WTU Edinburgh, Laverton & 1 RTU (Last of the short womens courses)

RAAF recruits commenced training 30 Jan 1951

The Women’s Auxiliary Australian Air Force which functioned during World War II was disbanded in December 1947, but in July 1950 the re-formation of women’s services in Army, Navy and Air Force was approved, in principle, by Cabinet. This time, the RAAF’s women’s service would no longer be an ‘auxiliary’ but a branch of the Permanent Air Force. By the time the Minister for Air, Thomas White, announced in November that the new Service would be known as the Women’s Royal Australian Air Force (WRAAF), more than 2000 applications had been received. The first two officers were appointed on 27 November and, next month, applicants underwent screening at Laverton Air base, Victoria. But this day came to be accepted as the official birthday of the WRAAF, being the date that the first 50 trainees commenced recruit training in two separate courses conducted at Laverton and Richmond, New South Wales. WTU operated at quite a few bases in its time, Richmond, Edinburgh, Point Cook, Laverton and Tottenham.

The WTU at Laverton ceased in 1981 and all Women's Recruit courses were then handed to 1RTU at RAAF Edinburgh.

Thanks to RADs for the use of the WTU Course Photo's more can be seen on - http://radschool.org.au/

1
30 Jan 1951 - 26 Feb1951
LAVERTON

2
30 Jan 1951 - 23 Feb1951
LAVERTON

3
30 Jan 1951 - 23 Feb1951

LAVERTON

5
23APR-21MAY51
LAVERTON

PT COOK

7
MAY51
LAVERTON

10 - no photo

11
23MAY-19JUN 51

12 -no photo

13
JUL51
RICHMOND

14
JUL51
RICHMOND

16
LAVERTON

18
19SEP51
RICHMOND

25
30JAN52- 29FEB52
LAVERTON

27
23MAY52
RICHMOND

28 NO DETAILS

29
23APR52-23MAY52
LAVERTON

30
23MAY52
RICHMOND

31
02JUN52 - 27JUN52
LAVERTON

33
07JUL52-01AUG52

34 NO DETAILS

36
20AUG52-20SEP52
RICHMOND

37
20AUG-20SEP52
RICHMOND

38 NO DETAILS

41
NOV52
POINT COOK

43 & 44

45
17JUN- 17JUL52
LAVERTON

46 NO DETAILS

47
09SEP-16OCT
LAVERTON

49
20JAN54 - 19FEB54
POINT COOK

54
20AUG-17SEP

55
22SEP-22OCT54
POINT COOK

56
20NOV-26DEC54

57
04JAN-18FEB55
POINT COOK

58
23FEB-20MAR55

59
20MAY-20JUN55

60
11MAY-20JUN55
POINT COOK

61
22JUN-22JUL55

62
27JUL - 26AUG55
POINT COOK

63
31AUG -28SEP55
POINT COOK

64
05 OCT -04NOV55

POINT COOK

65
09NOV -09DEC55
POINT COOK

66
18JAN56 - 17FEB56
POINT COOK

67
22FEB56 - 23MAR56
POINT COOK

Back L-R: JE Horne, MJ Hoy, SJ Orr, MW Ramsay, PA Sturgess, EK Burchell, JE Fitzgerald, ? Broadwich, NM Carter, AL Brown, ? Shackleton, MJ Nelson, MJ Bond.

Third L-R: JM Rafferty, EE Reisier, RS Ruff, GS Munro, PJ Collinson, JM McKean, PE Wood, YC Howard, LN Steel, CP Finger, VJ Halcrow, F Hall, GA Rainie, JM Hogan, AA Henderson.

Second L-R: RM Oliver, MJ Wadsworth, EL Paul, R Harris, PDM Curwood, AM McCrory, L Maxwell, A Bell, J Dunn, JE Miles, CM Gower, MP Clarke, KM Hanlon, RG Wearing, RJ Nelson.

Front L-R: JE Dawson, MM Broadfoot, EM Clarke, JM Morris, BJ Shellee, Cpl ? Webb, Cpl Purcell, SectOff ? Cox, SJ Orr, RM Thompson, C Trevelan, S A Smith, PM Johnson, MB McMennemin, EE Reiser.

