Australian Army Museum of Western Australia > Records

AWAS on Rottnest - WF53208 WINFIELD (married OSBORNE)

« Prev Item Next Item »

Subcollections

Australian Women's Army Service on Rottnest

Overview

Documentation relating to the AWAS service of WF53208 Gunner Mabel Mary Winfield of Mosman Park, born Cottesloe

Historical information

Mabel was born 2 April 1925 in Cottesloe WA. Her parents were Edward Winfield and Mabel Louise Rogerson. They married in Cottesloe in 1915.

She married Alan Bidwell in 1946 in Perth. He was on Rottnest during the war at the same time as Mabel, so it is likely they met there. They were divorced in 1952 and Mabel married Mervyn C Osborne the same year.

Details

Registration number

cwa-org-32-54-084

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.

Geotag

-32.015150894889, 115.76638730614

Open in Google Maps

Nearest geotagged records:

View all geotagged records »

Links to additional resources

DVA Nominal Roll

Service Records

Australian Army Museum of Western Australia

Organisation Details
View Collection
Item Feedback