The Women's Army Auxiliary Corps (WAAC), known as Queen Mary's Army Auxiliary Corps (QMAAC) from 9 April 1918, was the women's corps of the British Army during and immediately after the First World War.[1] It was established in February 1917 and disbanded on 27 September 1921.
Queen Mary's Army Auxiliary Corps Women's Army Auxiliary Corps
Cap Badge: WAAC and QMAAC
Active
March 1917–April 1918: Women's Army Auxiliary Corps April 1918–Sept 1921: Queen Mary's Army Auxiliary Corps
The corps was formed following a January 1917 War Office recommendation that women should be employed in non-combatant roles in the British Army in France. While recruiting began in March 1917,[2] the corps was only formally instituted on 7 July 1917 by Lieutenant-General Sir Nevil Macready, the adjutant-general, who appointed Dr Mona Chalmers Watson the first chief controller.[3] More than 57,000 women served between January 1917 and November 1918.
The corps was established to free up men from administrative tasks for service at the front. It was divided into four sections including cookery, mechanical and clerical.[4] Nursing services were administered separately, although an auxiliary corps of the Royal Army Medical Corps was set up to provide medical services for the QMAAC.[2]
On 31 March 1917, women in the WAAC were first sent to the theatre of war in France, at that stage just fourteen cooks and waitresses.[5]Helen Gwynne-Vaughan was the chief controller overseas, and Florence Leach was the controller of the cooks. In 1918, women doctors (attached to the QMAAC) were first posted to France. One such was Dr Phoebe Chapple, who was awarded the Military Medal for tending the wounded regardless of her own safety during an air raid on an WAAC camp near Abbeville in May 1918.[6][7] In all, five military medals were awarded to members of the QMAAC, all for brave conduct during air raids or shelling in rear areas.[8][9]
A total of 17,000 members of the corps served overseas, although never more than 9,000 at one time.[3] In April 1918, nearly 10,000 members employed on Royal Flying Corps air stations, both at home and in France, transferred to the Women's Royal Air Force on the formation of the Royal Air Force.[2]
Demobilisation commenced after the Armistice in November 1918, and the corps was disbanded on 27 September 1921. The last surviving QMAAC veteran was Ivy Campany, who died in 2008.[10]
Ranks and rank insigniaEdit
Instead of standard military ranks, a specific grading system was authorised by Army Council Instruction No. 1069, 1917. All insignia was worn on epaulettes except that for forewoman and assistant forewoman, which was worn on the right upper arm.[11]
Most of the service records were destroyed in a German air raid in September 1940. Those which did have suffered fire and water and mould damage. The National Archives digitised these to prevent further damage and they can be searched and viewed online.[14]
^Pennington, Reina (2003). Amazons to Fighter Pilots - A Biographical Dictionary of Military Women (Volume 2). Westpoint, Connecticut: Greenwood Press. pp. 464–465. ISBN0-313-29197-7.
^ abc"War Office: Women's (later Queen Mary's) Army Auxiliary Corps: Service Records, First World War". The National Archives. Retrieved 1 November 2020.
^ abSpiers, Edward M., ed. (2011). A Military History of Scotland. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press. p. 23. ISBN9780748633357. Retrieved 8 March 2015.
^Kerry, Philip. Forewoman Violet Ross, Queen Mary's Army Auxiliary Corps. Orders & Medals Research Society Journal, Vol 51, No 4, December 2012, pp 247-248.
^Bidwell, Shelford. The Women's Royal Army Corps, p. 1.
^"Military Medal: Dr Phoebe Chapple, Royal Army Medical Corps". Australian War Memorial. Retrieved 19 May 2016.
^Gooding, N.G. Awards of the Military Medal to Women. Orders & Medals Research Society Journal, Vol 23, No 4, Winter 1984, pp 225-228.
^Citations in Edinburgh Gazette of: 12 July 1918; 22 October 1918; 15 April 1919
^Beal, Claire (15 November 2010). . Lynn News. Archived from the original on 7 August 2012. Retrieved 1 November 2020.
^War Office, Army Council Instruction No. 1069, 7 July 1917.
^"Horniblow [married name Dalton], (Emilie) Hilda". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/62131. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
^Bidwell, Shelford (1997). The Women s Royal Army Corps. Pen & Sword. p. 28. ISBN9780850520996. Retrieved 1 April 2018.
^Women's (later Queen Mary's) Army Auxiliary Corps (1917–1920) – DocumentsOnline research guide
External linksEdit
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Queen Mary's Army Auxiliary Corps.