86
10APR-09MAY58
POINT COOK

87
MAY-JUN58
POINT COOK

88
JUN-JUL58
POINT COOK

Back L-R: Olive Redman, Lyn Christmass, Barbara Bartholomaeus, Mavis Gildersleeve, Doreen Ayers, Bev Holmes, Margaret Coggins, Anne Hallett, Shirley Riches, Anne Hall, Margaret Fairfull, Dorothy Glendhill, Pauline Wilkinson, Margaret Underwood, Janet Cooke.

Middle L-R: Nan Gregg, Virginnia Chown, Helen Cavanagh, Mauren Raymus, Janet McKay, Carole Young, Rita Snell, Teresa Ellerton, Valerie Harrison, Ruby Bosci, Mary Youings, Christine Baikie, Terese Burrows, Betty Connell, Colleen Moore, Patricia Shaw, Jan Thurlow.

Front L-R: Nora Hals, Rita Welsh, Yvonne McAlister, Gwen Gordon, Yvonne Tear, Margot Ambery, Jan Howarth, Lucy Gugiatti, Sgt Ida Hills, SectOff Pearl Cox, Sgt Joan Purcell, Barbara Rumble, Tia Hokema, Cecilie Craig, Ina Riley, Marie Crowder, Gwen Fenna, Judy Bridges.

89
JUN-JUL58
POINT COOK

90
JUL - SEP58
POINT COOK

91
OCT -NOV58
POINT COOK

92
NOV-DEC58
POINT COOK

93
JAN - FEB 59

94
1959
POINT COOK

95
APR -MAY59

96
MAY - JUN59

97
JUL-AUG59
POINT COOK

98
POINT COOK

99
SEP-OCT59
POINT COOK

100
NOV-DEC59
POINT COOK

101
JAN - FEB60
POINTCOOK

102
FEB - MAR 60
POINT COOK

103
MAY 60
POINT COOK

104
MAY 60
POINT COOK

105
JUL 60
POINT COOK

106
AUG 60
POINT COOK

107
OCT 60
POINT COOK

108
NOV60
POINT COOK

109
DEC60
POINT COOK

110
FEB-MAR61
POINT COOK

111
APR 61
POINT COOK

112
MAY 61
POINT COOK

113
JUN61
POINT COOK

114
JUL61
POINT COOK

115
AUG61
POINT COOK

116
SEP61
POINT COOK

117
NOV61
POINT COOK

118
DEC61
POINT COOK

119
17JAN-16FEB62
POINT COOK

120
POINT COOK

121
APR-MAY62
POINT COOK

122
09MAY-08JUN62
POINT COOK

123
JUN-JUL62
POINT COOK

124
24JUN-23AUG62
POINT COOK

125
29AUG-28SEP62

126
03SEP-02OCT62

127
07NOV-07DEC62

128
16JAN -15FEB63

129
20FEB- 22MAR63

130
2APR -3MAY63

131

132

133

134

135

136
06NOV- 06DEC63
Point Cook

Back Row L-R: JM Jones, LA Alcock, SJ Evans, DP Bailey, DF Hill, MR Woods, HJ Wain, CV Breen, LD Kielak, JD Blayden, GP Chardon, ER Giles.

Middle Row L-R: JC Molten, LF Perring, MA Kelly, ND Lee, JC Rodger, MC Russell, JM Cole, CF Traynor, PG McLean, DJ Ford, BA McMahon, MR Kerr, BG Walsh.

Front Row L-R: BHM Bouffler, RE Petts, BH Thorne, CL Constable, D Davis, Sgt Ford, Sect Off Stollznow, Flt Off Alexander, Sgt Webb, IJ Pope, SM Larkin, JL Randall, PJ Smith.

