Norma Bennett Military Uniform
This week at the Heritage Museum we accessioned a Military jacket and skirt worn by Norma Bennett during her service in World War Two. The buttons on her uniform represent Wings Over Alberta. The uniforms for the Royal Canadian Air Force Division were controversial, with many considering the first caps to be unattractive. The first summer uniform, which was a blue dress with grey stockings were also unpopular, resulting the Air Force HQ to change the uniforms into the one we accessioned. Norma Nelson Bennett was born in Wetaskiwin on April 27, 1912 to Fred and Emma Nelson. She skipped two grades and graduated high school at the age of 15, beginning her teaching career at the age of 17. She would marry Bill Bennett on September 10 1939, the day Canada declared war on Germany. Norma and Bill would not see each other again for five and a half years. In 1941 Norma Bennett enlisted in the Edmonton branch of the Airforce. She would be transferred to the Code and Cypher School located in Guelph Ontario, graduating as a Sargent. She decided to remain there as a instructor until being posted to No.9 Bombing and Gunnery school in Mont Joli, Quebec. Eventually she was called to Ottawa, along with three other women, to take charge of the code and Cypher office at the Air Force headquarters where she would receive a commission as a section officer. Once Bill returned from over seas in 1945, Norma was discharged. Many of Norma’s items can be viewed in our war exhibit here at the museum.