WOMEN IN CAMP

Evening Post, Volume CXXXIV, Issue 108, 3 November 1942, Page 4

WOMEN IN CAMP

•W.A.A.C. RECRUITS

FEMININE SIDE O% ARMY .

With its first batch of recruits now working to a steady schedule, . the new W.A.A.C. camp in the Central Military District is now functioning to the full extern that building operations will allow. Including the camp staff, more than a hundred girls are now in quarters, '-and to all intents and purposes they are running the whole show themselves, and making a first-class job of it. The only concessions the girls have made to the other sex are a staff officer, who acts in an advisory capacity, and a'courageoir stafT sergeant, who puts them through their parade ground work and does a little lecturing on such subjects as gas defence and passive air de- , fence. He is only there ternp f orar- i ily—to "keep an eye on things,1' | it was explained to an "Evening Post" reporter. Anyway he knows his drill, and it's his job to see that the girls know theirs. From reveille at 6.30 a.m. to lights out at 10.15 p.m., the girls have a, very full day, and they go to it with a keenness that is astonishing. Breakfast is. at 7.30 a.m., roll call at 8, sick parade (if any) at 8.15, and out on to the parade ground at 8.45. Incidentally, there are three sick parades daily, but so far the only casualties have been an occasional blister on the foot. I : Training routine comes under two general headings. In the lirst place the aim is to get the* girls accustomed to army life and 'conditions, to remove all traces of civilian trimmings, and make soldiers of them. Having done that, they are transferred to a special training squad, where particular attention is paid to assessing their individual qualifications, so that they can be posted to units where their capabilities can be best exploited. Some may go to anti-aircraft units, and others to the signallers, and so on. In short, it is a form of specialist training; that aims at achieving maximum | efficiency. IMPORTANCE OF DISCIPLINE. Much emphasis is laid on the importance of discipline. This is evident when the girls arc in action on the parade ground. They spring to it like veterans, and go into action with their chins up and arms swinging with proper marching precision. Occasionally mistakes are made. "Right form" and "left form" can be a little confusing if you're not alert. But the instructors are the essence of patience and tact, and a little gentle admonition puts things right. There are some things you can't say on a W.A.A.C. parade ground. Other sections are drilled by W.A.A.C. sergeants themselves, and here, too, they get all the co-operation they want without having to cut loose when things go wrong. Soon the instruction will be entirely in the hands of W.A.A.C. n.c.o.s. Lectures and recreational training are. part of the daily programme, though in the temporary absence of full recreational facilities the girls have periods of gardening. The recreational training is designed to work the muscles not used in ordinary drill, so that the maximum physical fitness can be attained. Sleeping accommodation is provided by the same prefabricated huts as those used in all military camps. This is where the feminine touch can really come into its own. It is not entirely obliterated by parade ground punctiliousness and lecture-room austerity. A vase of flowers here, the boy friend's photo, there, and the unmistakable sign of the gentler sex everywhere—even to the wardrobe with its mirror, and the little sawn-off dressing tables. The girls sleep three to the hut—tne men four. The difference is represented by the two items of furniture. The, ages of the girls range from 18 to past 40 (one trainee is a married woman with fiye children), and their average age would be in the early twenties. Once in camp they become full-time soldiers, subject to the King's Regulations and entitled to all the benefits the soldier receives. When in full swing this particular camp, which is one of. three in the Dominion, will hold some hundreds of girls. In the meantime the builders are busy on the job of putting up permanent accommodation. The question of leave is an important one, and as far as possible the convenience of the girls is met. From 4.30 to 9.30 p.m. on Friday enables them to do a little shopping and take in a picture show perhaps: from 9 a.m. | to 10.30 p.m. on Sunday is their own | time; and every other Saturday they are free from noon to 12.30 a.m. The rest of the time they belong to ; the Army.