137

138

139

140

141
17JUN-17JUl
POINT COOK

142
22JUL-21AUG64
POINT COOK

143
22JUL -21AUG64
POINT COOK

144
30SEP -30OCT64
POINT COOK

145
04NOV- 04DEC64

146
13JAN - 12FEB65
POINT COOK

147
17FEB-19MAR65
POINT COOK

148
APR65

149
05MAY-04JUN65

150
09JUN-09JUL65
POINT COOK

151
21JUL -20AUG65
1 RTU
EDINBURGH
First WRAAF Course
AT EDINBURGH

152
25AUG-24SEP65

153
6OCT-5NOV65

154
DEC65
EDINBURGH

155

156

157

158
11MAY- 10JUN66
EDINBURGH

159

160
05AUG - 02SEP66

161
07SEP-07OCT66

162
09NOV -09DEC66

163
18JAN - 17FEB67

164
21MAR-23APR67

165

166

167
05JUL-04AUG67

168
09AUG- 08SEP67

169
OCT67

170
18OCT- 17NOV67
EDINBURGH

171
17 JAN to 16 FEB 68
Madam WRAAF SQNOFF GIBNEY FSGT WOTTON

172
MAR68

173

174
08MAY- 07UN68

175
JUL68
EDINBURGH

176

177

178
NOV68

179

180
FEB69

181
26FEB- 28MAR 1969

182
01APR - 01MAY69
Cpl MASON

183
MAY-JUN69

184
18JUN - 18JUL69
Cpl Yvonne MANSON, Cpl Pam NELSON

185
05AUG-05SEP69

186

187

188

189

190
APR -MAY70

191

192
APR70

193
JUL AUG70

194
SEP70

195
OCT- NOV70

196

197

198

199

L-R: S.F. Weston, M.A. Watson, R. Cockshutt, M.E. Edge, Y.I. Cupples, L.C. Martin, S.N. De Haan, M.A. Goodwin, M.L. Casey, M.F. Coxon.

Third row L-R: D.C. Hill, Marie Dennis, V.M. Eastwood, S.J. Schlink, W.G. Walter, D.T. Nipperess, R.A. Valentine, J.J. Fry, J.M. Ritchie.

Second row L-R: C.C. Hoare, Z.M. Kahl, K.M. Brown, E.A.E. Armstrong, E.L. Westcott, D.M. Huggins, W.C. Lumby, C.I. Dudley, G.M. Crick, L.K. Pahl.

Front row L-R: C.D. Jeffrey, C.A. Hillbrick, Lyn Colquhoun, Cpl Buckley, Cpl Dennis, Sqn Off Cummins, Sgt Chalson, I.C. Feeklery, P.M. Tadman, R.M. Zucchelli.

200

201

202

203
28SEP-03NOV71

204

205
11JAN - 16FEB72

206
26FEB - 28MAR72

Back Row L-R: TJ Cutts, DM Baker, ? Armstrong, JC Boulton, LD Jury, GH White, ? Sweetlove, DG Fox, VJ Wenke, IA Clark.

Middle Row L-R: MF Dunemann, CM Barrett, HJ Kydd, JM Lihou, S Lightowlers, CA Herbert, SV Dukes, CMM Baker, H Newberry.

Front Row L-R: M O'Neill, CE Mann, LM Bowden, Cpl Patterson, Sqn Off Cass, Sgt Bickley, SM Rule, MJ Hall,

207

208

209

210

211

212

213
9JAN- 20FEB73

214

215

216

217

218

219

220

221

222
FEB74

223

224

225

226

227

228

229

230

231
14APR-22MAY75
"CASS's CLOTHING CHAOS"

232
23JUN-29JUL75
"CASS's COURAGEOUS CUTIES"

233
04AUG - 09SEPT75
"CASS' COUGHING CASUALTIES"

234

235
"DAWNEYS DEGENERATE DAMSELS"

236

Back Row L-R: AF Hughes, RL Whitehead, J Pike, EM Kurasik, KL Jans, DC Wickenden, MF Henwood, CM Spake, VL Wright, FP Wernicke, L Devereaux.

Centre Row L-R: L Robertson, SE Dancey, RM Holding, R Elek, DG Kidson, S Kettle, CA Free, AM MacKenzie, J Baxter, ME Powell, JM Kuno, VA Waring, VW Ong.

Front Row L-R: MA Arcidiacono, CJ Mulroney, SV Jenkinson, Sgt Dawney, Sqn Off Cass, FSgt Dennis, Sgt Patterson, M Boath, AM Wood, J Reay.

237