BATTLE OF BRITAIN ‘LACE’
AFA-SA recently met with WW2 WAAAF Veteran Centenarian Mona “Pat” Stringer to acknowledge her 100th birthday!
Joining us was GPCAPT Greg Weller, RAAF Edinburgh Reservist and AFA-SA Vice President, who organised for Pat to receive a Chief of Air Force Letter of Congratulations and a Chief of Air Force Coin for her 100th Birthday.
Pat had a wonderful time talking to us and spending some time with a RAAFie in uniform – something she has not done for decades. She also marvelled at the black and white enlistment photo GPCAPT Weller had located of her – a photo she had never ever seen but remembered recuiters taking at her time of enlistment.
Meanwhile, we had a wonderful time listening to Pat’s stories about joining the Air Force, undergoing basic training at Victor Harbour in winter, sleeping in a small tent on a basic strecther, and serving as a clerk at No 4 School of Technical Training in Adelaide.
Pat enlisted in the Women’s Auxiliary Australian Air Force (WAAAF) as a Clerk on 2 August 1944. She completed initial training at No 4 Initial Training School at Victor Harbor and then trade training at No 4 School of Technical Training (Adelaide) where she then served on the units staff during 1945. She was discharged in October 1945 with the rank of Aircraftwoman (ACW).
Pat later joined the RAAF / Air Force Association as a member of the Elizabeth/Salisbury Branch and volunteered many hours of service supporting Air Force veterans during the 1970’s to the 1990’s.
During his visit, GPCAPT Weller not only congratulated Pat on becoming a Centenarian but in particular, acknowledged her service to our nation. He noted that Pat was a one of a special generation and a pioneer for women today.
Pat was one of over 27,000 women who saw service in the WAAAF between March 1941 and July 194 – the first and largest of the World War II Australian Women’s Services. Airwomen like Pat were recruited into over 70 different mustering’s (trades), including mechanical, armament, electricians, fitters, fabric workers, meteorology as well as the more traditional areas of clerical, medical, transport, catering, equipment, and communications. Their contribution was huge enabling thousands of men to deploy overseas on active service.
WAAAFs like Pat were, in effect, pioneers for women today and set the basis for future generations of females serving in the Air Force and indeed generations of women working in Australian society since.
Congratulations Pat on becoming an Air Force Centenarian veteran and thank you for your service and for being an Air Force pioneer.
You are one of a special generation that gave so much of themselves for our country – not just in serving in World War 2 but also in being pioneers for subsequent generations of women and later serving our veterans after the war.
We as a nation will be forever indebted to your generation.
Enlistment photo of Pat courtesy of National Australian Archives.
Caption: WW2 WAAAF Veteran and Centenarian, Mona “Pat” Stringer with her Chief of Air Force Letter of Congratulations and Chief of Air Force Coin with RAAF Edinburgh Reservist and AFA-SA Vice-President, GPCAPT Greg Weller. (AFA-SA Image)
