AWAS on Rottnest - WF94362 DICK (married HOLMES)
Documentation relating to the AWAS service of WF94362 Private Olive Ethel Holmes (nee Dick) from Bayswater
In preparation
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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, 2261 WYLDE, 10 Light Horse (0.02km away)
- AWAS on Rottnest - WF96664 NEVIN (married CAMPBELL) (0.05km away)
- World War 1, Australia, Western Australia, SCOTT, 10 Light Horse (0.4km away)
- World War 1, Europe, 2648, 3865 and 3866 FAIRS, 1917 (1.52km away)
- World War 1, Europe, 2648 FAIRS, 51 Battalion, 1916 (1.56km away)
- World War 2, Middle East, 10 (Aust) CRE, WX8385 PARLOR, 1942 (1.77km away)
- World War 1, Australia, Western Australia, 64281 SMEED, 10 Light Horse (2.04km away)
- World War 1, Australia Western Australia, 6257 EGAN, 16 Battalion, 1916 (2.11km away)
- World War 1, Western Australia, ROBINSON, 12 Battalion, 1916 (2.13km away)
- World War 1, Australia, Western Australia, 1125 MILES, 10 Light Horse (2.3km 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 - WF96591 BARRETT
- AWAS on Rottnest - WF53469 EVANS (married McKENZIE)
- AWAS on Rottnest - 4WF5980 FANCOTE (married COX)
- AWAS on Rottnest - WF95158 FENNELL (married LEE)
- AWAS on Rottnest - WF53098 FOWLER (married BARRETT)
- AWAS on Rottnest - W45486 GILLAM (nee SCOTT-MALCOLM)
- AWAS on Rottnest - WF90109 GOYDER (married NOWLAND)
- AWAS on Rottnest - W45548 HARMAN
- AWAS on Rottnest - WF3032 HARRISON (married LINAKER)
- AWAS on Rottnest - W28545 HICKS (married TANNER)
- AWAS on Rottnest - WF96144 HOBBY (married MITCHELL)
- AWAS on Rottnest - WF94550 HUGHAN (married CHESTER) (nee JONES)