AWAS on Rottnest - W45321 PEARS (married PENISTAN)
Documentation relating to the AWAS service of W45321 Sergeant Isabella Edna Penistan (nee Pears) of West Perth, born Kensington Road, Southport, Lancashire, England
Details
Details
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
Geotag
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Nearest geotagged records:
- World War 1, Australia, Western Australia, 124 MURRAY, 10 Light Horse (23.67km away)
- World War 1, Europe England Liverpool, Boyd, 1919 (26.25km away)
- World War 1, Europe, England, Liverpool, KITCHENER, 1914 (26.36km away)
- AWAS on Rottnest - WF96310 HADDRILL (26.84km away)
- World War 1, Middle East, CLARKE, 3 Australian General Hospital, 1916 (48.23km away)
- World War 1, Australia, Western Australia, 945 EATON, 10 Light Horse (49.47km away)
- World War 1, Middle East, Palestine, 10 Light Horse, 1106 MAWDSLEY, 1917 (50.91km away)
- AWAS on Rottnest - W45548 HARMAN (52.9km away)
- World War 1, Australia, Western Australia, 3530 CARTER, 10 Light Horse (58.73km away)
- World War 1, Australia, Western Australia, 86 RESHAW, 10 Light Horse (81.87km away)
View all geotagged records »
Australian Army Museum of Western Australia
Australian Army Museum of Western Australia
Other items from Australian Army Museum of Western Australia
- AWAS on Rottnest - WF96592 WEST (nee MOURITZ)
- AWAS on Rottnest - WF90726 MURRAY
- AWAS on Rottnest - WF96364 NAIRN
- AWAS on Rottnest - WF38000 NEWTON
- AWAS on Rottnest - WF90136 NOACK (married NEWMAN)
- AWAS on Rottnest - WF93345 CHISHOLM (nee PALMER)
- AWAS on Rottnest - WF94348 DAWSON (nee PATRICK)
- AWAS on Rottnest - WF56633 PARSONS
- AWAS on Rottnest - WF54200 POPE
- AWAS on Rottnest - WF96184 QUILL
- AWAS on Rottnest - WF94513 RANNARD
- AWAS on Rottnest - W45652 RICE