Gwynne-Vaughan became Commandant of the newly formed Women's Royal Air Force, leading it until its disbandment.
In September 1918, Helen Gwynne-Vaughan was appointed Commandant of the newly formed Women's Royal Air Force (WRAF), one of the very first women's services associated with Britain's fledgling air force, which itself had only been established earlier that year through the merger of the Royal Flying Corps and Royal Naval Air Service.
Her appointment came at a critical juncture: the WRAF had been established to provide administrative, technical, and support functions for the Royal Air Force, but the organization initially suffered from disorganization and low morale under previous leadership. Gwynne-Vaughan was brought in specifically to restructure and professionalize the force, drawing on the organizational expertise she had developed while leading WAAC operations overseas.
Under her command, the WRAF's discipline, training standards, and administrative systems were substantially overhauled. She worked to instill a sense of purpose and professional pride among the servicewomen, many of whom faced skepticism from male colleagues and the broader public about women's suitability for roles connected to military aviation.
Gwynne-Vaughan's leadership of the WRAF represented a continuation of her pioneering role in establishing women's military service as a legitimate and valuable component of Britain's armed forces, building directly on the precedents she had helped set with the WAAC. Her tenure would last until the WRAF's disbandment at the end of 1919, following the conclusion of the war.