Dame Helen Charlotte Isabella Gwynne-Vaughan, GBE (née Fraser; 21 January 1879 – 26 August 1967) was a prominent English botanist and mycologist. During the First World War, she served in the Women's Army Auxiliary Corps and then as Commandant of the Women's Royal Air Force (WRAF) from 1918 to 1919.

Helen Gwynne-Vaughan was a formidable leader and inspirational speaker. She laid the foundations and set the standards for all women’s air services. During the First World War, Helen Gwynne-Vaughan was invited by the War Office, along with Mrs Chalmers Watson, to help form the Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps (WAAC).

Dame Helen Gwynne-Vaughan was a prominent English botanist and is recognised for her significant contributions to military and public service. She is commemorated with a blue plaque at Flat 93, Bedford Court Mansions in Bloomsbury – her London home for almost 50 years.

Following her degree, Helen Gwynne-Vaughan (née Fraser; 1879–1967) (Botany, 1904) continued her research into mycology (the study of fungi) and in 1909, at the age of thirty, was appointed head of the botany department at Birkbeck College, University of London.

British botanist and college professor Dame Helen Gwynne-Vaughan combined an academic career with distinguished military service in two wars. Receiving her degree in botany in 1904, Gwynne-Vaughan taught at various London colleges while studying for her doctorate, which she received in 1907.

At various stages in her life, Gwynne-Vaughan played contrasting roles. Originally a wealthy aristocrat, during the First World War she headed the Women’s Auxiliary Army Corps (WAAC) in France, but she spent most of her career as a university academic renowned for …

A detailed biography of Helen Gwynne-Vaughan that includes includes images, quotations and the main facts of her life. Key Stage 3. GCSE British History. A-level. Last updated 21st January 2023

In September, 1918, Gwynne-Vaughan, who had gained a reputation as an efficient administrator in the WAAC, was asked by Sir William Weir, Secretary of State for Air, to take charge of the WRAF. Gwynne-Vaughan was a great success as commander of the Women's Royal Air Force.

Prominent botanist and mycologist (fungi). Leader of the first women's army corps. Dame Helen Charlotte Isabella Gwynne-Vaughan, GBE During WW1 she served in the Women's Army Auxiliary Corps and then as Commandant of the Women's Royal Air Force (WRAF) 1918-19.

Mar 18, 2012 · Helen Gwynne-Vaughan represented the flower of the New Woman–gently-bred, but very well educated–and further established herself as one of the many heroines of WWI. Before the war, Gwynne-Vaughan made her mark as a botanist and mycologist, earning her Doctor of Science in 1907 at the age of twenty-eight.