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"More In W.A.A.A.F.
Than Glamor Uniforms"
Emphasising the fact that the WAAAF was an important war ser-<*>
vice, and not merely an excuse for women to wear attractive
uniforms, Wing Officer Clare Stevenson, Director of the WAAAF,
said in an interview in Adelaide yesterday that she had often been
-1 accused of discouraging girls anxious to join by painting a picture
f of hard work and hard !>.-<lv
'When Interviewing applicants,"
. Miss Stevenson said. "I always
point out the hardships of the ser-
vice, so that no one will come in
on a rush of enthusiasm and regret
it later."
i Australia, she added, should be
, proud of the type of girls coming
? into the WAAAP: They were keen,
intelligent and knew how to do
their jobs and had not been In-
spired to join by the glamor of a
uniform
? , .
Miss Stevenson, who is here to
Interview girls from outside the
service who have applied to be-
come officers, said that as many
officers as possible were promoted
from the ranks. The experience
they got there helped them to
understand the problems of the
airwomen they would later have to
control and consequently their de-
cisions were much wiser, because
they saw everything from two
points of view—that of the officer
and of the airwoman.
The WAAAP requires women to
sacrifice as few as possible of the
privueges of civil life, and there
is no ban, for instance, on smok-
ing or make-up: in fact, the use
of make-up is encouraged, and the
only rule about hair fashions is
chat the hair must not touch the
runic collar.
"As the right of choosing new
clothes is taken from her. Miss
Stevenson said, "I feel the air-
woman should be nermitted to
exercise her own choice of hair
style and make-up." Jewellery, ex
cept watches, is barred,
After selection, the women will
go to a WAAAF officers' training
school, where they will be given a
course of lectures on such, sub
lecjs f. s a£ force law discipline.
f" d etiquette drill and physical
i1! 1""'*- s?mUar ,*? that under
*aken by ?nen of the RAAF, but
?dapted to women s conditions and
requirements.
While in Adelaide. Miss Steven
son will visit several air force
centres where WAAAFS are likelv
to be stationed. She would like
to get in touch with organisations
training girls in anv branch of
work which will make" them suit
able for the WAAAF. These in
elude as well as technical workers
drivers for staff cars and iight
vehicles clerks with a knowledge
of general, store or pay duties,
first-class touch typists used to
doing confidential work for lele
printer operators, telephone opera
tors, waitresses to act as mess
stewards and messwomen women
with first aid end home nursing
certificates for sick quarter atten
dants, tailors, cooks and store
hands
wine Officer Stevenson who will
be in Adelaide for a few days is
accompanied by Flight Officer M.
E. Rawlins. who was a lecturer in
the school of physical training at
the Melbourne University before
loinintr the WAAAF. I
i In Adelaide to interview applicants for officers in the WAAAF. From left—Squodron-Leader F. Lambert, Wing-Officer Clare Stevenson (Director of the WAAAF), ond Flight-Officer M. E. ' Rawlins. Help
i In Adelaide to interview applicants for officers in the WAAAF.
From left—Squodron-Leader F. Lambert, Wing-Officer Clare
Stevenson (Director of the WAAAF), ond Flight-Officer M. E.
' Rawlins.
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