IN days gone by, when war was seen as a duty to country, these five women signed up to serve.
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It was during World War II when Dot Floyd, Jill Brough, Ruth Clarke, Gillie Street and Joan Kemp decided to do their bit for the war effort.
Yesterday, they sat side by side, arms linked, and paused to remember times past, friends lost and sacrifices made.
They were part of a crowd of about 4000 people that flocked to the Anzac Day civic commemoration service at the cenotaph in Robertson Park.
Mrs Brough joined the Royal Australian Navy in 1944, aged just 18, and was sent to the “ship to shore” headquarters in Canberra.
“I learnt morse code, that’s what I did ... no naval women overseas,” she said.
The three years Mrs Clarke spent in the Australian Army were memorable ones.
“I was sent to Lai in New Guinea and we were up there when peace was declared,” she said.
Mrs Clarke also witnessed the Cowra Breakout on August 5, 1944, when more than 500 Japanese prisoners of war escaped from a detention camp.
Dot Floyd also joined the Australian Army, while Gillie Street joined the Women’s Air Force.
British born, but now an Australian citizen, Joan Kemp signed up to join the Army Territorial Service in the UK, the women’s branch of the British Army, during World War II.
The humble women marched under the Combined Ex-Service Womens’ banner during yesterday’s Anzac Day march.
nadine.morton@fairfaxmedia.com.au
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