Women's Auxiliary Air Force - Notes for the Information of Candidates

Women's Auxiliary Air Force - Notes for the Information of Candidates

Notes to encourage women to enlist in the RAF.

Two printed sheets

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MHayhurstJM2073102-170725-490001, MHayhurstJM2073102-170725-490002

A.M. Pamphlet 103
5th Edition

WOMEN'S AUXILIARY AIR FORCE
Notes for the Information of Candidates

1. Age Limits.
(i) A candidate must have attained the age of 17 1/2 but must not have reached the age of 44. Those who served in the Women's Auxiliary Army Corps, Women's Royal Air Force, or similar service in the last war may be accepted up to the age of 49.
(ii) Candidates for enrolment for clerk special duties and radio operator must not have reached the age of 36.
(iii) Candidates cannot be enrolled for the following duties unless they have attained the ages stated:-

Administrative .. Minimum age 21 years
Nursing orderly .. Minimum age 23 years [inserted] 18 if skilled [/inserted]
Dental clerk orderly .. Minimum age 18 years
[inserted] M.T. Driver & Radio Operator .. 18 years [/inserted]

2. Medical Examination.
A candidate will be required to undergo examination by a R.A.F. medical officer or civil medical practitioners appointed by the Ministry of Labour for this purpose, and must attain the medical standard of fitness laid down.

3. Period of Engagement.
A candidate will be enrolled for the duration of the war.

4. Enrolment
The trades for which candidates may be accepted are as follows (the trades are placed in the groups indicated for purposes of pay ([italics] see [/italics] para.8)):-

Group I.
[symbol] Radio Mechanic.
[symbol] Wireless mechanic.

Group II.
[symbol] Armourer (guns).
[symbol] Electrician, grade II.
[symbol] Flight mechanic (air frame).
[symbol] Flight mechanic (engine).
Instrument mechanic.
[symbol] Instrument repairer, grade II.
Meteorologist.
[symbol] M.T. mechanic.
Photographer.
Sparking plug tester.
Wireless operator.
W.T. (Slip Reader) operator.
[inserted] Balloon operator. [/inserted]

Group III.
Cook.
Fabric worker, Aero.
Fabric worker, Balloon.
Parachute repairer.
Shoe repairer.
Tailor.

Group IV.
Administrative.
Charging board operator.
Clerk. Equipment accounting.
Clerk. General duties.
Clerk. Pay accounting.
Clerk. Special duties.
Equipment assistant.
*Radio operator.
R.T. operator.
Teleprinter operator.
Tracer.

Group V.
Aircrafthand. General duties.
Balloon parachute hand.
Batwoman.
Bomb plotter.
Ciné projectionist.
Drogue packer and repairer.
M.T. driver.
Orderly.
Parachute packer.
Pigeon keeper.
Telephone operator.
Waitress.
Workshop hand.

Group M.
Dental clerk orderly.
Dispenser.
Laboratory assistant.
Masseuse.
Nursing orderly.
Operating room assistant.
Radiographer.

* Group II after 6 months efficient service. [symbol] Experimental at present.

5. Rank on Entry and Promotion.
Recruits who are not experienced in their trades will be entered as aircrafthands under training and will be placed in Group V ([italics] see [/italics] para. 8). Skilled recruits who require service training, e.g.., photographers, tailors, clerks G.D., etc., may be entered in their trade group under training. New entrants will be eligible for advancement to aircraft-woman 1st class and N.C.O. when qualified. Officers will normally be selected from the ranks.

6. Obligations.
A recruit will accept the following obligations:-
(i) To serve in any part of the United Kingdom and overseas for the duration of the war.
(ii) To obey all orders given by her superior officers, or those who may be placed in authority over her.
(iii) To perform any work which may be required of her by her superior officers.

7. Discipline.
(i) While serving with the Women's Auxiliary Air Force, an airwoman is subject to the Air Force Act and is liable to such penalties as may be prescribed.
(ii) A recruit guilty of any offence against any of the rules, regulations or instructions laid down from time to time, will be liable to forfeiture of all ordinary pay to a maximum of 28 days, or any of the following minor punishments, to be awarded by such authority (male or female) that the Air Council shall appoint:-
(a) Extra duties.
(b) Restriction of privileges.
(c) Admonition.

(iii) An airwoman may be discharged:-
(a) for misconduct;
(b) for medical unfitness;
(c) if it appears unlikely that she will become efficient in her duties;
(d) if her services are no longer required.

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8. Financial Provisions.
(i) [italics] Pay. [/italics] – Airwomen will receive pay for each day on which they perform duty or are absent on authorised leave, at the rates set out below; except that all airwomen who are not experienced in their trades will receive Group V rates of pay until they are qualified in their trades ([italics] see [/italics] para. 5) when they will be remustered to the appropriate trade group and become entitled to the appropriate rates of pay:-

DAILY RATES OF PAY OF AIRWOMEN OF THE WOMEN'S AUXILIARY AIR FORCE.

[a] Rank. [b] Group I. [c] Group II. [d] Group III. [e] Group IV. [f] Group V. [symbol] [g] Group M.

