WJAC Womens Junior Air Corps Metal Cap Badge 1940s Air Cadets

WJAC Womens Junior Air Corps Pin Badge 1940s Girls Air Cadets

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History 1942-1964

At the commencement of World War 2 the Army Cadet Force, Air Training Corps and Sea Cadets Corps were already well established for boys who would wish to become members of Her Majesties Forces.

However there were no organisations for girls who would also be subject to conscription for war work. Girls and Women did not normally go to work other than to do what were considered to be occupations suitable for females. The war changed this and women joined the
Women’s Services, Land Army, Fire Service etc, or were conscripted into factories and other bodies involved in war work. Girls who were not old enough to do these jobs wanted to get involved and campaigned for Cadet training and in 1942 the National Association of Training Corps for Girls was set up.

The Girls Training Corps, Women’s Junior Air Corps and Girls Nautical Training Corps were formed. GTC covered a more generalised programme of training with the other two specialised in Air and Sea training The WJAC followed courses on Aircraft Recognition basic aviation and other air related subject including flying training while the GNTC concentrated on nautical matters such as knots and sea navigation. They were all involved in helping the war effort assisting in many ways depending upon the needs of the locality in which Units operated.

WJAC provided Cadets early training for girls intending to join the WAAFs and Cadets wore a grey jacket skirt and forage cap with white blouse. Cadets were instructed in physical training, marching drills , games, first aid, morse code, aircraft recognition, shooting, cooking with optional subjects anti-aircraft operational duties, radio location, driving, electrical, engineering, clerical and office together with the oportunity to gain flying wings. While vists to local RAF Stations provided cadets with aircraft experience the WJAC had its own Fairchild F24 Argus Mk1 aircraft named Grey Dove which visited Sqadrons around the country.

When the war ended plans were made for the Corps to be wound up but the considerable membership wanted to continue. Programmes were up-dated to fit in with post-war life and community service continued to play a very important part of the Corps activities. In 1963, the GNTC were invited to join the Sea Cadet Corps leaving the other two Corps on their own.

In July 1964 a new organisation called the Girls Venture Corps was introduced to provide a Girls Cadet organisation and had two wings Ground for the ex-GTC and Air for ex-WJAC. Eventually the need for two wings became unnecessary and at the request of the cadets the words Air Cadets were added to the title in 1987.

This pin badge dates from the 1940s.