Australian Army Museum of Western Australia > Records

AWAS on Rottnest - WF96363 BENPORATH (nee HENNIG)

1942
Subcollections
Australian Women's Army Service on Rottnest
Overview

Documentation relating to the AWAS service of WF96363 Lance Bombardier Dorothy Mary (Dot) Benporath (nee Hennig) from Wickepin, born Narrogin

Historical information

Dot Hennig was born on 12 June 1920 in Narrogin WA. Her attestation states she was then employed as a barmaid. Dot’s service record shows that she enlisted on 6 September 1942 in Claremont WA and she was transferred to Rottnest Heavy Artillery Fremantle Fortress D on 30 September 1942.
By 30 January 1943 she had become a Classified Instrument Operator TG2.
In February 1944 she ceased being an Instrument Operator ‘at own Request’ and on 1 May 1944 was appointed a Lance Bombardier. On 15 September 1944 she was married to Brian Clement Benporath. At the time she was still in the AWAS and Brian was also in the Army (SN WX33422). In November that year Dot was promoted to A/Bombardier and in February 1945 she was discharged.
York Chronicle 26 May 1944 relates L/Bdr Dot Henning (sic) spent last weekend at Quairading with her sister Mrs Laurel Jago. And Lieut Brian Benporath from Rottnest visited Quairading last weekend and was in residence at the hotel.

Details

Details

Registration number
cwa-org-32-54-001
Contextual Information

The Australian Women’s Army Service (AWAS) was formed in late 1941, two years after the outbreak of World War 2. Australian women had been agitating for some time for the chance to join the War Effort. They wanted to do “real work, not knit sock for the men.” The primary aim of AWAS was to release men from some military duties so they could be deployed in fighting units.

Initial recruitment was for duties associated with “women’s work”, clerks, cooks and typists, still being done my male soldiers. Beginning in early 1942 as invading Japanese swept through the South West Pacific towards Australia, many more military trades were opened to women including signals, weapons plotting, drivers, which involved close contact with the coast defence systems on Rottnest.

This collection brings together the stories of women in the Australian Women’s Army Service who were deployed on Rottnest Island as part of the defences of Fortress Fremantle from 30 September 1942 onward. The content is based on a “Saluting Their Service” exhibition developed by the Rottnest Voluntary Guides on the 80th Anniversary of this deployment. The exhibition was presented at Kingstown Barracks, Rottnest Island from 8-9 October 2022 and at the Australian Army Museum of Western Australia from 9 – 17 November 2022.

Year
1942
Geotag
-32.930669926224, 117.17937949131

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Australian Army Museum of Western Australia

Australian Army Museum of Western Australia

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BENPORATH
Benporath 1
Group photo of six Australian Women's Army Service in working dress. Left to right- unknown; Ricky BOOTH; Dot BENPORATH; unknown; unknown; Nancy DAVIES (nee THOMPSON)
DVA Nominal Roll

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