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AWAS on Rottnest - WF90934 WOOLLANDS (married HOLDSWORTH)

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Subcollections

Australian Women's Army Service on Rottnest

Overview

Documentation relating to the AWAS service of WF90934 Marjorie Iris Woollands of Wembley (married name Holdsworth), born Shenton Park

Historical information

Marjorie was born on 6 May 1923 in Shenton Park WA. Her parents were Arthur John Woollands and Ethel Brind. Arthur was a pipe fitter according to the 1925 Electoral Roll and at that time he and Ethel were living 48 Smyth Road in West Subiaco WA. There were three other siblings after Marjorie who was the oldest, Doris, Bernard and Arthur. Sadly, Ethel died when Marjorie was only 14. A short article on her funeral states that Arthur was foreman of the Water Supply Department in Leederville. Arthur did not remarry so it is likely Marjorie became mum to her siblings. Perhaps enlisting in AWAS would be an adventure for her!

When Marjorie enlisted during WW2 she was working as a cook. Letters in her service record suggest she was on Rottnest Island but could not confirm or deny as the Department of Veteran’s Affairs state that postings were often inter-unit and therefore not recorded on a service record. She was with both 55 and 66 searchlight Batteries during 1943-44 and may well have been transferred to Rottnest during that time. Her trade classification was storewoman. She was posted to Victoria in July 1945 and remained there until returning to WA for her discharge in March 1946.

In 1948 she married Ronald George Holdsworth. In 1954 they were living in Trayning and Ronald was a shop assistant.

Details

Registration number

cwa-org-32-54-024

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

-31.958966050253, 115.81350341434

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Links to additional resources

DVA Nominal Roll

Service Records

Australian Army Museum of Western Australia

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