Christmas in January.

For some time now, Carmel Leddicoat, who many years ago was Carmel Stapleton, a Clerk Medical at 3RAAF at Richmond and her partners in arms, Sue Pratt and Bernadette Will, as well as Rosie Brockman, have organised a Christmas get together on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast for ex WRAAFS.

2020, as we know, was a shocker, most things were either cancelled or delayed and the regular WRAAFs get together was no exception, there would be no Christmas get together in 2020 but as things improved, the three amigos managed to get the girls together at the Alexander Headlands Surf Club on Saturday the 30^th January. A bit late but better late than never.

37 lovely ladies came from far and wide to reminisce about the wonderful time they had in uniform, to enjoy a good meal, a few drinks, to meet old mates from long ago and enjoy the atmosphere and scenery offered by Qld’s Sunshine Coast. We were invited and with the opportunity of being the only male amongst 37 lovely ladies, need I say more??

These ladies served Australia at the time when, for some insane reason, they were considered inferior to men. Although doing the same job as the men, in a lot of cases side by side and often better than, they were paid only two thirds the men’s wage. They had to endure the humiliation of nightly bed checks, had to discharge if they had the temerity to marry and heaven forbid if one of them became pregnant. Men wouldn’t put up with bed checks and weren’t expected to discharge when they married, but the girls had to and did – and the Air Force was better because of them. Thankfully, all those draconian conditions were swept aside and today men and women enjoy the same conditions, though it’s still the girls who are expected to get pregnant.

Alexander Headlands Beach.

Alexander Headlands Surf Club.

Those at the get together include: (All names left to right. The number indicates the Rookies Course)

Avril Baque (Eken-Smyth) 222,  Joy Lee (Absalom),  Iris Klan (Nebe) 194.

Joy, who turns 95 this year, was born in New Zealand, but she and her mum left NZ when Joy was 14½ and crossed the ditch and moved to Australia. In December 1944, as soon as she turned 18, Joy joined the WAAAF (the triple A) and did her rookies at Penrith. She was then posted to Williamtown, served as a cook’s assistant during the remaining war years and was de-mobbed in 1946 and as a civvy again, started work with Readers Digest.

Joy was a guest of honour at the afternoon.

A very pretty Joy Lee – as a proud WAAAF.

Ros Curren (nee Smith) 222,  Robyn Arthurs (Godwin) 252,  Helen Daunt (Pechey) 247.

Audrey Browne (Madin) 247,  Val Machin (Ingram) 202.

Cheryl Fleming (Quinn) 182,  Dot Harris (James) 182.

Dianne Scottney (Hart) 176,  Jutta Rossington (Gaiduks) 163

Jan Cagney (Wollard) 232,  Jenny Morgan (Hodges) 251.

Linda Carter (Dorries) 223,  Marie Henson (Arcidiacono) 236,  Ros Curran (Smith) 222,  Kate Lung (Peters) 230.

Lorraine Stone (Hansen) 197,  Lyn Inglis (Wilson) 219.

Jutta Rossington,  Dianne Scotney.

Rhonda Forrest 56/86,  J-Anne Burgess (Robinson) 183.

Ros Curran,  Carmel Leddicoat.

Sandy Faber (Torrisi) 187,  Dianne Mellick (Priddy) 187.

Sheila Rule  206,  Linde Cavanagh (Dattinger) 196.

Sue Pratt (Emmett) 224,  Phonda Forrest,  Val Machin.

With lunch being served – we must say this was the quietest it was all afternoon.

All the troops.

Lyn Inglis,  Sherry Watson  219,  Val Machin

Helen Daunt,  Linda Carter,  Carmel Leddicoat,  Val Machin,  Robyn Arthurs.

Marie Henson,  Terri Tonkin (Sanderson) 239.