More Info →Women's War Service Auxiliary Memorandum No. 72

WOMEN’S WAR SERVICE AUXILIARY

190 Lambton Quay
WELLINGTON
3rd. March 1943

CIRCULAR MEMORANDUM No. 72

To all District Committees.

W.W.S.A. and HOME GUARD SERVICE.

We have received advice to the effect that W.W.S.A. members can
now become attached to the Home Guard as follows:-

1. There is nothing to prevent women from training with the
   Home Guard. Their service must be purely voluntary. They
   cannot be enrolled as active members of the Home Guard.

2. All women should first join the W.W.S.A. This is the only
   special organisation authorised to recruit women for ser-
   vice in the Armed Forces or other activities directly con-
   nected with the war effort.

3. Women should be encouraged to join the W.W.S.A. There are
   ample number of women who have not joined up with any
   organisation. The Home Guard requirements should be filled
   from the present members of the W.W.S.A. who have not been
   posted to E.P.S. duties.

4. The Home Guard should not attempt to persuade women members of
   of the E.P.S. organisation to transfer to H.G. Units.
   Women who are enrolled members of the E.P.S. are under the
   controller of E.P.S. Authorities, and cannot be transferred to
   to H.G. Units, without the authority of E.P.S. Controller.

5. If certain specialists with advance training can be conven-
   iently spared, transfer to the H.G. may be arranged, under
   the approval of the District Controller.

Voluntary duties to be undertaken for attachment of women to
the Home Guard to include signalling, clerical, orderly room duties,
assistants in medical platoons, in the observer corps, and messing
duties. The women’s sections will be supernumerary to Unit estab-
lishments on a voluntary basis. Women so attached to the Home Guard
should be members of the W.W.S.A. or be willing to register with this
organisation. It would be appreciated if you would advise me if you
have any women so attached to the Home Guard, the number, and the
duties, they perform.

AIR OBSERVER CORPS. This is particularly interesting work and
Committees should see Home Guard Authorities with regard to members
of the W.W.S.A. being trained in this work.

M.MALEMPRE

Dominion Secretary