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Women's Royal Air Force
The Women's Royal Air Force (WRAF) was the women's branch of the Royal Air Force. It existed in two separate incarnations: the Women's Royal Air Force from 1918 to 1920 and the Women's Royal Air Force from 1949 to 1994. On 1 February 1949, the name of the First World War organisation was revived when the Women's Auxiliary Air Force, which had been founded in 1939, was re-established on a regular footing as the Women's Royal Air Force. The WRAF and the RAF grew closer over the following decades, with increasing numbers of trades opened to women, and the two services formally merged in 1994, marking the full assimilation of women into the British forces and the end of the Women's Royal Air Force. The Central Band of the WRAF, one of only two all-female bands in the British Armed Forces, was disbanded in 1972. Some of its musicians transferred to the Band of the Women's Royal Army Corps. Strength The target strength had been a force of around 90,000, figures are unreliable u ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the United Kingdom's air and space force. It was formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, becoming the first independent air force in the world, by regrouping the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) and the Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS). Following the Allied victory over the Central Powers in 1918, the RAF emerged as the largest air force in the world at the time. Since its formation, the RAF has taken a significant role in British military history. In particular, it played a large part in the Second World War where it fought its most famous campaign, the Battle of Britain. The RAF's mission is to support the objectives of the British Ministry of Defence (MOD), which are to "provide the capabilities needed to ensure the security and defence of the United Kingdom and overseas territories, including against terrorism; to support the Government's foreign policy objectives particularly in promoting international peace and security". The R ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Felicity Peake
Air Commandant Dame Felicity Hyde, Lady Peake ( Watts; 1 May 1913 – 2 November 2002) was the founding director of the Women's Royal Air Force (WRAF) She started flying when her first husband took up the hobby in 1935, but in 1946 became the first director of the WRAF. She was Honorary Aide-de-camp to King George VI from 1949 to 1950. Early years and career Peake spent much of her youth at Haslington Hall, an Elizabethan house near Crewe, bought by her father after the First World War. Her father, Colonel Humphrey Watts, was a prosperous Manchester-based industrialist whose family's wealth derived from S & J Watts, a textile business founded in 1798. Peake was educated at St. Winifred's, Eastbourne, but left before taking her school certificate to go on to a finishing school outside Paris. She met Jock Hanbury, a member of the Truman, Hanbury, Buxton & Co brewing family (whose hobby was flying), while on a cruise to the West Indies. They were married at St Margaret's, Westmin ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Women Airforce Service Pilots
The Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP) (also Women's Army Service Pilots or Women's Auxiliary Service Pilots) was a civilian women pilots' organization, whose members were United States federal civil service employees. Members of WASP became trained pilots who tested aircraft, ferried aircraft, and trained other pilots. Their purpose was to free male pilots for combat roles during World War II. Despite various members of the armed forces being involved in the creation of the program, the WASP and its members had no military standing. WASP was preceded by the Women's Flying Training Detachment (WFTD) and the Women's Auxiliary Ferrying Squadron (WAFS). Both were organized separately in September 1942. They were pioneering organizations of civilian women pilots, who were attached to the United States Army Air Forces to fly military aircraft during World War II. On August 5, 1943, the WFTD and WAFS merged to create the WASP organization. The WASP arrangement with the United States ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Patricia Howard
Patricia Magill (née Howard; born 1947) was the first regular British Women's Royal Air Force officer to wear an aircrew brevet ("wings") and therefore the first to serve in the General Duties (Flying) Branch. Howard grew up in Minster-in-Sheppey on the Isle of Sheppey, Kent, England, and was educated at Sheppey Technical High School. She joined the WRAF as an air traffic control assistant, but later qualified as an air quartermaster (later changed to air loadmaster) with the rank of sergeant. She served with No.10 Squadron at RAF Brize Norton (acquiring 5,497 flying hours on the Vickers VC10), No. 511 Squadron (acquiring 616 flying hours on the Bristol Britannia), the Queen's Flight (acquiring 15 hours on the Hawker Siddeley Andover C Mk II), and No. 216 Squadron (acquiring 179 flying hours). On 21 February 1974, six years after she qualified as aircrew and at the age of 26, Howard was commissioned as a flying officer from the Officer Cadet Training Unit at RAF Henlow. She ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Air Transport Auxiliary
The Air Transport Auxiliary (ATA) was a British civilian organisation set up at the start of the Second World War with headquarters at White Waltham Airfield in Berkshire. The ATA ferried new, repaired and damaged military aircraft between factories, assembly plants, transatlantic delivery points, maintenance units (MUs), scrapyards, and active service squadrons and airfields, but not to naval aircraft carriers. It also flew service personnel on urgent duty from one place to another and performed some air ambulance work. Notably, around 10% of its pilots were women, and from 1943 they received equal pay to their male colleagues, a first for the British government. Mission The initial plan was that the ATA would carry personnel, mail and medical supplies, but the pilots were immediately needed to work with the Royal Air Force (RAF) ferry pools transporting aircraft. By 1 May 1940 the ATA had taken over transporting all military aircraft from factories to maintenance units to have gu ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Shirley Jones (WRAF Officer)
