Finding out about Women Dispatch Riders

[Sandra Parker]

I am seeking information about women Dispatch Riders in WW2. The initial group, 7 volunteers from the AFS and 8 from the RAF began their training in 1941. I know this from an article in 'Motor Cycle' in 1941, of which I managed to get a copy. I have a service record from the Auxilliary Fire Service, but this was prior to the change to the London Fire Service, those service records for my dispatch rider are not available/no longer exist (this is from the London Fire Service Archives).
I did find a single short article from one of the AFS riders, telling a little of their life and training. But I am really interested in any records, details of dates, duration and places of training, location of the unit, conditions of service, regulations affecting marriage and/or pregnancy and how long women dispatch riders were utilised throughout the period 1941-45. Did they cease to ride when they were pregnant? Did they return to riding after having a child?
As BG forum folk seem to be able to make a big dent in any brickwall, even if they are not able to demolish it completely, I'm hoping for a few clues on this one.

Sandra whose unspectacled aura has run out of ideas on where to look now.

[keith9351]

Sandra

This my be of interest just add www.

bbc.co.uk/ww2peopleswar/stories/08/a2356508.shtml

Keith

[Sandra Parker]

I did find a single short article from one of the AFS riders, telling a little of their life and training.
Sandra

Snap, Keith. That's the one bit I did know about. However, I really appreciate your reply. It's the reason that this is such a valuable forum, people add any snippet they can and it all helps sort out brickwalls.
Sandra

[Kerrywood]

I've moved this thread to the WW2 forum.

[Geoffers]

For WREN despatch riders you might have a look at

www.
seayourhistory.org.uk/content/view/133/221/1/1/

also this pdf file

www.
seayourhistory.org.uk/index2.php?option=com_content&do_pdf=1&id=133

Try a search engine to look for 'despatch riders' as well as 'dispatch riders'

TNA has these files for dispatch riders and thse files for despatch riders

A photo here
www.
fotolibra.com/gallery/424032/our-wonderful-women-ww2/like/

There is a short personal story included in here
www.
wartimememoriesproject.com/ww2/allied/ats.php

You might try the 'Naval and Military Press' which sells a large number of books on a wide range of military topics, you might be lucky.

[Sandra Parker]

Thanks Geoffers. Unfortunately although there appears to be quite a bit about the RN (I put RAF by mistake in my original posting) Dispatch Riders, there is very little available about the original Auxilliary Fire Service (AFS) Dispatch Riders from late1941/early 1942, later to become the National Fire Service (NFS). And this is the group I'm after. Even the pictures of the Fire Service Dispatch Riders is of the later groups when they had definite uniforms and machines rather than somewhat cobbled together arrangements of the earliest group. The RN women riders had uniforms and standard motorbikes from the start.
The original group appeared in an article in the Motor Cycling Magazine March 5th 1942 (I have a copy)
Sandra