Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1942-04-13

w o m n : ~
Auxiliary Air ~
rorce}. tnlh MIR. PICKERING
six or eight
weeks ago. that what they were
called-CWAAF-the { being
for Canada. lis been changed 10
RCAF -WD. or ROYAL Canadian
Air Force, WomCn'S Division.
Very spruce in their RCAF
uniforms. the three girls said
that already women are serving
as clerks. parachute packers,
MT (motor transporD drivers,
cooks, accountants ard in sew
erai other classificatiOns, and
more classifications opening up"
So far only n few have been
seen I'm Detroit. In the future,
you'll see more of them.
How do people behave when
they see yeu?" l asked. Il sup
pose they are quite curious
about you:"
Curious" the girls said.
MOSTLY they just turn around
and stare at us. Mostly at our
stockings RnefuIly they each
stuck out an ankle clad In blue
gray cotton stockings. .Giying
mp silk stockings Ii tough" they
admitted. but we need silk for
parachutes. And anyway, these
wear longer" (If ever you saw
girls making the best of a bad
situation, ID was these three con-
soling themselves with the idea
that "these wear longer"
The girls are Corp. Grace Nj
coll. from Manville. Alta: A. w.
Jean Deacon of Govan, SaSk.,
and A. w. | Beatrice Seal, who
went TO Windsor from Detroit,
and was the first woman TO en-
list at the Windsor recruiting
office.
They are subject to military
regulations, just like the men.
and their ranks correspond. The
corporal. naturally, Outranked
the others, but they're good
friends and Seal and Deacon
couldn't remember that Corporal
Nicoll had ever had occasion to
exercise her authority over
them.
The "A. w. L. corresponds 70
private first Glass; IL means
Air Woman, First Glass;" or a
Jump above "A. w. 81 the rank
they held when they enlisted
Eve months ago. Their next ad-
yancement win be TO LAW"
or Leading Air Woman, In an
other month or so.
The girls said they got used
TO their uniforms in a few days.
At least. they got used to the
male-Style shirts, collars, coats
and military caps.
But necktes-that'S different!
And bad!
Seal said she already had
known how TO tie fourth hand,
hut Deacon and Corporal Nicoll
had to learn. "If you have 10.
you can learn things quickly"
they said.
However. some OF the girls
don't. Some, In fact, haven't
learned TO tie n necktie yet.
I'VE know some" they said,
"who still have the same knot
they had the first day. They
slide the knot down and take
the ties of over their heads"
This, of course, IL a trick
that most men remember from
their 8-year-oId days, although
IL may take the girls longer 10
get over IL than men. For the
same reason, naturally. that II
takes boys longer than girls to
learn 10 wash their necks.
Washing comes natural 10 fe-
males, and tying neckties comes
easier for males.)
Saddest case was one related
by / Think Dcaccn--onc OF the
RCAF-WD.S who was taken 10
the hospital. When She was re-
leased, she cried. The nurses
had united the knot in her tie.
Try as she would, she couldn't
tie il herself. Weeping. She gave
up and got somebody else toSdJ
IL for her.
BY the way, there's no disre-
spect I'm calling them deacon.
and seal" although Corporal
Nicoll should b. called nv her
rank, Of course.
In the air force, they are
called by their last names. just
~ LAC John Jones would be
addressed as Jones"
81 didn't even know NIcolrs
first name until little while
ago." one of the girls said.
They still are called Miss"
occasionally, and ! gather that
they like n but don't expect II.
The term Miss generally
comes from people around the
hospitals uho are more used 20
polite address than the curter