- From The Collection Of
- Ingenium
- Accession Number
- 2015.0632
- Discipline
- Humanities
- Classification
- Aviation, Clothing, Outerwear
- Artist / Manufacturer
- Principal Hat and Cap, Principal Hat Cap (manufacturer)
- Date / Period
- 1945 (creation date)
- 2015 (collection date)
- Possibly worn between 1943 and 1946. (period)
- Place
- Montreal, Quebec, Canada (creation)
- Canada (use)
- Description
- Wool; cotton; metal; synthetic materials.
Dark blue wool and grosgrain trim; black synthetic leather with fabric backing; gold-coloured metal buttons; white lettering.
Lettering cast onto button reads: "R.C.A.F."; lettering stamped on inside reads: "PRINCIPAL HAT & CAP/Montreal - 1945/SIZE - 21 1/2".
The artifact appears complete.
R.C.A.F. eagle and King's crown cast into buttons. - History of Use
- Identifies the wearer as an officer with the Royal Canadian Air Force Women’s Division while performing a broad range of duties.
- Narrative
- This uniform was worn by Ann Lowry (1920-2015) who served with the Royal Canadian Air Force Women’s Division (RCAF WD) during the Second World War. The Women’s Division was created in 1941 as the Canadian Women’s Auxiliary Air Force (CWAAF). Based on a similar auxiliary group in England, CWAAF’s main focus was to free-up men who would be able to move to the frontlines. Members of the Women’s Division served as clerks, telephone operators, drivers, fabric workers, hairdressers, hospital assistants, instrument mechanics, parachute riggers, photographers, air photo interpreters, intelligence officers, instructors, weather observers, pharmacists, wireless operators, and Service Police. Despite their integral participation in many branches of the RCAF, women were not allowed to serve as flight instructors or to be on the frontlines regardless of any previous flight training or experience. 17,038 women served with the Women's Division before it was discontinued in December 1946. When the CWAAF was founded, women were responsible for providing their own uniforms. They could wear garments (arm bands and jackets) created for volunteer corps with which they had served or their own personal clothing. Quickly, the RCAF developed a more official uniform that matched those of the servicemen while maintaining gender-norms in the form of the skirt and cut of the jacket. The distinct style of the women’s division uniform signaled their place as being both associated with and separate from the main male body of the RCAF.
The jacket has a standard open collar, single-breasted design making it suitable for a wide range of duties. Chevrons on each sleeve of the jacket identify the wearer as a corporal. The sturdy fabric of the uniform makes it durable for frequent use and provides the wearer with an additional layer of protection. - See Elsewhere
- ingenium.ca
- Record Rights
- © Ingenium
- http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/
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