Women's Royal Army Corps

Women's Royal Army Corps
Women's Royal Army Corps
Active	1949–1992
Allegiance	Lass of Richmond Hill, Early One Morning; Slow: Greensleeves
Anniversaries	Corps Day (1 February)

The Women's Royal Army Corps (WRAC; sometimes pronounced acronymically as /ˈræk/, a term unpopular with its members) was the corps to which all women in the British Army belonged from 1949 to 1992 except medical, dental and veterinary officers and chaplains, who belonged to the same corps as the men; the Ulster Defence Regiment, which recruited women from 1973, and nurses, who belonged to Queen Alexandra's Royal Army Nursing Corps.

History

The WRAC was formed on 1 February 1949, by Army Order 6, as the successor to the Auxiliary Territorial Service (ATS) that had been founded in 1938.^[1] For much of its existence, its members performed administrative and other support tasks.^[1] In March 1952 the ranks of the WRAC, which had previously been Subaltern, Junior Commander, Senior Commander and Controller were harmonised with the rest of the British Army.^[2]

In 1974, two soldiers of the corps were killed by the

Provisional IRA in the Guildford pub bombings.^[3]

In October 1990 WRAC officers employed with other corps were transferred to those corps and in April 1992 the WRAC was disbanded and its remaining members transferred to the Corps they served with. Those who served with the

Army Legal Corps and the Staff Clerks from the Royal Army Ordnance Corps were transferred to the newly formed Adjutant General's Corps. The post of Director WRAC, which carried the rank of Brigadier, was also abolished and it was seven years before a woman, Brigadier Patricia Purves, again reached that rank.^[4]

Senior posts

The highest rank available to a serving officer was

Royal Family, held a higher honorary rank. Princess Mary held the post from 1949 to her death in 1965 (beginning as a major general and being promoted general on 23 November 1956) and the Duchess of Kent held it from 1967 to 1992 (with the rank of Major-General).^[1]

List of directors WRAC

Directors of the WRAC were:

Brigadier Dame Mary Tyrwhitt, 1949–1950
Brigadier Dame Mary Coulshed, 1950–1954
Brigadier Dame Mary Railton, 1954–1957
Brigadier Dame Mary Colvin, 1957–1961
Brigadier Dame Jean Rivett-Drake, 1961–1964
Brigadier Dame Joan Henderson, 1964– 25 August 1967^[5]
Brigadier Dame Mary Anderson, 1967–1970
Brigadier Sheila Heaney, 1970–1973
Brigadier Eileen Nolan, 1973–1977
Brigadier Anne Field, 1977–1982
Brigadier Helen Meechie, 1982–1986
Brigadier Shirley Nield, 1986–1989
Brigadier Gael Ramsey, 1989–1992
Brigadier Joan Roulstone, 1992–1994 (as Director Women (Army) during transitional period)^[6]

Band of the WRAC

The Staff Band of the Women's Royal Army Corps was an all female military band.

British Army bands. The instruments, assets and personnel of the former WRAC Band became the new Band of the Adjutant General's Corps

.

Reunion meetings

The WRAC organizes Reunion Meetings to promote solidarity among its former members.

References

^ ^a ^b ^c "A Brief History of the Queen Mary's Army Auxiliary Corps, Auxiliary Territorial Service and Women's Royal Army Corps". Women's Royal Army Corps Association. Archived from the original on 19 May 2014. Retrieved 18 May 2014.
^ "Army Titles in the WRAC", The Times, 20 March 1950
^ "Women's Royal Army Corps". Palace Barracks Memorial Garden. Retrieved 18 May 2014.
^ Graduate Careers: How I got here: Brig Patricia Purves 'I just happened to be good at my job,' The Independent, April 26, 2001
^ "No. 44395". The London Gazette (Supplement). 29 August 1967. p. 9486.
^ "No. 53001". The London Gazette (Supplement). 27 July 1992. p. 12670.
^ "The Staff Band of the Women's Royal Army Corps". Art UK. Retrieved 18 May 2014.
^ "WRAF Central Band - Regiment History, War & Military Records & Archives".