AS we celebrate International Women's Day, local historian Robyn Florance has provided profiles of seven local women who served during World War II.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
They are part of 123 local profiles Mrs Florance is producing for her next project, Shoalhaven Women in the War 1939-1945.
Of course among her man local history books is Shoalhaven Women Heroines of WWI which documents the efforts of the many thousands of South Coast women who made a big contribution to Australia's war effort without even leaving home.
Joyce Isabel Duncan
Joyce Isabel Duncan (service number NF446212) was born at Nowra November 12, 1919, the third daughter of Frederick Duncan and his wife Helen nee Fraser.
Joy had two elder sisters Gladys and Phyllis, and brother Alec all born at Tyrone, Moruya.
The family moved to the Shoalhaven district around 1919 buying a farm at Bolong, which was situated at the far end of Hanigan's Lane.
They were there for a few years until moving to Berry Street, Nowra where her father took over one of the first hire-cars in the district.
Joy's younger sisters Heather, Rae and Margaret and brother's James and Ian were all born at Nowra.
She attended Nowra Public School and was a member of the Nowra Brownie Troupe. When she joined in 1926, she was one of the youngest in the organisation.
She attended Nowra Intermediate High School and was a member of the school choir, taking singing lessons with Clarice Campbell at Nowra in 1936 and sang a duet with Owen Bishop at the recital by Miss Campbell's students in October 1936.
Joy was very close to her family, especially her younger sister Heather, with whom she had gone to Sydney in the late 1930s seeking work.
Joy found employment with an accounting firm.
A young lady of many talents who could sing very well, Joy also played a good game of hockey as centre half-forward.
Joy enlisted in the Australian Army at Paddington on December 29, 1942 and after recruit training was posted to the Royal Military College at Duntroon, ACT, as a clerk at administrative headquarters.
At the senior class graduation ball in June 1943 Joy sang 'I'm a Yankee Doodle Dandy'.
She was promoted to Corporal Clerk in July 1943 ands in January 1944 was promoted to Orderly Room Sergeant.
Read more: Meet the Shoalhaven River's first Pilot
It was at Duntroon that Joy met Campbell Percy West.
Cam West had been the youngest cadet, (aged 15) selected to go to Duntroon in 1936.
He graduated in 1939 and after various postings was posted to New Guinea in 1942; where for most of 1942 and 1943 he served with a Commando Force and then posted to Duntroon as an instructor in jungle tactics in April 1943.
After their first date in January 1944, Sgt Joyce Duncan and Captain C W West were married at St John's Church Canberra on May 20,1944 with a reception afterwards at the Duntroon officer's mess.
In August 1944 Joy was selected for officer training but by November that year she was pregnant and was discharged from the army on November 29, 1944.
Joy's discharge at the end of the war did not mean the end of her service with the army, as Cam stayed on in the army and for the next 30 years Joy continued to serve in various ways as the wife of a senior army officer.
In particular, Cam's appointments as an instructor at the Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst Kent, as Commander Northern Territory Command in Darwin and his appointment as Military Attaché to Vientiane, Laos during the Vietnam War.
After Laos Joy and Cam returned to Canberra until Cam retired in February 1976.
Joy West passed away in February 2003 aged 83, leaving a grieving son and a daughter, Jane, who was born in January 1953, and three grandchildren, Anthony, Kylie and Sarah and two great grand-children Maddy and Zoe born to daughter Kylie.
Ruth Ada Hills
Ruth Ada Hills (service number 92533) was born at Berry on May 22, 1923, a daughter of Edward and Elsie Hills.
According to her service record, Ruth was a stenographer with four years training, when she enlisted on October 9, 1941 in the W.A.A.F.
She was 18 and worked as a teleprinter operator at Bankstown before receiving a transfer to HQ Eastern Area and then to Bradfield Park on October 20, 1942.
She was then transferred to Brisbane where she was promoted to Lance Corporal on November 1, 1942.
