We Will Remember Them
On Friday 11 November, MLC School staff and students paused to remember all the courageous men and women who have served Australia. We particularly reflected on the contribution of the MLC School Old Girls who served: 11 in WWI and 60 in WWII, plus the countless other Old Girls whose service at home supported the efforts of those overseas.
Our Old Girls served as nurses during World War I as nursing was the only service role available for Australian women at that time. It was not until World War II that women were asked to serve in non-nursing roles.
The lives of Australian women changed dramatically between 1940 and 1945 when young women were compelled to participate in the WWII war effort, particularly in the armed services. Women were employed in the armed services so that servicemen in non-combatant roles could be released to combat units.
Recruitment posters encouraged young women to join up and more than 66,000 of them enlisted, about 7% of the nearly one million Australians who served.
Thousands of young Australian women left home to join the new women’s auxiliary services: the Women’s Auxiliary Australian Air Force (WAAAF), the Women’s Royal Australian Naval Service (WRANS) and the Australian Women’s Army Service (AWAS). Nurses joined the two new nursing services: the Royal Australian Air Force Nursing Service (RAAFNS) and the Royal Australian Naval Nursing Service (RANNS) as well as the existing Australian Army Nursing Service (AANS). In December 1942, the Australian Army Medical Women’s Service (AAMWS) was established, and members served as nursing aides alongside army nurses. Amongst them were 60 MLC School Old Girls.
The honour boards pictured below, name the past students who served our country and the role that they played in the war efforts. These are permanently displayed in Potts Hall.
My thanks and congratulations to our Cadets and the Cadet Officers for their contribution to our Remembrance Day service. Their presentation, discipline and respect added an appropriate solemnity to the event.
– Lisa Moloney
Principal
* With thanks to Barbara Hoffman, MLC School Archivist.
