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AWAS on Rottnest - WF15715 ASHCROFT (married HUNT)
Subcollections
Overview
Documentation relating to the AWAS service of WF15715 Private Patricia Mary Ashcroft of Donnybrook
Historical information
Preliminary Biography. Patricia Mary Ashcroft was born in Donnybrook on 4 April 1924. Before enlisting in Perth on 23 October 1943, she was engaged in home duties. She served at various locations in Fremantle Fixed Defences t including 7 Heavy battery until released on 21 May 1946.
Details
Details
Registration number
cwa-org-32-54-014
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
-33.576394350325, 115.82578076902
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Nearest geotagged records:
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Nearest geotagged records:
- World War 1, Australia Western Australia Donnybrook, 2008 (0.03km away)
- World War 1, Australia Western Australia Donnybrook, 2008 (0.03km away)
- World War 1, Middle East, 10 Australian Light Horse, 484 SYKES, 1915 (0.3km away)
- Homestead, Donnybrook, for C.A. Lawrence, Esq. (0.42km away)
- AWAS on Rottnest - WF96627 HICKMAN (0.47km away)
- AWAS on Rottnest - WF90410 WORMALD (0.52km away)
- World War 1, Australia, Western Australia, 57191 CLIFTON, 10 Light Horse (13.59km away)
- Temporary Bar Boyanup Hotel (13.75km away)
- Railway Hotel Boyanup (13.75km away)
- World War 1, Australia, Western Australia, 892 SCOTT, 10 Light Horse (13.83km 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
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AWAS on Rottnest - W45479 BYERS
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AWAS on Rottnest - WF96177 COLLING (married PORRITT)
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AWAS on Rottnest - W45288 FORSYTH (married CHAPPELL)
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AWAS on Rottnest - W45349 PITTS (married NEWBY)
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AWAS on Rottnest - WF91277 PLATEN
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AWAS on Rottnest - WF94473 McNAUGHTON (nee REID)
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AWAS on Rottnest - WF2918 WATERS
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AWAS on Rottnest - WF90185 WHITE (married WILKINSON)
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AWAS on Rottnest - WF95151 BASTOW
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AWAS on Rottnest - WF90934 WOOLLANDS (married HOLDSWORTH)
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AWAS on Rottnest - WF96892 LLORENS (married BROWNE)
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AWAS on Rottnest - WF45905 BROWNING
