AIR FORCE AUXILIARY

Otago Daily Times, Issue 24525, 6 February 1941, Page 10

AIR FORCE AUXILIARY

RUSH GF APPLICANTS An indication of their willingness for practical war work has been given by the women of Otago in the number of applications received in Dunedin for the Women’s Auxiliary Air Force. The formation of this force, which is based on the English model, has the approval of the Government, and qualified members will eventually undertake fulltime duty at air force stations. •; The closing day for applications is February 14, and so great has been the response to the appeal for trainees that therlocal office has fun out of enrolment forms.

The same rush has been experienced in the north. In Wellington, for instance, a number of business men, alarmed at the possibility of, losing shorthand typists and other female members of their staffs, telephoned the auxiliary to make further inquiries. They were assured that" stenographers would not be taken, as the auxiliary was well aware of the present shortage of these girls. Nor would any girls or women filling the place of men on active service be accepted, such as those in factories dealing with, essential industries. It was pointed out that the auxiliary would avoid using any girls how in employment and registrations, in any case, ’would be submitted to the Man-power Committee fpr consideration.

There were - a number of capable women, not working, who, would be considered. Housewives could be taken as cooks and waitresses, as members of the auxiliary would not live oh the premises, but in their own homes. Thus they 'would not be absent from their homes all the time. Young women married to men away on active service and who stayed at home were other suitable types of applicants, and girls from small factories that were not engaged in essential production would be others able to apply.