Ahead of our International Women’s Day celebrations on Sunday 8 March, Battle of Britain Bunker Museum Assistant Daisy Vogel discusses the WAAF and their crucial role during the Second World War.
The WAAF
On the 28 June 1939, the Women’s Auxiliary Air Force (WAAF) was founded. By the end of the war, around a quarter of a million women had joined its ranks. The WAAF were a valuable part of the war effort, and during the Battle of Britain, they were at the heart of the nation’s defence. Whilst brave pilots of the Royal Air Force (RAF) fought the enemy in the skies, it was not only there that the battle was won. Behind them were women who – through intelligence, expert guiding, and support on the ground – would contribute to this victory. Alongside the brave pilots, the Dowding System, the world’s first integrated air defence system, was key to the defeat of the enemy, which women were a key part of.
Joining Up
80% of the staff working in the bunker at RAF Uxbridge were women of the WAAF. Before 1941, these women eagerly joined up as volunteers. They were young, quick witted and mainly had to learn on the job. These women who joined the WAAF came from varied backgrounds: they were students, grammar school highflyers, county debutants, and daughters of famous painters, novelists and musicians.
The initial roles offered to WAAF were considered quite mundane, such as drivers, cooks, secretarial and domestic roles. However, there was one role far from boring: a top secret ‘Clerk Special Duties’. WAAF who showed aptitude were chosen for this role and would become ‘Plotters’, ‘Tellers’ and radar operators.
Upon joining the WAAF, Hazel Gregory, who worked in the bunker during the Battle of Britain, recalls that she had to go for a medical and then an interview with a psychologist, before completing a manual dexterity test. She would go on to become a Plotter and recalled that a certain level of education was needed for the job.
Once training was complete, WAAF would be posted to stations and accommodated, normally in huts. There would be numerous women sleeping in one room on what they called ‘biscuits’ – three mattresses on top of each other. Huts were also cold- one window was left open no matter the weather and hot water depended on the stove. Rats and mice were also common. To top it all off, the fortnightly wage for airwomen was two-thirds of that of men in the RAF, and they used to grumble ‘never had so many waited so long for so little’.
Despite this, at the height of recruitment in 1943, 2000 women were joining the WAAF every week. This comprised around 16% of the total strength of the RAF. The force included women of 48 nationalities, including women from the Caribbean and Poland.
Clerk Special Duties
Once training was complete, WAAF recruits began their roles. One job selected for ‘Clerk Special Duties’ was to become a radar operator. Radar operators were stationed at Radio Direction Finding (RDF) stations- this was the first line of detection for the defence of Britain. WAAF stationed here would distinguish if what appeared on their screen was an enemy formation, which provided vital early warning to the RAF which they needed to intercept the enemy. These RDF stations were on the front line of the battle and came under direct attack from the enemy.
Clerk Special Duties also included Plotters and Tellers, who – with information provided by radar operators and the Observer Corps – had the responsibility to ensure all enemy and friendly aircraft information was accurately portrayed on the map. WAAF plotted raid information at all stages of the system, at the filter room at Fighter Command Headquarters, operations rooms at Group Headquarters (like ours at RAF Uxbridge) and at sector airfields. Any information displayed incorrectly could cost the lives of the RAF pilots and the British public.
WAAF stationed at RAF Uxbridge and in the filter room at Fighter Command Headquarters had the safety of being underground. Working underground meant that they were essentially living underground.
WAAF working at the operation rooms at the airfields were above ground and in the thick of the action, but they continued to plot enemy and friendly aircraft in their sector while the airfields were under attack. Many WAAF would receive awards their bravery and courage in the face of these attacks, many staying at their posts throughout active attacks. Corporal Elspeth Henderson, Sergeant Joan Mortimer, and Sergeant Helen Turner would all receive the Military Medal for displaying incredible courage in the face of direct attacks by the enemy at Biggin Hill airfield.
Social Life
WAAF would work in constantly changing shifts. Eating and sleeping patterns were forever changing, and their body clock could never get accustomed to a set routine. This caused havoc with their social lives. But, once they had a period of rest, they made the most of their time away from duty. They would go to the cinema and play sports. For the WAAF at Uxbridge, they would rent bicycles and cycle around the town and country. They would also go into London in the evening to go to the theatre, dine, and dance. The WAAF here also use to make dates with pilots at nearby RAF Northolt over the phone.
Technical Jobs
It is also important to remember that plotters and tellers were not the only women working on the ground to defend Britain during the Battle of Britain. WAAF also served in intelligence, as barrage balloon handlers, parachute handlers, assistant armourers and meteorologists. A number of female pilots also served with the Air Transport Auxiliary (ATA), ferrying aircraft between airfields and factories, often without any ammunition to defend themselves. Many, however, saw these jobs as too physical for women, considering it ‘unfeminine’ and worrying it may ‘lessen a women’s charm’. Despite this, WAAF proved during and beyond the Battle of Britain to be the crucial cog in Britain’s war machine.
Demobilisation
When the war came to an end in 1945, demobilisation of the WAAF soon began. They were given a letter and number for their order of demobilisation, with married women first and singles last. Upon leaving, they would receive clothing coupons, a ration card, money to buy civilian clothing, unemployment and health insurance cards and permission to buy cigarettes and chocolate at the Navy, Army, and Air Force Institutes (NAAFI) canteen.
Women had to now adjust to a new world, leaving behind employment, regular pay and friends who had become like family to them. For many, being in the WAAF was the best thing they had ever done. 250,000 women joined the WAAF during the war and 600 had died while serving. Without the contribution the RAF would’ve needed a further 150,000 more men, something it simply did not have. 92,497 WAAF were mentioned in dispatches and given commendations and six WAAF would receive the Military Medal.
In recognition of their wartime service, in 1949 the Women’s Royal Air Force (WRAF) was formed, which offered women a full professional career in the Air Force for the first time. However, they were still not fully integrated. In 1968, female officers adopted the same rank titles as their RAF male counterparts and finally on the 1 April 1994, the WRAF formally merged with the RAF, marking the full integration of women into the Air Force.
Discover more about the Women of the Battle of Britain on Sunday 8 March 2026 – a day of of tours, talks, stalls, activities and music, ensuring that the stories of these WAAF are told and celebrated.
Daisy Vogel, 2026
All images © Betty Giles
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