AWAS on Rottnest - WF94866 JONES OM
1943Documentation relating to the AWAS service of WF94866 Gunner Olive May Jones of Dowerin
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:
- World War 1, Australia, Western Australia, 2808 LAWRENCE, 10 Light Horse (0.02km away)
- Photo of the inauguration of the War Memorial Dowerin. (0.03km away)
- Photo of Stewart Street Dowerin in the 1930s. (0.17km away)
- World War 1, Australia Western Australia,865 FREARSON, 44 Battalion, 1916 (0.26km away)
- World War 1, Australia, Western Australia, 3659 HARRIS, 10 Light Horse (21.45km away)
- World War 1, Australia, Western Australia, 2458 BARR, 10 Light Horse (21.53km away)
- World War 1, Australia, Western Australia, 2794 LOCKYER, 10 Light Horse (22.19km away)
- World War 1, Australia, Western Australia, EVANS, 10 Light Horse (22.31km away)
- AWAS on Rottnest - W45267 BIRT (nee ACKLAND) (22.31km away)
- World War 1, Australia, Western Australia, 3961 SLATER, 10 Light Horse (22.33km away)
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Australian Army Museum of Western Australia
Australian Army Museum of Western Australia
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- AWAS on Rottnest - WF53744 LILLYWHITE
- AWAS on Rottnest - WF96655 LINDLEY (married SPRAGG)
- AWAS on Rottnest - WF94861 LOUDON
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- AWAS on Rottnest - W45834 LIMPUS (married MANNING)
- AWAS on Rottnest - WF90739 MASSINGHAM
- AWAS on Rottnest - WF90083 McALLAN