South African Women's Auxiliary Service

Founding and early history

The South African Women's Auxiliary Service, aka SAWAS was a civilian women's volunteer organization which existed during the Second World War to assist in the war effort by maintaining the morale of all servicemen and women. They also took care of the welfare of families whose breadwinners were away on active service.

Current status

The organisation was disbanded after the war in 1946.

Impact on SA theatre, film, media and/or performance

The Entertainment Section of the SAWAS at Pretoria had an arduous job as the number of military camps increased. This increase meant more and more work. The Section-Leader in Pretoria was Mrs D E Malan who was in charge of arranging the entertainment of all units in the various camps. She was assisted by a committee of enthusiastic women who were full of bright ideas for concerts and fundraising efforts to pay expenses. The section started in a small way with only an occasional concert, but it grew into a large organization. At least three concerts took place every week.

Two members of the section "got together" to stage their own concert parties and were always ready at a moment's notice to travel to a camp to stage a performance. The section worked in conjunction with the YMCA and arranged two concerts every month in both the YMCA “Hut,” an impressive building with a magnificent recreation hall, a curtained stage, a reading room, small shop and a canteen, in Pretoria and at the Premier Mine camp. This entailed extremely hard work for both performers and organizers, all of whom gave their services voluntarily.

One of their main expenses was transport as members were expected to provide their own transport and in many cases bear the expenses. Costumes and stage props, which had to be kept bright, fresh, and up to date, also had to be paid for by the volunteers.

A large amount of money was initially raised at a variety concert held in the Pretoria City Hall, but this was soon used up and efforts were made to devise a plan to raise more cash. Mrs Malan was constantly in touch with commanding officers at the various camps and was inundated with requests for concerts. A great deal of her time was spent visiting camps and examining the halls and stages where concerts were scheduled to be held. Lighting arrangements had to be tested and also the durability of the stages, for on occasions they had to stand a good deal of weight and hard usage. A great deal of time was spent reviewing and editing programmes and on some occasions, additional pieces added.

The artists and organisers alike found their work very rewarding and their efforts were invariably met with requests for more. At the end of the performances, the rounds of applause testified to audiences’ appreciation. Concerts were also held at the camps at the Premier Mine, the Engineers, the Medical, the Infantry Training, the 6th Brigade, and the 1st Brigade at Sonderwater. Waterkloof Air Station also had concerts. At first, the section found it very difficult to arrange entertainments in the town hall in Roberts Heights, as it lacked basic equipment such as curtains and seating.

This unit was later incorporated into the Union Defence Force Entertainment Unit.

Sources

The Women's Auxiliary magazine, No 4, December 1940.

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