AWAS on Rottnest - WF94300 DEASON (married COGHLAN)
Documentation relating to the AWAS service of WF94300 Gunner Mavis Pauline Coghlan (nee Deason) of Kalgoorlei, born Fremantle
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
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Nearest geotagged records:
- Bessie McCallum on Hannans Street, Kalgoorlie, 1917. (0.32km away)
- World War 1, Europe, 1917 (0.35km away)
- World War 1, Australia, Western Australia, 2047 MARSHALL, 10 Light Horse (0.48km away)
- AWAS on Rottnest - WF45293 HOWLETT (married KERNICK) (0.56km away)
- World War 1, Europe, SPARKS, 1917 (0.62km away)
- World War 1, Australia, Western Australia, 885 ONSLOW, 10 Light Horse (0.84km away)
- World War 1, Australia, Western Australia, 1992 ANGLESEY, 10 Light Horse (0.89km away)
- Locomotive at the Kalgoorlie Train Station (0.93km away)
- AWAS on Rottnest - WF53064 MILLEN (0.98km away)
- World War 1, Europe, MCDONALD, 11 Battalion, 1917 (1.02km away)
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Australian Army Museum of Western Australia
Australian Army Museum of Western Australia
Other items from Australian Army Museum of Western Australia
- AWAS on Rottnest - WF94071 DODSON
- AWAS on Rottnest - WF96317 DOHERTY (married KING)
- AWAS on Rottnest - WF94987 DRAPER (married DUBBELING)
- AWAS on Rottnest - WF94558 EATON
- AWAS on Rottnest - WF96311 EDWARDS
- AWAS on Rottnest - WF94821 Edwards
- AWAS on Rottnest - WF96318 ELLINGHAM
- AWAS on Rottnest - WF90099 ELLIOT
- AWAS on Rottnest - WF53378 FEWINGS (married McMAHON)
- AWAS on Rottnest - W45701 FRANKLIN
- AWAS on Rottnest - WF90987 GREEN (married WELLS)
- AWAS on Rottnest - WF96310 HADDRILL