Wing Commander Linda Corbould

Wing Commander Linda Mary Corbould OAM was the first woman to command a RAAF squadron and who faced a variety of discrimination regarding her gender, most notably when she attempted to become a pilot in 1981, moreover, the position of pilot was barred from women and Wing Commander Corbould stated that recruitment officers “pretty much laughed at me” when she told them about her ambition and reluctantly became an air traffic controller instead until the position of pilot opened up to women in 1990.

Wing Commander Corbould served most in Iraq in 2003 as commander of 36 squadron and wracked up over 15 years experience as a C-130 pilot as well as being awarded the medal of the order of Australia for her contributions in 2003.

Submitted by Dayna Scott