In March 1943 she became engaged to a sergeant-pilot whom she had met through her work in Queensland.
She contracted dengue and was going home on sick leave when she was killed in a fatal air crash at Archerfield airfield on Saturday, March 27, 1943.
Read more: Newspapers have a long Nowra tradition
She was returning home in a C-47 Dakota when the accident occurred, and 23 personnel were killed.
Crowds stood in silence as the funeral cortege of 20 of the victims of the RAAF transport air crash wound its way down Adelaide Street among whom were three members of the WAAF.
They were Corporal Ruth Hills, Corporal Violet Gunning, and A/CW Florence Jackson.
All worked at the same Queensland wireless telegraphy station and were travelling from Brisbane to see their families. Two of them were engaged to be married.
Corporal Hills, who would have been aged 20 next May, was described by the officer in charge of the W.T. station as one of the best NCO's.
Colleagues of the girls from the WAAF were in the guard of honour formed outside the undertaker's premises as the flower covered coffins of the victims of the accident were carried out by RAAF men.
Relatives of seven of the victims were present, in addition to 100 members of the WAAF and 150 of the RAAF.
Her parents went to Brisbane for the funeral.
The coffins were placed side by side on four RAAF vehicles and covered with the Union Jack and the Australian flag.
At Lutwyche cemetery, RAAF members again acted as bearers.
The service was conducted by three Air Force padres - Anglican, Roman Catholic, and Methodist.
At its close, members of the W.A.A.F. placed wreaths on each of the 20 graves.
Maisie Alvina Kvarnstrom
Maisie Alvina James (nee Kvarnstrom - service number NF409628) was born at Waterfall NSW on May 5, 1915, the daughter of Gerald Kvarnstrom and Joan (nee Richards).
Her childhood days were spent in Illaroo Road, North Nowra with her sisters Annette, Win and Lexie.
She attended Nowra High School where she was a champion swimmer.
Maisie met her husband 'Digger' Harold Douglas James at Kiama where she worked as a doctor's receptionist.
They married at Wollongong in 1938.
Maisie enlisted in the army at Paddington on July 5, 1942, a few months after the Australian Women's Army Service was formed "because she wanted to be in it too and doing a job with the army like her husband".
She served in the Australian Imperial Force, LHGHY in the wireless unit and attained the rank of Lieutenant in November 1944 having passed successfully through the 19th course at the Army Women's Service School at Darley in Victoria.
She was senior in rank to her husband Sergeant Harold (Digger) James, one of the original 6th Division men - but not senior to him in years of service, as he had enlisted at Wollongong on October 20, 1939 and went overseas in 1940.
Her work in the A.W.A.S. was with the Corps of Signals, most of the time as a heavy wireless operator, and it took her to several new centres in Australia - Brisbane, Melbourne, Bonegilla and Darley - which she had not known before her army career.
Once she gained her commission, she returned to Brisbane to the 16th Heavy Wireless Section, where she was OC of one of the sections and worked as a technical officer as well as a certain amount of administrative work.
Maisie was discharged from the army on November 16, 1945 and on her return, she lived at Kiama with her husband.
Maisie died on Mary 22, 2001 aged 86 years and was well-known in the Shoalhaven district.
Her sisters were Annette Wiffen, of North Nowra, Win Jackson and Lexie Gwendoline Morris.
Her name is recorded on the Bomaderry War Memorial.
Margaret Alice "Peggy" Kavanagh
Margaret Alice "Peggy" Kavanagh (service number NX70522) was born at Nowra on July 9, 1912 a daughter of Thomas and Alice Kavanagh nee Watson.
Her father conducted a hairdressing and tobacconist shop in the Prince of Wales Hotel building in Junction Street, Nowra at one time.
He died at Wollongong in April 1939.
She undertook her nursing training at St Vincent's Hospital and was employed on the nursing staff at Griffith Hospital.
She joined the staff of the David Berry Hospital as senior sister in 1940.
