Air Commandant Dame Nancy Marion Salmon (2 May 1906 – 9 October 1999), also known after 1962 by her married name, Dame Nancy Snagge, was a senior British women's air force officer. She 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 1950 to 1956.

Early life

Salmon was born in Hampstead the daughter of a chartered accountant and she was educated at

Notting Hill High School Notting Hill and Ealing High School is an independent school for girls aged 4 – 18 in Ealing, London. Founded in 1873, it is one of the 26 schools that make up the Girls' Day School Trust. It has a Junior Department of 310 girls (ages 4–11) ...

. In 1938 she joined the

Auxiliary Territorial Service The Auxiliary Territorial Service (ATS; often pronounced as an acronym) was the women's branch of the British Army during the Second World War. It was formed on 9 September 1938, initially as a women's voluntary service, and existed until 1 Februa ...

as a driver.

Women's Auxiliary Air Force

Salmon transferred from the ATS to the Women's Auxiliary Air Force in 1939 when it was formed and her first posting was a barrage balloon unit. She later spent time as officer in charge of personnel at Fighter Command, RAF Stanmore before becoming a staff officer at No 77 Signals Wing in Liverpool. She was later responsible for WAAF radar operators. At the end of the 1940s she helped with drafting regulations and a plan for more integration with the Royal Air Force which led to the formation of the

. Salmon was a staff officer in early 1950 with the British Air Forces of Occupation in Germany before becoming Director of the Women's Royal Air Force in July 1950. Salmon retired from the WRAF in 1956.

Personal life

Following retirement from the WRAF she cared for her mother before becoming head of personnel in the John Lewis partnership. At her new job she met a company director Geoffrey Snagge, a widower and they married in 1962. She died at Winchester, Hampshire on 9 October 1999.

Honours

She was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 1946, and elevated to

Dame Commander Commander ( it, Commendatore; french: Commandeur; german: Komtur; es, Comendador; pt, Comendador), or Knight Commander, is a title of honor prevalent in chivalric orders and fraternal orders. The title of Commander occurred in the medieval mil ...

of the Order of the British Empire (DBE) in 1955.

References

External links

Peerage

{{DEFAULTSORT:Salmon, Nancy 1906 births 1999 deaths Dames Commander of the Order of the British Empire Women's Royal Air Force officers Women's Auxiliary Air Force officers People from Hampstead People educated at Notting Hill & Ealing High School Auxiliary Territorial Service soldiers