The Women's Auxiliary Corps (India) (WAC(I)) was created in March 1942, out of the Women's Auxiliary Service (Burma). By the end of the Second World War, it had recruited 11,500 women.[1][2][3][4][5][6]
Recruits had to be a minimum age of 18 years and their duties were clerical or domestic. In December 1942, the minimum age was reduced to 17 years. Volunteers could enlist on Local service or General service terms. Those on General service could be sent to serve anywhere in India.[7]
Compared to over two million men, the corps of 11,500 women was small, but recruitment was always hampered by caste and communal inhibitions. Indian women at the time did not mix socially or at work with men and a large part of the corps was formed from the mixed-race Anglo–Indian community.[8] The WAC(I) had an autonomous Air Wing, which served as the Indian counterpart of the WAAF: the women operated switchboards and similar duties at airfields and air headquarters (AHQ). In the earlier part of the war there was likewise a Naval Wing, but with the very localised environment of naval base and the very distinct ethos of the wartime naval services, British and Indian, this department was formally hived-off, in 1944, to become: the Women's Royal Indian Naval Service (WRINS), with its own uniform, similar to WRNS.
^Harfield, Alan (2005). "The Women's Auxiliary Corps (India)". Journal of the Society for Army Historical Research. 83 (335): 243–254. ISSN 0037-9700. JSTOR 44231211.
^Family Records gov uk Consortium. . FamilyRecords.gov.uk Consortium. Archived from the original on 20 July 2022. Retrieved 20 July 2022.
^Sen, Sudarshana (2017). "2. Anglo-Indian women". Anglo-Indian Women in Transition: Pride, Prejudice and Predicament. Singapore: Springer. p. 69. ISBN978-981-10-4356-7.
^Perry, Frederick William (1988). "3. The Indian Army". The Commonwealth Armies: Manpower and Organisation in Two World Wars. Manchester University Press. p. 114. ISBN0-7190-2595-8.
^Vitali, V. (17 October 2019). "The Women's Royal Indian Naval Service: Picturing India's New Woman". Women's History Review. 29 (7): 1114–1148. doi:10.1080/09612025.2019.1674468. ISSN 0961-2025. S2CID 210364785.
^Mohanan, Kalesh (2020). The Royal Indian Navy: Trajectories, Transformations and the Transfer of Power. Abingdon, Oxford: Routledge. pp. 94–96. ISBN978-1-138-55495-5.
women, auxiliary, corps, india, created, march, 1942, women, auxiliary, service, burma, second, world, recruited, women, recruits, minimum, years, their, duties, were, clerical, domestic, december, 1942, minimum, reduced, years, volunteers, could, enlist, loca. The Women s Auxiliary Corps India WAC I was created in March 1942 out of the Women s Auxiliary Service Burma By the end of the Second World War it had recruited 11 500 women 1 2 3 4 5 6 Recruits had to be a minimum age of 18 years and their duties were clerical or domestic In December 1942 the minimum age was reduced to 17 years Volunteers could enlist on Local service or General service terms Those on General service could be sent to serve anywhere in India 7 Compared to over two million men the corps of 11 500 women was small but recruitment was always hampered by caste and communal inhibitions Indian women at the time did not mix socially or at work with men and a large part of the corps was formed from the mixed race Anglo Indian community 8 The WAC I had an autonomous Air Wing which served as the Indian counterpart of the WAAF the women operated switchboards and similar duties at airfields and air headquarters AHQ In the earlier part of the war there was likewise a Naval Wing but with the very localised environment of naval base and the very distinct ethos of the wartime naval services British and Indian this department was formally hived off in 1944 to become the Women s Royal Indian Naval Service WRINS with its own uniform similar to WRNS Contents 1 Personnel 2 Gallery 3 See also 4 ReferencesPersonnel edit nbsp Commonwealth Forces in India Imam is second from leftMoina Imam chief petty officer from Bihar was among the first Indian girls to join the WAC I and became its poster girl 9 10 Gallery edit nbsp Inspection by Field Marshal Auchinleck nbsp Inspection by Field Marshal Auchinleck nbsp Women Auxiliary Corps India nbsp Women Auxiliary Corps parade nbsp Indian Women s Auxiliary Corps at Dagshai nbsp Private Begum Pasha ShahSee also editWomen in World War II Women in the Indian Armed ForcesReferences edit Harfield Alan 2005 The Women s Auxiliary Corps India Journal of the Society for Army Historical Research 83 335 243 254 ISSN 0037 9700 JSTOR 44231211 Family Records gov uk Consortium FamilyRecords gov uk Focus on Women in Uniform Women in World War II Profile FamilyRecords gov uk Consortium Archived from the original on 20 July 2022 Retrieved 20 July 2022 Sen Sudarshana 2017 2 Anglo Indian women Anglo Indian Women in Transition Pride Prejudice and Predicament Singapore Springer p 69 ISBN 978 981 10 4356 7 Perry Frederick William 1988 3 The Indian Army The Commonwealth Armies Manpower and Organisation in Two World Wars Manchester University Press p 114 ISBN 0 7190 2595 8 Vitali V 17 October 2019 The Women s Royal Indian Naval Service Picturing India s New Woman Women s History Review 29 7 1114 1148 doi 10 1080 09612025 2019 1674468 ISSN 0961 2025 S2CID 210364785 Mohanan Kalesh 2020 The Royal Indian Navy Trajectories Transformations and the Transfer of Power Abingdon Oxford Routledge pp 94 96 ISBN 978 1 138 55495 5 Brown p 140 Blunt p 61 James Lawrence 18 July 2013 Churchill and Empire Portrait of an Imperialist Orion ISBN 978 0 297 86915 3 Women s Royal Indian Naval Service established during WW2 Association of Wrens 30 December 2019 Archived from the original on 13 November 2022 Retrieved 13 November 2022 nbsp This military article about the Indian Armed Forces is a stub You can help Wikipedia by expanding it vte Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Women 27s Auxiliary Corps India amp oldid 1214261720, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
