Shown above, in front of the Manitoba Legislative Building, are three members of the Women’s Division of the Royal Canadian Air Force. They are Airwomen Elsie Flynn of St. John’s, Newfoundland, Ricky Swedesky of Vancouver, and Dorothy Kidd of Winnipeg. They were all stationed at the No. 8 Repair Depot, Stevenson Field, Manitoba.

Elsie served as a cook in the sergeants’ mess. Ricky was a fabric worker, and repaired the skin covering the airframe of training aircraft. She also packed parachutes. Dorothy was en equipment assistant.

The photo appeared on the cover of the November 1944 issue of Manitoba Calling, the program guide for CKY Winnipeg, pointed out that the Women’s Division slogan was, “they serve that men may fly.” The appearance of women in the air force meant that men were freed up from various ground duties and moved to air training. The magazine pointed out that the Women’s Division included not only girls from every corner of Canada, but also from the United States, Newfoundland, and the West Indies.

Shown at left are Airwomen Olive Carlson of Nanaimo, B.C., Joyce Urie of Windsor, Ont., and “Petie” Houston of Hamilton, Ont. They are at the controls of radiotelephone equipment and tasked with maintaining contact between the ground and Canadian aircraft aloft.