NEAT UNIFORMS

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 1, Issue 1, 21 April 1939, Page 2

NEAT UNIFORMS

WOMEN TERRITORIALS , The recent war scare has produced the Women's Auxiliary Territorial Service, whose object it is to relieve men of non-combatant duties during a national emergency, says a London correspondent. It was in the Great War that women were first recruited officially in England as members of the Naval, Military and Air S rvices , They belonged respectively fo the Women's Royal Naval Service, the Women's Army Auxiliary Corps, and the Women's Royal Air Force Service., These bodies were disbanded with the and such women's organisations of a patriotic service character as have existed during the "past twenty years have been purely voluntary and unofficial. The W.A.T.S. is intended to replace the W.A. A.C. 's (Army) and the W.R. A.FJ's (Air Force). There is as yet no indication that the women's naval service, usually and prettily known as the W.R. E.N.'s is going to be revived. The members of the W.A.T.S. are intended to do every kind of ancillary work with the Army and the Air Force. They will do clerical duties, thus relieving men in the orderly rooms; they will be employed in cooking and in waiting in messes and canteens, and they will help in the innumerable jobs connected with the upkeep and issuing of clothing. That is as far as indoor work is concerned. Out of doors, they will be used fot driving cars of all sorts. It is within the recollection «X many people that during the Great War, an anxious London did not forget to smile when seeing car after car of khaki-clad scarlet.tabbed staff officers being driven about, no -doubt on the most important duties, by young W.A,A.. C.'s, who were net only extremely efficient, but invariably good to look at. Those were the days when cosmetics were not as freely used as they are to.clny. Now the W.A.T.S. will be actually allowed a "judicious use of make_up.'' The first parade of the newly-form-ed body was held at London recently and consisted mainly of the members of the motor transport section of the corps, which will number 1500 in wartime,. marched past very steadily and trim and neat in their new uniforms which consist of a khaki jacket with a turn-down, collar, and a .skirt of the same material which must be 14in from the ground and must, as the regulations say, tie wide enough for free movement. What that freedom of movement implies has no doubt been alreadj 7, discovered by most of the girls, who ? for the last few weeks, have been driving under sergeants of the foot guards. As I have said, the Navy is not represented in all this", so the uniform and badges of resurrected W.R. E.M ? ; do not yet come into the picture, but this writer, who has certain very humble contacts with the nas not forgotten going to the Admiralty one day during the Great War and seeing a woman go past wearing on her sleeve the stripes of a Rear-Ad-miral. There is one matter which should: be placed on record. Silk stockings are barred for the W.A. T.S. The War Office announces that officers' stockings must be of "drab material" and are not to be transparent. The members' stockings are to be of heavy lisle (cotton) to match the skirt. Uniforms will be issued to the rank and file, who will each receive on,e cap, one Jacket one skirt, two shirt ■? one tie and two pairs of stockingf. Officers will be expected to buy their own uniforms. One final touch: Companies raised in Scotland may be allowed to wear tartan skirts. That is indeeH brings ing home the horrors of war to a distracted country.

a> rmt y CENTENNIAL MEMORIALS SUGGESTION FOR WHAKATANE People in same districts ait still undecided about the form of Cen-j tennial memorials.. It is mentioned In "New Zealand Centennial News" that some time ago a reviewer submitted the following notion, lar folk who were discussing Centennial memorials. "Will the memorial be inspirational in the view of local folk as well as visitors from other parts of New Zealand and countries overseas? Will it create an impression that the planners looked forward as well as backward? Will it help in making a national sense of country? Will the memorials be regarded r>s a real asset of the district?" It has been suggested that a model pa he Whakatane's contribution.