[a] Aircraftwoman 2nd Class [b] 2s. 6d. [c] 3s. 0d. + 8. [d] 2s. 0d. [symbol] [e] 2s. 10d. [f] 1s. 4d. [g] 1s. 4d.
[a] Aircraftwoman 1st Class [b] 3s.0d. [c] 3s. 16d. + 8 [d] 2s. 6d. [e] 2s. 8d. [f] 2s. 4d. [g] 2s. 6d.
[a] *Leading aircraftwoman [b] 3s. 8d. [c] 4s. 0d. + 8 [d] 2s. 10d. [e] 3s. 0d. [f] 2s. 8d. [g] 2s. 10d.
[a] Corporal [b] 5s. 0d. [c] 5s. 0d. [d] 3s. 4d. [e] 3s. 8d. [f] 3s. 0d. [g] 3s. 6d.
[a] Sergeant [b] 6s. 4d. [c] 6s. 4d. [d] 4s. 4d. [e] 4s. 8d. [f] 4s. 0d [g] 4s. 8d.
[a] Senior sergeant [b] 7s. 8d. [c] 7s. 4d. [d] 5s. 4d. [e] 5s. 8d. [f] 5s. 2d. [g] 6s. 4d.
[a] *Under officer [b] 9s. 4d. [c] 9s. 0d. [d] 7s. 8d. [e] 7s. 8d. [f] 7s. 8d. [g] 9s. 0d.
In addition to the above rates, airwomen will receive war pay at the rate of 4d. a day.

* Establishment not yet agreed.
[symbol] Recruits accepted as fully qualified in cookery will be entered as Aircraftwoman 2nd Class in Group III i.e. will receive pay at the rate of 2/- a day.
[symbol] Under certain conditions duty pay of 2d. a day is issuable to parachute packers and telephone operators.
(ii) [italics] Dependants Allowance. [/italics] – Dependants allowance is payable to the dependants of airwomen under conditions which are, broadly, as follows:-
(a) The airwoman must have made a substantial contribution towards the support of the dependant before the commencement of her service in the W.A.A.F.
(b) The dependant must be within the following degrees of relationship:-
Grandparent, parent, step-parent, child, grandchild, brother, sister, half-brother, half-sister and foster parent.
(c) The airwoman must make an allotment to the dependant from her W.A.A.F. pay.
The rate of allotment varies from 8d. to 1/9 a day according to the airwoman's rate of pay.

The standard rates of allowance, including the allotment from the airwoman's pay, are 7/6 a week, 13/- a week, 18/- a week, 21/6 a week and 25/- a week, the rate payable (if any) being dependent upon the amount of the airwoman's contribution to the dependant before the commencement of her service, and the dependant's income from other sources.

Dependants allowance is not payable to more than one dependant in respect of any one airwoman.
(iii) If a candidate is in receipt of family allowance in respect of her husband's service in any of the Forces, this allowance will not be affected by her enrolment and service in the W.A.A.F.

9. General.
Airwomen will be provided with the following, free of charge:-
(i) Uniform.
(ii) Accommodation.
(iii) Rations.
(iv) Medical and dental benefits.

10. Compensation for Disability or Death.
(i) A member of the Women's Auxiliary Air Force who is certified to be disabled by a disability attributable to her service in the war, may be granted an award at the rate set out below. Except in those cases where the disablement has reached its final condition the grant shall be temporary and shall be subject to review from time to time until a permanent assessment can be made or the grant ceases:-

[a] Degree of disablement./Per cent. [b] Under officer./Weekly rate. [c] Senior sergeant./Weekly rate. [d] Sergeant./Weekly rate. [e] Corporal./Weekly rate. [f] Aircraft woman./Weekly rate.

[a] 100. [b] 32s. 6d. [c] 29s. 2d. [d] 27s. 6p. [e] 25s. 10d. [f] 24s. 2d.
[a] Less than – 100 but not less than 90 [b] 29s. 3d. [c] 26s. 3d. [d] 24s. 9d. [e] 23s. 3d. [f] 21s. 9d.
[a] 90 but not less than 80 [b] 26s. 0d. [c] 23s. 4d. [d] 22s. 0d. [e] 20s. 8d. [f] 19s. 4d.
[a] 80 but not less than 70 [b] 22s. 9d. [c] 20s. 5d. [d] 19s. 3d. [e] 18s. 1d. [f] 16s. 11d.
[a] 70 but not less than 60 [b] 19s. 6d. [c] 17s. 6d. [d] 16s. 6d. [e] 15s. 6d. [f] 14s. 6d.
[a] 60 but not less than 50 [b] 16s. 3d. [c] 14s. 7d. [d] 13s.9d. [e] 12s. [indecipherable number] [f] 12s. 1d.
[a] 50 but not less than 40 [b] 13s. 0d. [c] 11s. 8d. [d] 11s. 0d. [e] 10s. 4d. [f] 9s. 8d.
[a] 40 but not less than 30 [b] 9s. 9d. [c] 8s. 9d. [d] 8s. 3d. [e] 7s 9d. [f] 7s. 3d.
[a] 30 but not less than 20 [b] 6s. 6d. [c] 5s. 10d. [d] 5s. 6d. [e] 5s. 2d. [f] 4s. 10d.

In any case where the degree of disablement is assessed at less than 20 per cent. a gratuity or final weekly allowance may be granted.

Subject to certain conditions, a member of the Women's Auxiliary Air Force in receipt of a disability pension may be granted allowances in respect of the eligible members of her family.
(ii) Under certain conditions an award may be made to the dependants of a member of the force whose death was attributable to her service during the war.

11. General Note.
The information contained in this pamphlet has been prepared to provide prospective candidates with a summary of the emoluments and conditions of entry and service current at the date of issue. Changes are liable to occur in these and it must be understood that they are subject in all respects to the detailed regulations which have been, or may be, issued from time to time by the Air Council.

Air Ministry, [italics] July, [/italics] 1941.

2/41 (54506) (56310) Wt. 21786/1045 500m 7/41 Hw. G.371 (T.S.7521)