historicalhowden

Woman's Royal Naval Service and the   Woman's Royal Air Force

Note: The WRAF came into being on the 1st April 1918 when the Royal Air Force was formed. At first volunteers were sought from the existing WRNS and the Woman's Auxiliary Army Corp (WAAC) who had been servicing in the Royal Flying Corp. Later recruits were by direct entry until 1st April 1920 when the WRAF which now consisted of some 32,000 members was disbanded. The service was reinstated in 1939 with the name changed to the Woman's Auxiliary Air Force (WAAF). After WW2 in 1949 the name changed back to WRAF.  

The role of the WRNS/WRAF at Howden and other stations

The WRNS, and later the WRAF played a considerable role in the operations at Howden and other  stations and were not given any allowances when it came to the landing and handling duties in emergency, sometimes having to abandon meals to help land an airship. Even taking part in the labour intensive task of rolling up the envelopes of a deflated airship.

Both WRNS and WRAF came to play  a significant part in the workings of the airship stations and aerodromes, being employed in more than 20 technical or semi-skilled trades, as well as the more conventional jobs such as clerical, medical and domestic. At Howden two WRNS were employed looking after the pigeon loft and its occupants. Thepigeons being used to back up the unreliable wireless sets fitted on the airships. Two pigeons being carried on the airship and in the event of the airship having a radio failure or  ditching the pigeons were released to relay the appropriate message back to the airship station. This operation continued  in Coastal Command into WW2.     

Note: The WRAF came into being on the 1st April 1918 when the Royal Air Force was formed. At first volunteers were sought from the existing WRNS and the Woman's Auxiliary Army Corp (WAAC) who had been servicing in the Royal Flying Corp. Later recruits were by direct entry until 1st April 1920 when the WRAF which now consisted of some 32,000 members was disbanded. The service was reinstated in 1939 with the name changed to the Woman's Auxiliary Air Force (WAAF). After WW2 in 1949 the name changed back to WRAF.  

The role of the WRNS/WRAF at Howden and other stations

The WRNS, and later the WRAF played a considerable role in the operations at Howden and other  stations and were not given any allowances when it came to the landing and handling duties in emergency, sometimes having to abandon meals to help land an airship. Even taking part in the labour intensive task of rolling up the envelopes of a deflated airship.

Both WRNS and WRAF came to play  a significant part in the workings of the airship stations and aerodromes, being employed in more than 20 technical or semi-skilled trades, as well as the more conventional jobs such as clerical, medical and domestic. At Howden two WRNS were employed looking after the pigeon loft and its occupants. The pigeons being used to back up the unreliable wireless sets fitted on the airships. Two pigeons being carried on the airship and in the event of the airship having a radio failure or  ditching the pigeons were released to relay the appropriate message back to the airship station. This operation continued  in Coastal Command into WW2.