Peggy resigned from the David Berry Hospital to join the A.I.F.
She was living at Tintern, Victoria Street, Berry when she enlisted at Victoria Barracks, Sydney on December 16, 1940.
She joined the 2/5th Australian General Hospital staff and served in Palestine from September 1, 1941 to March 24, 1942.
She served in Papua New Guinea from December 24, 1942 until November 29, 1943 and again from December 31, 1943 until May 7, 1944.
Peggy married Captain Francs Edward Kearns at Ashfield on November 4, 1945.
Senior Sister Margaret Kavanagh, A.A.N.S., only daughter of the late Mr Thomas Kavanagh and of Mrs Kavanagh, of Wollongong, and Captain Francis Kearns, A.I.F., second son of Mr. and Mrs. P. Kearns, of Chatswood, whose wedding will take place this morning at St. Vincent's Church, Ashfield. Sister Kavanagh, who trained at St. Vincent's Hospital, enlisted early in 1940 and joined the 2/5th A.G.H. in the Middle East: later she saw service in New Guinea. Captain Kearns has served in New Guinea and the Solomons. Miss Janet Grant will attend Sister Kavanagh at her wedding.
When Captain Margaret Kavanagh, AANS, was married this morning to Captain Francis Kearns, AIF, she changed her uniform for a bridal gown of off-white triple georgette and finger-tip veil of cut tulle. Bride is the only daughter of the late Mr. T. Kavanagh and Mrs. Kavanagh, of Wollongong, and Captain Kearns the second son of Mr. and Mrs. T. Kearns, of Chatswood. The wedding was at the Ashfield Catholic Church, and reception afterwards at Amory.
Frank was born at Chatswood on January 25, 1912 a son of Patrick and Mary L. Kearns. He was admitted as a solicitor in 1939 and was living at 337 Victoria Avenue, Chatswood when he enlisted in the A.I.F at Paddington in 1942.
He attained the rank of Captain.
Peggy was discharged on November 23, 1945 and had attained the rank of Captain.
Frank joined the legal firm of McGuinn and McGuinn at Dubbo in 1946. The firm became known as McGuinn, Kearns and McGuinn.
Their first child, a son, was born on May 16, 1946 at St Margaret's Darlinghurst, and named William Patrick.
In January 1947 Frank joined the firm of Messrs. Ryan and Watkins, Solicitors of Kiama and the family moved there in February, living at 97 Manning Street, Kiama.
On August 5, 1947 at Strathmore Private Hospital Wollongong daughter Maree was born, followed by Patrick Thomas on May 4, 1949 at Kiama District Hospital, Peter, Patricia and Margaret.
The couple lived at Dubbo, Kiama and Turramurra.
Peggy died on May 19, 1990. Frank died on 29 th July 2005 aged 93 years.
KEARNS, Margaret Alice (Peg) (nee Kavanagh). - May 19, 1990, late of Turramurra, formerly of Kiama and Wollongong (senior sister 2/5th Australian General Hospital ME and NG), beloved wife of Frank, loving mother and mother-in-law of William and Jenny, Maree, Patrick, and Laurie, Peter, Patricia and Greg Crowe, Margaret and Garry Lambert and loving grandmother of 12 grandchildren.
Elsie Edith McLachlan
Elsie Edith McLachlan (service number 93251) was born at Berry on September 19, 1923 the daughter of Irvine and Alice McLachlan.
Elsie grew up in Berry and attended Berry Public School.
In an interview with Lynne Allen she said...
"My friend and I were playing tennis at the school courts when we decided we would apply for enrolment in the WAAF (Women's Australian Air Force). Being only 17 years of age, parental permission was necessary. My friend's parents did not agree. As my brother was already in the army I was granted permission to apply. As soon as I turned 18, off I went to Sydney for an interview and medical test."
Elsie was accepted and enlisted at Sydney on March 5, 1942, becoming ACW McLachlan and posted to Bradfield Park.