Women's (later Queen Mary's) Army Auxiliary Corps (1917–1920) – DocumentsOnline research guide
DocumentsOnline searchable service record collection
On Waactive Service by Majorie Hay, an account of the Corp. in France 1917 – 1918, The Plymouth Press, circa 1919
October 23, 2023
queen, mary, army, auxiliary, corps, women, army, auxiliary, corps, waac, known, qmaac, from, april, 1918, women, corps, british, army, during, immediately, after, first, world, established, february, 1917, disbanded, september, 1921, women, army, auxiliary, c. The Women s Army Auxiliary Corps WAAC known as Queen Mary s Army Auxiliary Corps QMAAC from 9 April 1918 was the women s corps of the British Army during and immediately after the First World War 1 It was established in February 1917 and disbanded on 27 September 1921 Queen Mary s Army Auxiliary CorpsWomen s Army Auxiliary CorpsCap Badge WAAC and QMAACActiveMarch 1917 April 1918 Women s Army Auxiliary CorpsApril 1918 Sept 1921 Queen Mary s Army Auxiliary CorpsAllegiance United KingdomBranchBritish ArmyTypeWomen s administrative corpsSize57 000 passed through corpsCommandersCeremonial chiefQueen Mary Patron QMAACs marching in London at the end of World War I 1918QMAAC tug o war team at the New Zealand Infantry and General Base Depot Etaples France August 1918 Contents 1 History 2 Ranks and rank insignia 3 List of controllers 4 Records 5 See also 6 References 7 External linksHistory Edit nbsp Recruitment posterThe corps was formed following a January 1917 War Office recommendation that women should be employed in non combatant roles in the British Army in France While recruiting began in March 1917 2 the corps was only formally instituted on 7 July 1917 by Lieutenant General Sir Nevil Macready the adjutant general who appointed Dr Mona Chalmers Watson the first chief controller 3 More than 57 000 women served between January 1917 and November 1918 The corps was established to free up men from administrative tasks for service at the front It was divided into four sections including cookery mechanical and clerical 4 Nursing services were administered separately although an auxiliary corps of the Royal Army Medical Corps was set up to provide medical services for the QMAAC 2 On 31 March 1917 women in the WAAC were first sent to the theatre of war in France at that stage just fourteen cooks and waitresses 5 Helen Gwynne Vaughan was the chief controller overseas and Florence Leach was the controller of the cooks In 1918 women doctors attached to the QMAAC were first posted to France One such was Dr Phoebe Chapple who was awarded the Military Medal for tending the wounded regardless of her own safety during an air raid on an WAAC camp near Abbeville in May 1918 6 7 In all five military medals were awarded to members of the QMAAC all for brave conduct during air raids or shelling in rear areas 8 9 A total of 17 000 members of the corps served overseas although never more than 9 000 at one time 3 In April 1918 nearly 10 000 members employed on Royal Flying Corps air stations both at home and in France transferred to the Women s Royal Air Force on the formation of the Royal Air Force 2 Demobilisation commenced after the Armistice in November 1918 and the corps was disbanded on 27 September 1921 The last surviving QMAAC veteran was Ivy Campany who died in 2008 10 Ranks and rank insignia EditInstead of standard military ranks a specific grading system was authorised by Army Council Instruction No 1069 1917 All insignia was worn on epaulettes except that for forewoman and assistant forewoman which was worn on the right upper arm 11 Controllers Administrators Forewomen MembersRank Chief Controller Chief Controller Overseas Deputy Chief Controller Overseas Assistant Section Controller Area Controller Unit Administrator i c large hostel Deputy Administrator i c small hostel Deputy Administrator 2i c large hostel Forewoman Assistant Forewoman MemberDeputy Chief Controller Section ControllerTechnical Assistant ControllerAssistant AdministratorClothing Controller Quartermistress Class I Quartermistress Class IIRank insignia Double rose nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp No insigniaList of controllers EditChief controllersDr Mona Chalmers Watson February 1917 to 1918 Hilda Horniblow Chief Controller in France in 1917 and in England from July 1918 succeeding Mrs Long 12 Dame Florence Leach 1918 to 1920 from 1917 Controller in Chief 13 ControllersHelen Gwynne Vaughan Controller later Commandant of the Women s Royal Air ForceRecords EditMost of the service records were destroyed in a German air raid in September 1940 Those which did have suffered fire and water and mould damage The National Archives digitised these to prevent further damage and they can be searched and viewed online 14 See also EditWomen in the First World War First Aid Nursing Yeomanry Auxiliary Territorial Service Mechanised Transport CorpsReferences Edit Pennington Reina 2003 Amazons to Fighter Pilots A Biographical Dictionary of Military Women Volume 2 Westpoint Connecticut Greenwood Press pp 464 465 ISBN 0 313 29197 7 a b c War Office Women s later Queen Mary s Army Auxiliary Corps Service Records First World War The National Archives Retrieved 1 November 2020 a b Spiers Edward M ed 2011 A Military History of Scotland Edinburgh Edinburgh University Press p 23 ISBN 9780748633357 Retrieved 8 March 2015 Kerry Philip Forewoman Violet Ross Queen Mary s Army Auxiliary Corps Orders amp Medals Research Society Journal Vol 51 No 4 December 2012 pp 247 248 Bidwell Shelford The Women s Royal Army Corps p 1 Military Medal Dr Phoebe Chapple Royal Army Medical Corps Australian War Memorial Retrieved 19 May 2016 No 30959 The London Gazette Supplement 18 October 1918 p 12303 Gooding N G Awards of the Military Medal to Women Orders amp Medals Research Society Journal Vol 23 No 4 Winter 1984 pp 225 228 Citations in Edinburgh Gazette of 12 July 1918 22 October 1918 15 April 1919 Beal Claire 15 November 2010 At 108 Florence Green is Britain s oldest war vet Lynn News Archived from the original on 7 August 2012 Retrieved 1 November 2020 War Office Army Council Instruction No 1069 7 July 1917 Horniblow married name Dalton Emilie Hilda Oxford Dictionary of National Biography online ed Oxford University Press doi 10 1093 ref odnb 62131 Subscription or UK public library membership required Bidwell Shelford 1997 The Women s Royal Army Corps Pen amp Sword p 28 ISBN 9780850520996 Retrieved 1 April 2018 Women s later Queen Mary s Army Auxiliary Corps 1917 1920 DocumentsOnline research guideExternal links Edit nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to Queen Mary s Army Auxiliary Corps Women s later Queen Mary s Army Auxiliary Corps 1917 1920 DocumentsOnline research guide DocumentsOnline searchable service record collection On Waactive Service by Majorie Hay an account of the Corp in France 1917 1918 The Plymouth Press circa 1919 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Queen Mary 27s Army Auxiliary Corps amp oldid 1128674056, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
