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Photograph of WAAFs refuelling a Hurricane (Catalogue reference: INF 2/42/93)

This is a brief guide to researching records of the Women's Royal Air Force, also known as the Women's Auxiliary Air Force.

While some relevant documents are available online, the majority of records are held by the Ministry of Defence.

  • What do I need to know before I start?

    • Try to find out:

      • the name and rank of the person
      • a date range to help focus the search

  • What records can I find at The National Archives at Kew?

    • There are no significant collections of Women's Royal Air Force records available at The National Archives which are not also available online.

  • What records can I find in other archives and organisations?

    • Service records (1939-present)

      Visit the Veterans UK website for information about how to request a summary of a service record from the Ministry of Defence. These are not available to members of the general public, but next of kin may request access to them.

  • The National Archives is not responsible for the content of external websites.

Related guides

Did you know?

The Women's Royal Air Force was formed in 1918 though records of its predecessors go back to 1914.

The Women's Royal Air Force was disbanded in 1920 and then reformed in 1939 as the Women's Auxiliary Air Force. It reverted to its original name in 1949. The Women's Royal Air Force officially merged with the Royal Air Force in 1994.

No First World War service records for Women's Royal Air Force officers are known to survive.

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