"As we were the first rookies (girls) to pass through 2RD Bradfield Park, shouts from the boys of 'You'll be sorry' they called to us."
"Corporal stripes were gained against my wishes and I attended an NCO course at Penrith. Very early one morning, when the Japanese got into Sydney Harbour, we had to go to the trenches till the 'all clear' was sounded. The next month as a rookie soon passed and I was fortunate to go with eight other lasses to Canberra.
"I was stationed at the Drome for 17 months, then to my sorrow I was posted to Uranquinty, a service flying school about 15 miles from Wagga Wagga. Once again, I was fortunate enough to be posted with some of my friends and we soon settled down and made the most of our posting. "In one-way Quinty, known as the 'Old Bar 20', bettered Canberra for we were allowed to go flying. My job, besides serving in the officer's mess, was to take care of a hut housing 30 officers. I truly loved this work - playing at housekeeping."
Read more: How did Gladioli Farm Estate get its name?
From Uranquinty, Elsie was posted back to Bradfield Park.
"This was just prior to my 21st birthday which was celebrated by seeing a film in town, accompanied by a girlfriend, Elsie McGuire who was stationed at Richmond. She was from Tomerong and had previously worked at Quinty."
Elsie was discharged from Bradfield Park at the end of the war after four years' service on March 5, 1946 and married Leslie William Bryce nine months later and moved back to the Shoalhaven area.
Les and Elsie later owned a dairy farm on the banks of the Shoalhaven River at Nowra (near the Shoalhaven River Bridge) and lived there for over 40 years.
Elsie died when she fell and slipped into in the Shoalhaven River tending her favourite riverbank garden on February 17,2011. She was 87.
Joan Packham
Joan Packham (service number 93292) was born at Summer Hill, Sydney on September 24, 1921, the only child of George and Linda Packham.
At a very early age, the family moved to Nowra to live in Plunkett Street, directly opposite Nowra Primary School.
Joan was a devout member of the Nowra Anglican Church and was well known during her school years for babysitting the Minister's children on a regular basis.
Joan attended Nowra Intermediate High School and became a schoolmate and lifelong friend of Mollie Elliott (nee Davis).
Mollie's parents, Thomas and Phyllis Davis owned T.C. Davis Sport Store in Junction Street, Nowra.
After Joan completed her schooling in 1937, she enrolled in the Metropolitan Business College, Accountancy Department, in Sydney, and completed a course in bookkeeping on May 17, 1940.
Joan enlisted at Sydney on March 5, 1942 and joined the W.A.A.A.F.
She was stationed at various camps throughout Australia during the war, but always came 'home' to Nowra on leave.
She was discharged from the Air Force Defence Headquarters, Sydney, on January 24, 1946.
After the war ended, Joan decided to further her studies, eventually qualifying as a physiotherapist.
She owned two practices, one at Parramatta, the other at Castle Hill and continued to run these practices until her retirement.
Her other great lifelong loves were travel, which she did extensively, and opera, becoming a member of the Australian Opera Society.
As Joan never married, and her best friend Mollie Elliott was still living in Nowra, she decided to leave Sydney and retire to her old 'home' town.
Joan Packham died at Nowra on December 12, 1993, aged 72.
Ruth Walker
Ruth Frances Walker (service number 107799) was born at Nowra on September 17, 1924 a daughter of George Walker and his wife.
Ruth attended Nowra Public School and was working at her father's plumbing shop when she enlisted in the WAAAF on November 5, 1942.
"I survived inoculations at Bradfield Park (Sydney). My mother came to the passing out parade. I am not tall so she felt proud of a hat somewhere in the middle of the squad. Organisation was the group needing my services and off I went to organise things at headquarters, Melbourne. Establishment was the name of the section and there it was decided how many cooks, clerks etc were needed at stations and depots. Having organised or disorganised things, I was posted to 5 Service Flying Training School at Uranquinty near Wagga Wagga.
