Category: Women's Air Training Corps

Categories: Royal Australian Air Force

The Women's Air Training Corps was a voluntary civilian organisation which was established at Archerfield in Brisbane, Queensland on 17th July 1939 by Flying Officer M T Bell, the wife of Group Captain J R Bell, was the Commanding Officer of the WATC from 1939 to 1941. The group comprised a number of local girls who were attempting to train themselves at Archerfield airfield to be ready to undertake aircraft work in the event of a war. The Women's Auxiliary Australian Air Force was not approved by the Australian War Council until 9th January 1941. When Bell moved to Melbourne when her husband was transferred, she was asked by the Women's Voluntary National Register to establish a WATC group in Melbourne. In no time Mrs Bell had established ten Squadrons each of 100 girls. Two of these squadrons trained on motor transport and one each in wireless telegraphy, stores, cooking, photography and draughting, clerical work, as aircraft hands, on aero engines, and on miscellaneous duties.

Women's Air Training Corps in Australia During WW2.

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