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The Women's Auxiliary Air Force (WAAF), whose members were invariably referred to as Waafs (pronounced /ˈwæfs/), was the female auxiliary of the Royal Air Force during World War II, established in 1939. At its peak strength, in 1943, WAAF numbers exceeded 180,000, with over 2,000 women enlisting per week.

A Women's Royal Air Force had existed from 1918 to 1920. The WAAF was created in June 1939. Conscription of women did not begin until 1941. It only applied to those between 20 and 30 years of age and they had the choice of the Auxiliary services or factory work.

WAAFs did not serve as aircrew. The use of women pilots was limited to the Air Transport Auxiliary (ATA), which was civilian. Neither did they participate in active combat, though they were exposed to the same dangers as any on the "home front" working at military installations. They were active in parachute packing and the manning of barrage balloons in addition to performing catering, meteorology, radar, transport, telephonic and telegraphic duties. They worked with codes and ciphers, analysed reconnaissance photographs, and performed intelligence operations. WAAFs were a vital presence in the control of aircraft, both the radar stations and iconically as plotters in the operation rooms, most notably during the Battle of Britain. These operation rooms directed fighter aircraft against the Luftwaffe, mapping both home and enemy positions.

WAAFs were paid two-thirds of the pay of male counterparts in RAF ranks.

By the end of World War II, WAAF enrollment had declined and the effect of demobilisation was to take thousands out of the service. The remainder, now only several hundred strong, was renamed Women's Royal Air Force in 1949.

• Women's Royal Naval Service

• Escott, Beryl (2003) The WAAF, Shire Publications ISBN 0-7478-0572-5 (also quoted at [1] in context of Czech WAAFs)

• The WRAF - Women in the Blue: Working through the Second War years Royal Air Force official website
• The Work of Women in the Women's Auxiliary Air Force, The Second World War Experience Centre, Leeds UK
• Women as Ground Crews, reproduced from The Aeroplane, No.1686, September 17, 1943
• WAAF Association
• Girlfriends, a musical about WAAFs by Howard Goodall: the website includes research material

Aerial Defence of the United Kingdom during World War II

Overview Documents

Royal Air Force | Royal Canadian Air Force | Strategic bombing | Night fighter

Prominent People

Air Marshal Hugh Dowding | Sir Charles Portal | Cyril Newall

Trafford Leigh-Mallory | Keith Park | R V Jones

Organization and units

No. 10 Group RAF | No. 11 Group RAF RAF Fighter Command | RAF Balloon Command | AA Command Women's Auxiliary Air Force | Royal Observer Corps | Eagle Squadrons

Campaigns and Operations

Kanalkampf | Battle of Britain | The Blitz | Baedeker raids | Operation Crossbow

Aircraft, Technology and Tactics

Hurricane | Spitfire | Bolton-Paul Defiant | Mosquito NF | Bristol Beaufighter | Hawker Tempest | Gloster Meteor

Chain Home | AI radar | "Battle of the Beams" | Barrage balloon | German V weapons

Big Wing

Other

RAF strategic bombing offensive | USAAF | Lutwaffe in WW2 | Hermann Göring