Mary Teston Luis Bell

Mary Teston Luis Bell (3 December 1903 – 6 February 1979) was the leading founder of the Women’s Air Training Corps (WATC) and later went on to help found the Women’s Auxiliary Australian Air Force (WAAAF).

During my day job at the Australian War memorial I often skipped past the vintage film reel which detailed the information around this force, and to my great shame I may have skipped over such a key figure in Australian Aviation history. The WAAAF went on to have over 18,000 members before 1944 – how did such a key figure manage to be swept under the rug? Ms. Bell was critical in the formation of two organizations who ultimately became key to WW2 and allowed for women to truly flourish in the skies during wartime conflicts.

Ms. Bell was passed over for directorship in favor of Clare Stevenson (Perhaps another submission into the future!) and as a result resigned from the WAAAF but later returned on the stipulation that she held no rank higher than flight officer – this is due to the longstanding issues between Ms. Bell and Air Vice Marshall Henry Wrigley which resulted in her being passed over in favor of Clare Stevenson.

During 1944 – Ms. Bell was discharged from the WAAAF at her own request and moved to Tasmania with her husband where they lived and worked as farmers until death.

The importance that Ms. Bell had on allowing women a way into military service within the skies is highly important as she challenged her times standards and continued to fight for acceptance even after being passed over as a woman who was “tangled up with the WATC and where she “waved the flag and obtained a great deal of publicity for herself”(Henry Wrigley) stated.

These obstacles never failed to daunt her and she continued to serve to commonwealth where ever she was.

Submitted by Dayna Scott