Women's Royal Australian Naval Service

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Women's Royal Australian Naval Service (WRANS) was a non-combat branch of the Royal Australian Navy that recruited women. Like many of its sister services created during the Second World War, it alleviated manpower shortages resulting from men being assigned to combat roles.

The Service was established in April 1941 when the Royal Australian Navy enrolled 14 girls at HMAS Harman Wireless Telegraphy station, near Canberra. Two girls were stewards, and 12 trained as telegraphists. At the time, the formation of this civilian unit was not publicised, but this changed when the War in the Pacific was perceived as a growing threat to Australia.

On 1st October 1942 the WRANS were sworn in as enlisted personnel in the Royal Australian Navy, and in February 1943 their numbers were increased to 1,000. By the end of the war, their numbers had increased to over 2,500.

WRANS performed a variety of duties, working as telegraphists, coders and clerks; but also as drivers, education officers, mechanics, harbour messengers, cooks and sickberth attendants. Some WRANS worked for the Allied Intelligence Bureau, the Censorship Office, and the Allied Translation Section of U.S. General Douglas MacArthur's Order of Battle unit.

The Service was disbanded in 1948, but due to manpower shortages it was re-formed in 1951 and later incorporated as a non-combatant (and thus non-seagoing) part of the permanent naval forces by 1959.

Women were permitted to serve aboard Australian naval ships in 1983. Subsequently, WRANS personnel were fully integrated into the Royal Australian Navy, and in 1984 the Women's Royal Australian Naval Service was again disbanded.