, apparently, for them to be distrusted in this way, especially by some Pilots when they were seen working outside. Though this did change over time.

They would have been working unnoticed on Aircraft in the Hangars or servicing bays for some time before that. Mostly the Groundcrews accepted them well. 

Changing spark plugs on Spitfires and Wellingtons is also mentioned.

An Airfield Duty Crew took care of visiting Aircraft, Wellingtons, Lancasters and a York are mentioned, Mostly marshaling. 

Hope this helps. If anyone wants this book, it's your for the price of postage.

 

[PeterR]

21 hours ago, Hornet133 said:

Looking at all countries, female mechanics were not usually in front line operational units apart from the Russians (they had many females servicing them at the front line in photos).   But they were much more common on training bases, for instance there are lots of RAAF (my area of interest) images showing WAAAF members servicing all types.

 

They did work alongside males, the photos showing exclusion of such are propaganda images, to boost the public perception of the worth of female workers.

 

A WAAF mechanic visited the RAAF Museum late last year. She had worked on a variety of aircraft but was especially fond of the Avro Anson. She said she was just one of many and had worked on several bases across the country. I think it may have been with training units, as you have suggested.

[Tim R-T-C]

Thanks for all the help and handy reference photos. Hopefully my WAAF crew will appear on a scene before too long.

[galgos]

I ordered a set of WAAF figures to use in a Typhoon dio…..but I’m afraid I’m changing their gender with the help of some Hornet (male) heads since I’m certain WAAFs weren’t servicing 2TAF planes in 1944/45.