Betty Sibthorp Findlay to her mother and great aunt

The extracts are taken from the many personal letters written by my mother to her mother and great aunt during World War II. They were left to me on my mother’s death in 2001.

My mother – Betty Sibthorp Findlay – joined the WAAF in 1942. Her nickname was ‘Johnny’.

Service No. 2063706 79 NZ Sqdn./149 Sqdn.

Called-up 7 January 1942
Joined 31 March 1942
ACW1 1 September 1942
LACW 1 February 1943
Cpl. 20 November 1943
A/Sgt. 15 May 1946
F/Sgt. 23 April 1946

Between 1942 and 1944 she was based at No. 12 OTU 92 Group Bomber Command, Chipping Warden, Oxfordshire .

In December 1944 she was posted overseas, first to Ceylon and then to Singapore.
Her service record is as follows:

– 111 Sqdn. Indian Ocean 1944-45. Cpl.
Colombo, Celyon

– HQ ACSEA Kandy, Celyon
PA to WAAF Chief Staff Officer

– HQ ACSEA Tanglin, Singapore 1945. Cpl.
on Mountbatten’s Staff

– HQ ACSEA RAF Changi, Singapore 1945-47 Sgt.
Whilst in Singapore married Sgt. John J Duignan, RAF

Her final posting was to RAF Hanover in 1947.

Transcript © Elizabeth Sibthorp Duignan (2001)

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