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Women's Royal Air Force (WRAF)Introduction
You can search and download the records of around 30,000 women who served with the Women's Royal Air Force during the First World War. The Women's Royal Air Force was formed on 1 April 1918. At the same time the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) and the Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS) came together to form the Royal Air Force (RAF). The WRAF included volunteers from the Women's Army Auxiliary Corps (WAAC), Women's Legion drivers and the Women's Civilian Subordinates. Although the WRAF was created to free up men for active service, at first the RAF did not appear to support the WRAF, even at the highest levels. The first commanders were not offered administrative staff and were not given staff vehicles to travel on official business. Following a Ministry of National Service investigation, Helen Gwynne-Vaughan, Overseas Commander of the WAAC, was appointed as Commandant of the WRAF in September 1918. Women performing a variety of roles such as drivers or mechanics as well as the more 'traditional' roles such as cooks or office clerks at first were based in Britain. Later around 500 women served in France and Germany. After the war Helen Gwynne-Vaughan was awarded the Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE) in recognition of her work. The WRAF was disbanded on 1 April 1920. Searching the recordsThe original records were grouped in the series
The documents are handwritten and printed forms. There are three common page types consisting of either a printed Form of Enrolment in Women's Royal Air Force, a Certificate of Discharge on Demobilisation or a Casualty Form for Active Service. You might also find the Statement for the Services form. Occasionally there might also be some correspondence and/or notes. Enrolment forms can include details such as age, address, religion, marital status, dependants, details of next of kin, statement of services and promotions, transfers, trade, and a physical description of the woman. Examples of the recordsThe first image below is from the enrolment form of Mrs Elizabeth Scott who was living in Edinburgh when she joined up. A widow with no dependents, she was 56 at that time. Both her parents were British-born, although there are no further details. She volunteered for "mobile" service at home but was not willing to serve abroad. "Mobile" service allowed for working away from the immediate home area. Women volunteering for "immobile" service could continue living at home.
The second image from her file is the Statement for the Services form. It names her sister, Mrs Georgina Gilchrist, as next of kin and reveals that her son, William, was born in Linlithgow on 13 December 1888. Elsewhere in her file we learn that she was passed as medically fit for enrolment on 24 October 1918. Her file also shows she would be serving at WRAF Old Sarum in Salisbury, Wiltshire, which illustrates how "home" could mean a considerable distance from the usual residence. Why can't I find an entry?There are a number reasons why you might not find an entry:
Further Research
BooksHome Front 1914-1918 How Britain Survived the Great War, Ian FW Beckett (The National Archives, 2006). Tracing Your First World War Ancestors, Simon Fowler (Countryside Books, 2003). Family History in the Wars: Find how your ancestors served their country, William Spencer (The National Archives, 2007). |
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