Women's National Emergency Legion

Women's National Emergency Legion
A member of the Women's National Emergency Legion Horse Transport unit in Brisbane during September 1939
Active	1938–1947?
Country	Australia
Type	Paramilitary auxiliary and training organisation
Patron	Enid Lyons
Commanders
Notable commanders	Helen Ryan

The Women's National Emergency Legion (WNEL) was an Australian female auxiliary and training organisation of the World War II-era that was based in Brisbane. It was established in 1938 and provided volunteers with training in first aid and other skills which were seen as being relevant to Australia's war effort. Following the outbreak of the Pacific War members of the organisation were attached to the US military units in Australia as transport drivers and clerks. They also undertook mine watching and other tasks. The organisation ceased to exist in or about 1947.

The WNEL was formed in September 1938 at a meeting in Brisbane chaired by Helen Ryan, who continued as the organisation's leader during the war. At this meeting it was agreed that the WNEL would consist of a number of groups which would provide women with training in first aid, truck driving and other fields. The WNEL was not part of the Australian military, but cooperated with the Department of Defence. In January 1939 the Sydney Morning Herald reported that the WNEL accepted only women of British ancestry as members. At this time Dame Enid Lyons was the patron of the Legion and its advisory committee included the Premier of Queensland, Forgan Smith, and the Lord Mayor of Brisbane, Alfred James Jones. The WNEL was also affiliated with the National Council of Women.

In March 1939 Ryan claimed that 1000 women were taking part in weekly training sessions run by the Legion. At this time the WNEL's first aid and home nursing unit had been divided into six sections and its transport unit was organised into several companies. The Legion adopted a system of military ranks under which new recruits were designated privates, members in charge of a training function were lieutenants and the woman in charge of a branch had the title of 'commandant'. From January 1939 the WNEL included an air wing which provided training in aircraft maintenance at Archerfield Aerodrome. This wing was led by Mary Bell, who was among Australia's first female pilots as well as the first Australian woman to qualify as a ground engineer. During July, Bell and the other members of the air wing left the Legion as they believed that the organisation would not help them to meet their objective to serve as aircraft maintainers during wartime; on the 17th of the month they formed the Women's Air Training Corps (WATC), and elected Bell its commander.