WINGS OVER CAMBRIDGE
CAMBRIDGE'S CONNECTIONS WITH THE WARTIME AIR FORCE
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The Women's Auxiliary Air Force

The Women's Auxiliary Air Force, or WAAF (pronounced waff), was established in New Zealand in 1940 when the RNZAF began to recruit women. They were employed in all sorts of roles within the Air Force, from administrative to technical trades, and they performed as vital a role as the men in the ground staff.

The trades that the WAAF were employed in included the following: (source: The WAAF Book by Bathia McKenzie)


WAAF Trades

Cooks

Mess-hands

Clerks, General Duties

Clerks, Stores Accounting

Clerks , Pay Accounting

Clerks, Special Duties

Clerks, Signals

Clerks, Medical

Shorthand Typists

Librarians

Fabric Workers

Parachute Packers

Equipment Assistants

Instrument Repairers

Tailoresses

Drivers, petrol

Meteorological assistants

Medical orderlies

Medical orderlies, Special Duties (Psychological research)

Aircrafthands, General Duties (runners, cleaners, etc)

Physical and recreational training

Instructors

Telephone operators

Wireless operators

Teleprinters

Telegraphists

Radio Telephonists

Dental clerk orderlies

Dental mechanics

AML bomber teacher instructors

Link-trainer maintainence

Workshop assistants

Dry canteen assistants

YMCA assistants

GRU (Gunnery Research Unit) assessor, tracers

Disciplinarians

Motor-boat crew

Shoe fitters (on secondment to Ministry of Supply)

Photographic assistants

 

 

 

WAAF Rank Structure

WAAF RANK
RNZAF Equivalent Rank
Wing Officer
Squadron Officer
Flight Officer
Assistant Section Officer
Under Officer
Senior Sergeant
Sergeant
Corporal
Leading Aircraftswoman
WA1
Wing Commander
Squadron Leader
Flying Officer
Pilot Officer
Warrant Officer
Flight Sergeant
Sergeant
Corporal
Leading Aircraftsman
AC2

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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