SAWAA forerunner of WAAF
 

Hi Guys

"To Dad from Dad" Christmas 2014 :D

Acquired the 2 X South African Woman's Aviation Association (Women's Civil Air Guard) cap badge variants today. These ladies were the forerunners of the WAAF in South Africa.

See link: http://samilitaryhistory.org/vol055mb.html

Not often seen and written up incorrectly in Owens.

I have included the WAAF badge and shoulder title in the picture.

Regards
Brian

Nice Brian,
These look like the ones from George's collection recently sold at Kaplans.

I am still looking for the WAAF one. Missed out on both patterns of cloth wings a few years ago on Ebay.

Steven

Steven

They might well have been, that means indirectly I have now added 2 more from the GE collection, I was very chuffed to get them ....I feel another collecting area looming and it is not a cheap one :eek:

Brian

Nice badges Brian! New collections usually start when there has been a collecting drought for a while...;)

The top two badges were also worn as wings before the cloth variant and I think also as tie badges. I have a photo of them being worn somewhere. There was a 1st pattern one on ebay last week for £25 but it didn't sell.

I wish I could find a decent picture of them being worn, I have one of a group from a book, but not clear at all.

I would like to find out more about them, interesting to hear they were worn as qualifying wings, they have that Art Deco look about them, which is right for the period.

If anyone has pics or info post please them/it here.

Regards
Brian

Jimmy

You are so right!

Brian

Hi Brian,
These were only cap badges and sometimes worn as a tie brooch. I have never seen them worn as wings and they were never a qualification badge.

Only the girls who were qualified as pilots wore wings and they had these from the outset back in 1938. The initial wings were bullion embroidered and a second pattern was of cotton embroidery. Someone back in the 1980's reproduced the 2nd pattern, so these can be found from time to time. Originals are virtually unobtainable.

These woman were not only used as pilots, they also did aircraft maintenance. Britishpathe has a newsreel on there activities.

I will scrounge through some of my pictures to see what I can post here.

Steven

Steven

Thanks, please try and dig deep.

You owe me a Christmas present ;)

Regards
Brian

Here are some pics. These were mostly found on the net over many years, so if they are owned by anyone and want them removed I will do so.

The first picture shows the side cap wing badge been worn and the first pattern bullion wings. I have a picture of these bullion wings somewhere and when I find it I will post it.

2nd and 3rd picture shows the second pattern wings been worn and an original wing.

4th and 5th picture shows the reproduction wing.

Here is link to britshpathe showing the woman including some nice pics of the cap badge been worn. http://www.britishpathe.com/video/wo...uth+africa+war

Steven

Thanks Steven

A lot better picture than mine, you can clearly see them as side cap badges.

Yes those copies are not nice, original is very nice!

Thanks again, please keep digging.

Brian

Guys,

Please confirm the description of the metal badges?

Thanks,

Will

Hi Will,
The metal 'Wings' from all photographic evidence I have seen are a side cap badge. Initial badge with WAA - Womans Aviation Association, replaced with WAAF badge - Womans Auxiliary Air Force and finally replaced by SAAF like badge when WAAF became a uniformed branch of the UDF.

Steven

Attachment 119703

Steven,

Thanks for the guidance, back to redoing the labels!

Regards,

Will

Badge being worn
 

Hi Brian here is a picture of my mum when she was in the SA WAAF where she was trained as a fireman attached to airfields. I have her badge. Hope this helps. Her name was Joy Morling and she was born in SA.