Australian Women's Corps in Australia

[Indunna]

Hi Guys

hoping some of you might have information on the following Australian Women's Corps that I have found references to

1. Women's Auxiliary Army Corps (WAAC) branch here in Australia which had over 700 women serving in it

2. The Khaki Girls which were a semi-official ('officially tolerated') group of female employees of the Commonwealth Government Clothing Factory (CGCF), Melbourne, raised in 1917/1918

They were used mainly in the reception of VIP's (Parliament House, Spring St, & etc) and for Fund Raising Marches etc.throught he streets of Melbourne. They manufactured thier own uniforms and equipments.

They divided themselves into 3 distinct Corps: Band Corps; Physical Education Corps and the Rifle Corps, all in the same basic uniform, but with different coloured facings/piping. Interestingly, the buttons used are British General Service (Coat of Arms) types rather than the Aussie or compressed leather that one would expect.

They wore the AIF Rising Sun as a cap badge, even though they were never actually incorporated into the AIF. I think this was good naturedly condoned by authorities. The Rifle Corps were armed from Cadet Stores with Martini Cadet carbines and triangular socket bayonets. The Girls were drilled and trained by returned (wounded etc) veterans of the AIF. They actually offered thier services to the Government in any capacity to serve overseas as either Motor Transport drivers or as frontline troops!! This offer was never accepted.

3. The khaki Women's Defence Corps in Perth, Western Australia, who marched on Reinforcement Day. (Copied from a photograph in the Western Mail).

Hoping someone might have more info and pics of these units

Jennifer

[Indunna]

The AWM response on WAAC in Australia

- jennifer

Dear Ms Baker

There certainly was a WAAC here in Australia; the Women's Auxiliary Army Corps. You may be interested to read about them in the book below. This book might be found in your public library, state library or alternatively, from us on inter-library loan.

Women in khaki / Lorna Ollif. [sydney] : Ollif. Pub. Co. 1981

The link below is to our Reading List for women at war. These books are accessible on the same basis as the one above.

http://www.awm.gov.au/research/bibliographies/b18women.htm

The other women's organisations that you mentioned were involved in support on the homefront such as in clothing factories, munitions factories etc. I assume you have looked under these headings in our Collections databases.

You can read more about w! omen's contribution to the war effort in the Official Histories of 1914-1918 at the link below. This is the index to volume XI. You will find a relevant listing under "women".

http://www.awm.gov.au/cms_images/histories...ers/39.pd...etc

I hope this has been helpful.

Yous sincerely

Shelley Blakely