The Senior Service 'Full Ahead'
In the UK on this wet BH W'end cheering up (I hope) my WW2 WReN mum, just out of hospital, can't do anymore on dads story until back in my homestead in "The Wesht".
Hope this little piece of her war story might be of interest.
She was the first female Air Mech (E) on her squadron 747 RNAS, joined later by a fitter (A) and eventually an armourer in 1944. So in time the FAA (or "The Air Branch" as their Lordships of the Admiralty preferred) became used to this new type of WReN in dirty overalls.
However when, on occasion, she was on board the squadron "hack", (Anson), and they visited RAF stations, there was, as we say in Ireland, "Great Excitement". The RAF WAAFs all seemed to be indoors, in OPS or clerical or catering - none to be seen in the hangar or on the flight line. The RAF boys were staggered, (a crowd would gather for their departure), that the "Grey Funnel Line" aviators were going around with a teenage girl (in smart bell-bottoms) employed to swing the props and pull the chocks. "Where did we go wrong" someone was heard to mutter.
Ian BB