Title

'P.T. Instructor', c1943. Creator: Cecil Beaton.

Caption

'P.T. Instructor', c1943. The Women's Auxiliary Air Force (WAAF), whose members were referred to as 'WAAFs', was the female auxiliary of the British Royal Air Force during World War II. Its members did not serve as aircrew, but although they did not participate in active combat, they were exposed to the same dangers as any on the home front working at military installations. Among their duties were: crewing of barrage balloons, catering, meteorology, radar, aircraft maintenance, transport, communications duties including wireless telephonic and telegraphic operation. At its peak strength, in 1943, the number of WAAFs (members of the force) exceeded 180,000, with over 2,000 women enlisting per week. From "Wings On Her Shoulders", by Katharine Bentley Beauman, Late Fight Officer W.A.A.F. [Hutchinson & Co Ltd, London, New York, Melbourne, c1943]
The Print Collector collection

Date

1943

Credit line

Photo12/Heritage Images/The Print Collector

Reference

HRM19D54_478

Model release

No

License type

Rights managed

Available size

59,9Mb (3,2Mb) / 12,9in x 18,0in / 3880 x 5399 (300dpi)

Keywords

female women woman people patriotism stretching British exercise war royal air force Armed Forces century exercising patriotic Britain lady concept physical education B&W 1940s MONOCHROME Air Force Forties PE World War II World War two WWII black & white black and white B W world war 2 20th century physical training propaganda The Print Collector decade RAF Second World War WAAF WW2 photograph 2nd World War Women's Auxiliary Air Force Cecil Beaton PT Beaton Cecil Walter Hardy WAAFs Katharine Bentley Beauman Beauman Katharine Bentley Katharine Bentley Beauman photograph