Australian Army Plans To Replace Men With Women

Taranaki Daily News, 27 August 1942, Page 4

Australian Army Plans To Replace Men With Women

Sydney, Aug. 21. The Australian Women's Army Service is calling urgently for thousands more volunteers to relieve men for front line jobs. Women have already taken t ie place of men in "under cover" jobs on coastai. batteries. Hundreds are now neeled "for similar work at anti-aircraft stations. The "ack-ack" women, as they are called, will not actually man the guns, but will be employed as instrument nnd predictor operators, spotters, computors, telephonists, and in operational rooms. [n this work in England women proved the equal of men. The girls will be tested for aptitude in the same way as the men, and given the job that suits them best. Not all volunteers will be drafted to anti-aircraft duty, but there are other army jobs which they can fill, including draughtswomen. wireless and teleprinter operators, predictor operators, stenographers, typists, clerks, book machine operators, comptometrists, cooks, mess stewards and orderlies. The girls will be billeted with the units to which they are attached. Opportimities will be given to recruits to become instructors in anti-aircraft and other duties. But these women will need to have educational qualifications above the average, and the ability to impart knowledge to others.