Women's Auxiliary Air Force (WAAF)

The Women's Auxiliary Air Force (WAAF) was a British military organization established during World War II, allowing women to serve in supporting roles within the Royal Air Force (RAF). Women in the WAAF took on various functions such as clerks, drivers, radar operators, communications specialists, and mechanics, contributing to the efficiency and effectiveness of air operations. The WAAF helped free male personnel for combat roles and was a significant step toward gender integration in the armed forces. It was active from 1939 until 1949, after which its members were gradually integrated into the regular RAF.