The many behind the few : the lives and emotions of Erks and WAAFs of RAF Bomber Command 1939-1945
This thesis examines the lives and emotions of male and female ground personnel who served in Bomber Command during the Second World War. Histories of Bomber Command usually focus on the flyers, or on the strategy of the bombing campaign. The experiences of four fifths of the service, the ground personnel, are often neglected. They are frequently reduced to two dimensional stereotypes, as the âErkâ who serviced the aircraft, or the WAAF âchop girlâ whose sexual promiscuity presaged death. The RAF assigned personnel to different trades ranging from the most technical to the most mundane. The central theme of this thesis is the gendered hierarchy of trades within Bomber Command. It was constructed in part by widespread beliefs about fear, heroism and stoicism, the interconnected discourses of class and gender, and specific quirks of RAF culture. These included its trade selection process, dialect, pay scale, and tradesâ perceived importance to the raison dâĂȘtre of Bomber Command. The hierarchy is important in explaining the experiences of ground personnel, as some personnel were overstretched while others felt that they were not âdoing their bit.â Bomber Command servicemen and women were part
Ellin, Dan
DA Great Britain
The many behind the few : the lives and emotions of Erks and WAAFs of RAF Bomber Command 1939-1945. This thesis examines the lives and emotions of male and female ground personnel who served in Bomber Command during the Second World War. Histories of Bomber Command usually focus on the flyers, or on the strategy of the bombing campaign. The experiences of four fifths of the service, the ground personnel, are often neglected. They are frequently reduced to two dimensional stereotypes, as the âErkâ who serviced the aircraft, or the WAAF âchop girlâ whose sexual promiscuity presaged death. The RAF assigned personnel to different trades ranging from the most technical to the most mundane. The central theme of this thesis is the gendered hierarchy of trades within Bomber Command. It was constructed in part by widespread beliefs about fear, heroism and stoicism, the interconnected discourses of class and gender, and specific quirks of RAF culture. These included its trade selection process, dialect, pay scale, and tradesâ perceived importance to the raison dâĂȘtre of Bomber Command. The hierarchy is important in explaining the experiences of ground personnel, as some personnel were overstretched while others felt that they were not âdoing their bit.â Bomber Command servicemen and women were part
many behind life emotion raf command examines life emotion male_female ground personnel serve command second_world_war histories command usually focus strategy bomb campaign experience service ground personnel often_neglect frequently reduce two_dimensional stereotype service aircraft girl whose sexual presage death raf assign personnel different trade range technical mundane central_theme gendered hierarchy trade within command construct part widespread belief fear heroism stoicism interconnected discourse class_gender specific raf culture include trade selection process dialect pay scale trade perceive importance raison command hierarchy important explain experience ground personnel personnel others felt bit command serviceman woman part