633:
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520:
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174:
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26:
201:
302:
52:
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163:, which had been founded in 1939, was re-established on a regular footing as the Women's Royal Air Force. The WRAF and the RAF grew closer over the following decades, with increasing numbers of trades opened to women, and the two services formally merged in 1994, marking the full assimilation of women into the British forces and the end of the Women's Royal Air Force.
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The target strength had been a force of around 90,000, figures are unreliable until 1 August 1918, when the strength was 15,433, approximately 5,000 recruits and 10,000 transferred from the predecessor organisations. The first incarnation never exceeded 25,000.
480:
332:
803:, who held it as a rank (until 1968) and later an appointment throughout the WRAF's existence. On 1 April 1994 her title changed to Air Chief Commandant for Women, RAF, by which time she held the rank of
473:
325:
466:
318:
632:
917:
166:
The
Central Band of the WRAF, one of only two all-female bands in the British Armed Forces, was disbanded in 1972. Some of its musicians transferred to the Band of the
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638:
897:
907:
153:
800:
118:
874:
BE Escott, Women in Air Force Blue: the story of women in the Royal Air Force from 1918 to the present day - 1989 - Stephens
30:
25 July 1919: King's Open Court, Buckingham Palace tribute to WW I Workers. – shown: members of the Women's Royal Air Force.
692:
780:
569:
185:
160:
877:
KB Beauman, Partners in Blue: The Story of Women's
Service with the Royal Air Force - 1971 - Hutchinson Radius
237:, near Grantham, and at York. In the 1950s the WRAF Depot and WRAF Officer Cadet Training Unit were opened at
769:
740:
698:
205:
775:
249:
The WRAF inherited its rank structure from its predecessor, the WAAF. As with WAAF practice (from 1940),
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253:
held standard RAF ranks, but officers used a separate ranking system until 1968, when they too adopted
892:
759:
661:
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419:
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8:
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These ranks were introduced in 1949. The First World War service used different ranks.
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On 1 February 1949, the name of the First World War organisation was revived when the
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Depots were opened in 1918 at
Handsworth College, in Glasgow, at
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The Best Cadet receives her certificate from Air
Marshal
212:, the first Director of the Women's Royal Air Force, at
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A fitter of the Women's Royal Air Force working on the
156:and the Women's Royal Air Force from 1949 to 1994.
129:"WRAF" redirects here. For the radio stations, see
918:Women's organisations based in the United Kingdom
913:Military units and formations established in 1949
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152:. It existed in two separate incarnations: the
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903:1994 disestablishments in the United Kingdom
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898:1949 establishments in the United Kingdom
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154:Women's Royal Air Force from 1918 to 1920
908:All-female military units and formations
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801:Princess Alice, Duchess of Gloucester
693:Air Commandant Dame Henrietta Barnett
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119:Princess Alice, Duchess of Gloucester
705:Air Commandant Dame Jean Conan Doyle
681:Air Commandant Dame Felicity Hanbury
13:
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699:Air Commandant Dame Anne Stephens
711:Air Commodore Dame Felicity Hill
687:Air Commandant Dame Nancy Salmon
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148:) was the women's branch of the
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717:Air Commodore Philippa Marshall
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799:An honorary rank held only by
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1:
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770:Women Airforce Service Pilots
642:, WRAF Commandant 1918–1920.
109:Air Commodore Ruth Montague
7:
781:Women's Royal Naval Service
753:
747:Air Commodore Ruth Montague
741:Air Commodore Shirley Jones
636:Dame Helen Gwynne-Vaughan,
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161:Women's Auxiliary Air Force
85:Peak of ~25,000 (1918–1920)
10:
934:
735:Air Commodore Helen Renton
723:Air Commodore Molly Allott
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729:Air Commodore Joy Tamblin
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776:Women's Royal Army Corps
650:List of Commandants WRAF
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168:Women's Royal Army Corps
829:Women in Air Force Blue
760:Air Transport Auxiliary
670:, September 1918 – 1920
307:Women's Royal Air Force
142:Women's Royal Air Force
19:Women's Royal Air Force
675:List of Directors WRAF
662:Violet Douglas-Pennant
643:
217:
192:
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210:Dame Felicity Hanbury
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668:Helen Gwynne-Vaughan
664:, May–September 1918
625:acting pilot officer
405:Air Chief Commandant
115:Air Chief Commandant
208:and Air Commandant
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570:Marshal of the RAF
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206:Sir Arthur Sanders
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105:Last Director WRAF
805:Air Chief Marshal
656:Gertrude Crawford
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610:Flight lieutenant
575:Air chief marshal
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255:RAF officer ranks
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585:Air vice-marshal
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425:Squadron Officer
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77:Support services
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15:
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893:Royal Air Force
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869:Further reading
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851:Royal Air Force
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772:, US equivalent
765:Patricia Howard
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605:Squadron leader
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459:Royal Air Force
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435:Section Officer
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150:Royal Air Force
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68:Royal Air Force
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615:Flying officer
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600:Wing commander
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430:Flight Officer
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410:Air Commandant
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263:NATO code
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235:RAF Spitalgate
231:RAF Flowerdown
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58:United Kingdom
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831:. p. 21.
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620:Pilot officer
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595:Group captain
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590:Air commodore
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856:21 September
854:. Retrieved
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420:Wing Officer
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239:RAF Hawkinge
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214:RAF Hawkinge
183:De Havilland
181:engine of a
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94:RAF Hawkinge
847:raf.mod.uk/
843:"RAF Ranks"
749:, 1989–1994
743:, 1986–1989
737:, 1980–1986
731:, 1976–1980
725:, 1973–1976
719:, 1969–1973
713:, 1966–1969
707:, 1963–1966
701:, 1960–1963
695:, 1956–1960
689:, 1950–1956
683:, 1949–1950
580:Air marshal
312:(1949–1968)
251:other ranks
90:Garrison/HQ
887:Categories
815:References
241:in Kent.
100:Commanders
46:Allegiance
135:WRAF (AM)
131:WRAF (FM)
41:1949–1994
39:1918–1920
754:See also
196:Strength
179:Liberty
658:, 1918
456:
225:Depots
64:Branch
55:
36:Active
787:Notes
293:OF-1
266:OF-10
245:Ranks
189:DH.9A
186:Airco
858:2021
290:OF-2
287:OF-3
284:OF-4
281:OF-5
278:OF-6
275:OF-7
272:OF-8
269:OF-9
146:WRAF
140:The
133:and
82:Size
74:Role
639:GBE
889::
849:.
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257:.
233:,
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860:.
807:.
623:/
482:e
475:t
468:v
334:e
327:t
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216:.
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144:(
137:.
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