Beverly Pickett looks back fondly on her time as an air servicewoman in the 1940s, believing it made her the strong, independent woman she is today.
Ms Pickett, 91, who lived in Sunshine for 57 years, served in the Women’s Auxiliary Air Force (WAAF) from 1942-45, working her way up the ranks to become a three-striped sergeant.
The WAAF was established in 1939. By 1943, its numbers had topped 180,000, with more than 2000 women enlisting every week.
“It was the best three years of my life – I was 19 years old and I learnt discipline and the facts of life,” Ms Pickett said.
“It was hard work, but it taught me how to look after myself and take life as it comes.”
After joining up in November 1942, she completed her rookie training at St Catherine’s School in Toorak then underwent a six-week drill instruction course.
She said the “most gruelling” part was a physicality and training course, which started in the middle of winter.
“We had to be up by 6.30am in our khaki shorts in the freezing cold. Then we’d run two or so laps around this huge perimeter.”
Ms Pickett was awarded her third stripe when she was in charge of the barracks course.
“We had to issue and allocate blankets, a pillow slip, sheet and pillow to different barracks … it was a very important and undervalued job.”
Ms Pickett believes the roles of most servicewomen were undervalued, including those who stepped up at home while the men went off to fight.
“There was this magazine called Mifty, which focused on the servicemen and their achievements in the war, and I always thought why not dedicate an issue to ex-servicewomen?” she said.
“They did a great job all round.”
Ms Pickett, who now lives in Bacchus Marsh, is still a Sunshine RSL member and is urging Victorians to Remember this November and buy a poppy.
Later this month, thousands of Poppy Appeal volunteers will be selling the iconic red Flanders poppy to raise funds for current and former servicemen and women in need.
Poppies are also at local RSL branches, or donate online: www.poppyappeal.com.au
