Womens auxiliary army corps

Answer 1

As the name suggests this was an auxiliary branch of the British Army (late 1930s - 1940s/ WW2 era) in which women served, usually as drivers, mechanics, secretaries and general administrators. These women wore a khaki uniform, and underwent a limited amount of military training, but were not trained for combat or direct combat support roles; their main purpose was to carry out routine admin and other tasks thus freeing men for service in the field army. The Queen, as Princess Elizabeth, served during WW2 as a driver and vehicle mechanic, and another woman driver/ mechanic, Kay Summersby, was General Eisenhower's designated driver (chosen by Ike - many believe they may have been lovers) throughout his time as Commander of Allied Forces in Europe. A few WAACs did, however, receive combat training in the Special Operations Executive, and served with great distinction as covert operators in occupied Europe.

Post WW2 the WAACs were disbanded and replaced by the Women's Royal Army Corps (WRACs), a proper corps of the British Army, in which thousands of women served throughout the Cold War era. Although WRACs were "non-combatant", all received basic military training (including handling firearms, basic infantry tactics, NBC warfare, fieldcraft etc), and some did see direct active service, notably those attached to the Intelligence Corps or selected for "special duties" as covert intelligence operators in Northern Ireland. Those who did serve in the 14th Intelligence Company in N Ireland ("The Det") had to undergo and pass exactly the same extremely demanding selection and training process as male candidates. There's no doubt that the excellent performance of many of these women did much to overcome doubts and prejudices about the suitability of women for more combat orientated roles.

Since the 1990s the British Army has been totally integrated: the WRAC no longer exists, and women enlist and serve in all branches of the Army (except the Infantry and Armoured Corps) on exactly the same basis as men. Today you will find female soldiers and officers in the Royal Artillery, Royal Engineers, Royal Electrical & Mechanical Engineers, Intelligence, Logistics, Signals, and Medical Corps, as well as in the administrative branches (Adjutant Generals corps), and there are women serving as helicopter (incl attack helicopter) pilots, gun battery commanders, and combat engineer troop commanders. It's now only a matter of time before there are women serving as brigade and divisional commanders.

Answer 2

The first army women's group, that risked their live to do men jobs

Answer 3

waacs