"Not put off by arriving by train at 1am in a field of grass, I put my worldly goods on board a tender (truck) without help from the males present. Slept the remainder of the night on a table in a cook house, filled my pillowcase with straw the next morning and reported for duty. Joy at last. I was to be the flight clerk with an office on the edge of the tarmac of 5 Service Flying Training Squadron.
"I was surrounded by the cream of males - instructors and their pupils. I kept a record of their flying times and checked their logbooks and acted as mother to some of them. I also forgave them when they put the contents of a verry pistol between two plates under my chair, then lit a long fuse and waited for results.
"This ecstasy lasted a long time but then shock...horror...a posting came through for me to work in the commanding officer's typing pool at Dubbo Stores Depot. Gone was freedom and contentment. Relief came when a posting to casualty section in Little Collins Street, Melbourne, where I imagined people to be wrapped in bandages, but I was destined to put my feet under a desk in fatal section and send out 'Deeply regret to inform you" telegrams.
"How wonderful it was to have worked in the prisoner of war section to assist and to advise next of kin of the release of European prisoners. We worked late into the night and were given one shilling and threepence dinner money. Later the Japanese prisoners were released but their records were in disarray and unreliable.
"My next posting was to work with the army (war graves) and from here I was discharged on November 22, 1945. My main aim in joining the air force was for adventure and romance. I met my tall dark handsome man in Nowra when I was 16 and he was employed by BHP sealing the airstrip at Nowra Aerodrome.
"We met again when I had my call up but he wasn't impressed as he was working in an essential service and could not be released at that time and passed caustic remarks about women in uniform.
"Our paths would have crossed at Uranquinty when he went through on his pilot's course, but I had been posted the week previously. The happy ending is...we met again at Luna Park Melbourne and married the following May. We moved to Lismore. Tom worked for BHP and I worked for Dorgan's Theatres.
Ruth married Tom Ballantine Cowie at Sydney in 1946.
Patricia Walsh
Patricia Walsh (service number 92623) was the first Nowra girl to join the WAAAF.
Pat was born at Nowra on April 21, 1919, the daughter of Ernest 'Ben' Walsh and Kathleen "Kitty Madden.
Her childhood days were spent in Junction Street Nowra and she attended St Michael's in North Street Nowra.
"I was the first Nowra girl to join the Women's Auxiliary Australian Air Force when I enlisted on October 27, 1941. Along with 200 other girls I completed my 'Rookie' training at Bankstown and then we were posted to various other RAAF units. I was posted to the RAAF Records in Melbourne and then on to the navy office, which was the centre of naval iIntelligence. At this time senior British officers were in Melbourne to discuss the European theatre of war.
"One of my first jobs was to collect intelligence on the disappearance of HMAS Sydney. I was the only secretary and there was a chronic shortage of all sorts of materials including carbon paper which was the only way, in those days, to make copies of typewriting.
"To speed up the clerical work I had very senior officers, including Sir Charles Burnett from the RAF and Sir Guy Royal from the RN preparing papers with carbon between the sheets.
"After Japan's treacherous attack on Pearl Harbour the small naval unit became the Combined Operational Intelligence Centre for the South West Pacific area. It was the nerve centre of the Pacific War and I worked in it for 31/2 years under the command of General Macarthur. The number of girls rose to 20 and security was very tight."
Patricia Walsh was discharged for duty on January 16, 1946 and had attained the rank of Flight Sergeant.
She married Richard Cruickshanks in 1947 and they had two daughters, Kathleen 'Dutsy' and Erica 'Ricky'. When Richard was killed in an aircraft accident in 1950 Pat went to work as a legal secretary for Morton and Harris.
She married Leslie Goodman and, when he died at an advanced age in 1993, she married Frederick Inglis.
Pat Inglis died in 2003.
Want to read more local history?
While you're with us...
Did you know the South Coast Register is now offering breaking news alerts and a weekly email newsletter? Keep up-to-date with all the local news: sign up here.
