Womens Royal Air Force

[chris basey]

This is a CWGC stone in the churchyard at Braunston-in-Rutland.

The stone looks reasonably new and the name doesn't appear on the War Memorial which is only a few yards away.

There's got to be a story there somewhere - anyone know?

[Dolphin]

Chris

Member Gladys Walter (19669) of No 39 Training Depot Station, Spittlegate, died on 11 November 1918. No cause of death is given in Airmen Died, so presumably the lady succumbed to a natural cause (the influenza pandemic?).

I hope this helps.

Gareth

[Jim Strawbridge]

Daughter of Arthur and Eliza Walter of Braunston, near Oakham. In her attestation papers of the 19th September 1918 she gave her address as 2 Wrights Cottage, Castle Gate, Grantham. She was employed as a rigger at No.39 Training Depot Station. She died of pneumonia. She is not commemorated on the village memorials.

[royalredcross]

Her name is on the York Minster Memorial.

Norman

[Jonathan Saunders]

She was employed as a rigger at No.39 Training Depot Station.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Jim or anyone - do you know what duties a WRAF Member have undertaken as a Rigger?

[Dolphin]

Jonathan

In essence, a Rigger was someone who worked on the rigging wires that aeroplanes of the time needed for bracing, ie they kept the machine together. Varous adjustments could be made to the rigging to alter the way an aircraft flew.

Regards

Gareth