Air Commodore Shirley Ann Jones was director of the Women's Royal Air Force The Women's Royal Air Force (WRAF) was the women's branch of the Royal Air Force. It existed in two separate incarnations: the Women's Royal Air Force from 1918 to 1920 and the Women's Royal Air Force from 1949 to 1994. On 1 February 1949, the ... (WRAF) from 31 January 1986 to 1989. References Year of birth missing Possibly living people Commanders of the Order of the British Empire Women's Royal Air Force officers {{RAF-bio-stub ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Helen Renton
Air Commodore Helen Ferguson Renton, (13 March 1931 – 2 June 2016) was a Scottish Royal Air Force officer. From 1980 to 1986, she served as Director of the Women's Royal Air Force. Early life and education Renton was born on 13 March 1931Though ''The Independent'' for many yeargave 31 Marchas her birthday. in Denny, Falkirk, Scotland, to John Paul Renton and Sarah Graham Renton (''née'' Cook). She was educated at Stirling High School, a state high school in Stirling. She studied at the University of Glasgow, graduating with an undergraduate Master of Arts degree (MA Hons). She remained at Glasgow to undertake one year of postgraduate business studies. Military career Renton joined the Women's Royal Air Force (WRAF) in 1954, and then underwent two months of officer training. On 9 June 1955, she was commissioned into the Secretarial Branch as a pilot officer. Having completed an accounting course, she was posted as a junior accounts officer to RAF Spitalgate in Grantham, Li ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Joy Tamblin
Air Commodore Pamela Joy Tamblin (11 January 1926 – 8 March 2015) was a senior officer of the Royal Air Force. She served as Director of the Women's Royal Air Force from 1976 to 1980. Military career During World War II, Tamblin served in the Auxiliary Territorial Service. She worked at Bletchley Park between 1943 and 1945. She joined the Women's Royal Air Force in 1951. She served in the Education Branch from 1951 to 1955, and the Administrative Branch from 1955 to 1976. She was station commander of RAF Spitalgate from 1971 to 1974. She served as Director of the Women's Royal Air Force from 1976 to 1980. Tamblin decided to study at Durham University, resulting in a Secondary Honours Degree in “Geography and Economics”, this decision was taken after Tamblin was “discharged at the rank of Corporal”. Shortly afterwards, Tamblin managed an education centre and then went on to the administrative branch in 1955, resulting in “personnel and general management”. In ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Molly Allott
Air Commodore Molly Greenwood Allott CB (28 December 1918 – 12 December 2013) telegraph.co.uk; accessed 19 February 2018. was Director of the from 1973 to 1976. Born in , , she was educated at Sheffield High School, and joined the |
Philippa Marshall
Air Commodore Philippa Frances Marshall (4 November 1920 – 4 February 2005) was a British Royal Air Force officer, who served as Director of the Women's Royal Air Force from 1969 to 1973. Biography Marshall was born on 4 November 1920 in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, England. She was educated at St Dominic's High School for Girls, an all-girls private school in Stoke-on-Trent. In 1941, Marshall joined the Women's Auxiliary Air Force (WAAF). On 10 June 1942, she was commissioned as an assistant section officer (equivalent in rank to pilot officer) on probation. With the creation of the Women's Royal Air Force (WRAF) in 1949, she was transferred into the WRAF as a flight officer (equivalent to flight lieutenant) on 1 February 1949 with seniority in that rank from 10 December 1946. She was promoted to squadron officer (equivalent to squadron leader) on 1 July 1953, to wing officer (equivalent to wing commander) on 1 January 1964, and to group officer (equivalent to group cap ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Felicity Hill
Air Commodore Dame Felicity Barbara Hill, (12 December 1915 – 30 January 2019) was a British Royal Air Force officer. From 1966 to 1969, she served as Director of the Women's Royal Air Force. She died in January 2019 at the age of 103. Military career In 1939, with the outbreak of World War II, Hill joined the Women's Auxiliary Air Force (WAAF). She had intended to join the Women's Royal Naval Service (WRENS) but her application had taken too long to process, so she joined the WAAF alongside some friends. She was in fact too short to qualify for military service but the man measuring her added half an inch to her height to meet the minimum required. Describing the situation, she stated "I probably should never have got in". Her first posting as an aircraftwoman was as an equipment assistant at stores of RAF Farnborough where she issued "anything from pants to revolvers". She failed her first officer selection board because she was too young. Having attended the WAAF's first ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Jean Conan Doyle
Air Commandant Dame Lena Annette Jean Conan Doyle, Lady Bromet, (21 December 1912 – 18 November 1997) was a British military officer in the Women's Royal Air Force. The second daughter of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, she was a spirited child who was described as a tomboy by Harry Houdini. Her childhood nickname was "Billy", and letters to her father would be signed "Your loving son." On her tenth birthday, however, she announced that she had decided to be a girl after all. She then went to her Aunt Ida's school, Granville House in Eastbourne, where she took after her mother in developing a love of nature. As a schoolgirl she was a classmate and friend of Joan Boniface Winnifrith, who would become film and television actress Anna Lee. Winnifrith was Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's god-daughter. Career She attended school at Granville House, Eastbourne, and went on to serve for thirty years in the Women's Auxiliary Air Force (WAAF), where she worked in intelligence during World War II. C ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
