In the early years of the Second World War, Australian women began lobbying to contribute to the nation’s wartime effort. From 1940, women were signing up to serve in the Royal Australian Nursing Service, and in 1941, an Auxiliary arm of the Royal Australian Air Force was established, allowing women to join on a temporary basis to enhance the organisation’s ability to fight.
In the decades since, Australian women have continued to contribute significantly to the operational capability of the world’s second oldest air force. They have done so regardless of the social norms of the time, or the perceived limits of their abilities, always showing their detractors that they are capable of great things.
‘Changing Altitudes: Stories of Australian Air Force Women’ includes the personal stories of some of these women, recounting in their own words their experiences while proudly wearing the uniform of the Service.
This is the second volume of the Royal Australian Air Force Oral Histories series, aiming to capture the one capability that the RAAF cannot operate without - its people.