52:) was a non-medical women's service established in Australia during the Second World War. Raised on 13 August 1941 to "release men from certain military duties for employment in fighting units" the service grew to over 20,000-strong and provided personnel to fill various roles including administration, driving, catering, signals and intelligence. Following the end of the Second World War, the service was demobilised and ceased to exist by 1947. It later provided a cadre of experienced personnel to the
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211:(WRAAC) was formed in April 1951 to counter a manpower shortage that developed due to hostilities in the Korean Peninsula and post-World War II full employment. At the time of its formation, many senior WRAAC personnel had previously served in the AWAS. By the late 1970s female soldiers began integration into the Army at large and in early 1985, the WRAAC was disbanded.
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total of 3,600 AWAS personnel served in the
Australian Corps of Signals. Officers and other ranks of the Australian Intelligence Corps were involved in (and commended for) their highly secret work. Motor transport drivers drove cars, ambulances, trucks (up to 3 tons), jeeps, floating jeeps, Bren Gun Carriers and amphibious vehicles.
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to allow the AWAS to serve overseas, they were at first prevented from doing so. This caused some difficulties. For example, several members of the AWAS served in the
British Borneo Civil Affairs Unit, but they had to be left behind when the unit deployed overseas in preparation for the liberation of
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The
Service recruited women between the ages of 18 and 45 and it was initially envisaged they would serve in a variety of roles including clerks, typists, cooks and drivers. During the war a total of 24,026 women enlisted (with a maximum strength of 20,051 in January 1944). The AWAS had 71 barracks
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and some supporting units, including in
Ordnance and Signals. It was also discovered that unknown to Army authorities, two officers and three sergeants in Intelligence had earlier been moved from Brisbane to Dutch New Guinea in June 1944; once realised, these women were brought back to Lae to serve
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AWAS personnel initially served in
Headquarters, and Base Installations, and later in a number of direct command Army units. 3,618 served with the Royal Australian Artillery and they manned the Fixed Defences of Australia from Hobart in the South and Cairns in the north, and Perth in the west. A
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before starting work. The barracks had been constructed by army engineers and New
Guinean workers and the compound perimeter was enclosed by a high barbed wire fence patrolled by armed guards. Many women considered the high fences a symbol of constraint and the popular song
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Borneo in 1945. It was only during that year that the
Government relented to allow some AWAS to serve overseas, with a detachment raised for service in New Guinea. The AWAS thus became the only non-medical women's service to send personnel overseas during the war.
160:, sailing under Captain Lucy Crane, on 3 May 1945. The ship arrived on 7 May 1945. It was later discovered that, without the knowledge or approval of Australian authorities, three AWAS intelligence officers and troops attached to American forces had been taken to
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The AWAS had their own rank and administrative arrangements and they reported to the Chief of
General Staff (CGS). The Commanding Officer or "Controller" of the AWAS was equivalent to a
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in New Guinea. She led a small advance party of AWAS officers and staff to Lae to prepare for the arrival of the main contingent. The main contingent of 342 women left on the
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By April 1945, Colonel Irving had selected a group from thousands of applicants who were eager to serve overseas. The women selected for posting to New Guinea were paraded at
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The women were given a few days to acclimatize to the tropics and settle into the 68th AWAS Barracks on
Butibum Road, Lae, near
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Lieutenant-Colonel
Margaret Spencer was given command of the first AWAS contingent to be posted overseas with the
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and Lieutenant Ivy Levitzke inspecting Australian Women's Army Service personnel at the Western Training Centre
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A total of 385 AWAS in Lae served under the command of Lieutenant-Colonel Spencer. They served with
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with the main contingent. A second AWAS contingent was assembled in Queensland for service on
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around the country. They were paid wages equal to two-thirds that of their male equivalents.
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470:– "Australian Women's Army Service (AWAS) and Royal Australian Women's Army Corps (WRAAC)
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277:"Australian Women's Army Service (AWAS) and Royal Australian Women's Army Corps (WRAAC)"
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Physical training instructors from the AWAS and Australian Army Medical Women's Service
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Brisbane 24 March 1945, AWAS from the Northern Territory during the Victory Loan March
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Belmont, Queensland, ca 1942. AWAS members instructed in the use of the
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493:- India Dixon, John Oxley Library Blog, State Library of Queensland.
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By 30 June 1947 all members of the AWAS had been demobilised. The
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Military units and formations of Australia in World War II
437:"Women's Royal Australian Army Corps (WRAAC) (1951–1985)"
415:"Women's historical contribution recognised on Anzac Day"
107:. The Controller of the AWAS (until the end of 1946) was
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One day after landing in Lae, news came through of the
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Military units and formations disestablished in 1947
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Military units and formations of the Australian Army
304:"Australian Women's Army Service (AWAS) (1941–1947)"
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Australian Government Culture and Recreation Portal
522:Military units and formations established in 1941
390:. WRAAC Association (Victoria). Archived from
388:"Women's Royal Australian Army Corps History"
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476:"Women in action – nurses and serving women"
485:The Australian War Memorial Research Centre
468:The Australian War Memorial Research Centre
16:"AWAS" redirects here. For other uses, see
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364:. Government of Australia. Archived from
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221:Australian home front during World War II
517:All-female military units and formations
464:– AWAS barracks in Lae photo collection
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257:Women's Royal Australian Naval Service
252:Women's Auxiliary Australian Air Force
306:. Australian Women's Archives Project
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209:Women's Royal Australian Army Corps
54:Women's Royal Australian Army Corps
33:Northam, Western Australia, 1943.
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56:when it was established in 1951.
512:Australian women in World War II
491:The Queensland Women’s Land Army
487:– Colonel Sybil Howy Irving, MBE
439:. National Library of Australia
46:Australian Women's Army Service
247:Female roles in the World Wars
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231:Auxiliary Territorial Service
480:AWAS in Australia During WW2
226:Australian Women's Land Army
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362:Australia's War 1939 –1945
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279:. Australian War Memorial
123:Despite the pleadings of
185:Allied Victory in Europe
462:Australian War Memorial
192:First Army Headquarters
60:Formation and structure
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151:First Australian Army
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35:Minister for the Army
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22:Angkatan Wanita Sedar
237:Bibra Lake AWAS Camp
78:Owen machine carbine
417:. Army History Unit
125:General of the Army
180:" was often sung.
105:lieutenant colonel
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68:Recruitment poster
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394:on 6 January 2011
326:"AWAS and WRAACs"
178:Don't Fence Me In
128:Douglas MacArthur
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166:Dutch New Guinea
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109:Sybil Irving
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372:21 February
38:Frank Forde
501:Categories
335:3 February
310:19 January
283:19 January
263:References
173:Voco Point
162:Hollandia
215:See also
157:Duntroon
144:Enoggera
443:4 April
421:4 April
398:4 April
132:General
115:Service
358:"AWAS"
445:2015
423:2015
400:2015
374:2014
337:2007
312:2007
285:2007
233:(UK)
134:Sir
130:and
50:AWAS
44:The
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155:MV
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