Second World War: Meet the WAAF

Title

Second World War: Meet the WAAF

Suitable for

Primary 5–7

Dates

2 and 3 May 2023 (11:30 and 13:30)

Times

11:30–11:55, 13:30–13:55

Length

25 mins

Cost

Sessions are free of charge and are available to UK-based schools only.

By the end of the session, we will have

understood how WAAF dressed and what their lives were like during the Second World War.

Description

Your pupils will discover how RAF East Fortune, now the site of the National Museum of Flight, was part of a network of defences for the east coast of Scotland through contemporary and modern photographs.

Our costumed interpreter will show your pupils how a member of the Women's Auxialiary Air Force would have dressed and discuss how they might have felt.  From uniforms that might have made them feel proud to sheepskin jackets that kept them warm and helped them to be rescued, your pupils will study real and replica clothing.

This session also includes a number of items issued to pilots to help them escape if they were shot down over enemy territory, including escape boots that transformed into a civilian shoes, maps printed on silk that could be hidden in their braces, and a compass so small it would fit inside a button.

Curriculum links

I can use primary and secondary sources selectively to research events in the past.
SOC 2-01a

I can investigate a Scottish historical theme to discover how past events or the actions of individuals or groups have shaped Scottish society.
SOC 2-03a

I can compare and contrast a society in the past with my own and contribute to a discussion of the similarities and differences.
SOC 2-04a