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The Women's War Service Auxiliary was an organisation set up during World War Two to co-ordinate women's organisations, to assist in New Zealand's National War Effort and to promote war work for women. This memo details brief information on the Auxiliary, including the Palmerston North branch, as of 1940, and encourages women and girls to register and be ready to help the country. Dated Monday 9 December 1940.

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Object type
Correspondence
Archive
C. E. Warburton Papers
Date
December 9, 1940
Digitisation ID
2009Pa_WARBURTON-S1-F1_2756
Format
Paper
Held In
Community Archives

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Palmerston North

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Women's War Service Auxiliary.
6.35 P.M. Monday 9th Dec. 1940

The Women's War Service Auxiliary is the organization constituted by the
Government for the co-ordination of Womens organisations to assist in
the National War effort & to promote war work for women.
This organisation does not propose to interfere with organisations at
present in operation, the object is to get a complete register of all
women doing war work, training for war work or wishing to train & to
help them where necessary.
For this Auxiliary each center in the Dominion, has a District Committee
of 12 members, 9 elected by representatives of womens organisations
& the remaining 3 appointed by the Government.
The Palmerston North Branch is now established, with 30 organisations
affiliated. The headquarters will be in the Union Bank Buildings, Coleman
Place, where an office will be opened & registrations will be received.
In the meantime registrations may be made with Miss Grant, the hon.
secretary, Manawatu Times Office, with Miss Warburton, chairman of
the committee or with other members of the committee.
It is necessary that all should register so that, in the event of an
emergency the authorities will know exactly where to get in touch with
the woman power available.
The Womens War Service Auxiliary is the only organisation which will
keep a complete register. Those who have already registered under the
Emergency Precautions Scheme will have their cards marked accordingly,
as the authority for that scheme will have the first call
on their time.
Many women & girls are already training for war work & many more will
wish to train. It is proposed, as far as possible to promote training
through the organisations already in operation, such as the Manawatu Auxiliary
Service Corps & the Womens War Service League, but where necessary
new classes will be formed.
There are many interesting & attractive courses on the schedule of the
Womens War Service Auxiliary, such as transport, through the StJohn
Ambulance & Red Cross Societies, general transport, including bicycle
despatch corps, signalling corps, emergency hospital work, canteen work
mothers helpers, farm work, including domestic work on the farm, home
gardening, herd testing, factory work clerical work, seamstresses &
knitters.
First Aid, through the St. John Ambulance & Red Cross Societies, [physical]
exercises & drill form an essential part of all these courses. It is
desired that every woman & girl physically able, should take this drill
course.
The uniform will be a neat coat frock in khaki, it should be smart in
appearance & also inexpensive & practical.
A number of women & girls have enrolled with this War Service
Auxiliary & it is hoped that all those willing to help will enroll as
soon as possible, so that arrangements for classes may be made, in
readiness for work to begin early in the New Year.
So women & girls of New Zealand roll up & register & be ready to help
your country when called upon.