International Women’s Day (March 8th) has highlighted many contributions by women and on these pages we take a look back at WW2, particularly the Australian experience, and the role women played in shaping the outcome of that war.
Women’s contribution during WW2 varied around the globe, from countries like Russia where frontline activity including bomber pilots (**) were in the heat of the action to countries like America where the frontline participation of women was largely opposed.
In Australia the WAAF’s (or more correctly the WAAAF’s) made an important contribution to war effort as the government looked to step up community involvement – all hands to the wheel. The Women’s Auxiliary Australian Air Force was formed in 1941. It was the largest of the wartime Australian women’s services with some 27,000 women enlisting between March 1941 and August 1945.
One of the key needs in Australia was for women to help support the Empire Air Training Scheme which was of course significant for many Odd Bods as they progressed to active service.
In the early days of the WAAAF nurses played an important role leading to the formation of the Royal Australian Air Force Nursing Service (RAAFFNS). By the end of the war, women were involved in more than 73 trades including fabric workers, photographers, engine fitters, clerks, cooks, meteorological assistants, and included commissioned officers (***).
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| Lots of WAAAF's in this photo taken in Melbourne in early 1940's. We believe Odd Bods Founder George Smith's wife Shirley is in the photo. |
We have included some additional links below if you wish to continue reading about the contribution of women during WW2. And what about your connections? Do you have stories or photos that we could include here. We would love to have your input. Please comment below or send us an email - friendsofoddbods@gmail.com
** In the fall of 1941, with invading German forces threatening Moscow, Marina Raskova (known as the “Russian Amelia Earhart”) convinced Joseph Stalin to authorize three regiments of female pilots. The most famous was the 588th Night Bomber Regiment, whose pilots hit so many of their targets that the Germans started calling them the Nachthexen, or “night witches.” Using rickety plywood planes, the women of the 588th flew more than 30,000 missions and dropped more than 23,000 tons of bombs on the Nazis; 30 of them were killed and 24 received the Hero of the Soviet Union medal, the nation’s highest award for valor.
*** https://web.archive.org/web/20080720074942/http://www.airforce.gov.au/history/women.htm
Like other aspects of WW2 it pays to consider context in this article. The world is currently considering many lofty and worthwhile adjustments to the role of women in society. Women pilots are now a reality in general aviation. In the 1940's things were quite different but the desire to make a worthwhile contribution no less than today. The efforts of our WAAAF's, whilst generally not on the frontline, are worthy of our highest praise.
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