Each year the Lane Cove RSL Sub Branch features a presentation about a Lane Cove local who has served in the Australian armed forces. The presentations are always fascinating as they provide an insight into not only their military life but also their life in Lane Cove before and after their time in the armed forces.
This year Lane Cove RSL Sub Branch President Graeme Davis spoke on behalf of the Guy family and their mother, Beryl Guy.
Beryl Joins the Australian Women’s Army Service
Beryl was 16 years old when WW2 broke out and was living with her family in the small south-coast town of Moruya. Beryl was one of 8 children who had a mixed farm on the Deua River. After leaving school, Beryl worked as a Governess to one of the local families.
As they were on the land, which was considered a reserved occupation, only one of her brothers joined up. When Beryl was old enough, she had the choice of either working in a factory making munitions or joining the armed forces, she chose the armed forces as her brother John, who was in the Army, thought she would like it.
In September 1943, aged 20, Beryl made her way to the Recruiting Depot at Victoria Barracks Paddington, where she enlisted into the Australian Women’s Army Service (AWAS) and was allocated Service Number NF – F for Female – 464900.
Sir Percy Spender, Australia’s Minister for the Army, considered women to be an underutilised resource in Australia’s war effort. Consequently, he approved the formation of the AWAS on 13 August 1941 with the objective of releasing more men into forward areas.
Members of the AWAS took on roles such as drivers, provosts, canteen workers, cooks, typists, signallers, and cipher clerks.
AWAS eventually enlisted over 24,000 members. These women were the first to serve in the Australian Defence Forces outside of the medical/nursing field.
Beryl is Posted to the 15 Australian Heavy Anti-Aircraft Batter
After three months of recruit training at Concord, Beryl was posted to the 15 Australian Heavy Anti-Aircraft Battery located at Rose Bay prior to being posted in early 1944 to another Battery located at Manly and North Head.
It is worth remembering that the Japanese attacked Sydney Harbour in May and June 1942 and although the tide was turning in favour of the Allies, there was still a concern that Sydney could be attacked again.
The Anti-Aircraft guns needed a crew of six (6) to work them – the team were mainly women, although there were some men whose medical conditions prevented them from deploying overseas.
As well as being a “Gun Number” Beryl was trained to use the .303 rifle so that they could guard the guns and the defences such as the barbed wire laid on the beaches.
When stationed at North Head they lived in the barracks which were part of the old quarantine station. The main meal included meat and vegetable with toast and tea for breakfast. The pay was not so good and women who worked in the factories made a lot more.
In January 1945 Beryl was posted to the District’s Accounts Office located at the old showgrounds at Homebush – they were accommodated at Strathfield. During her time at Homebush she attended a typists course and progressed up the ranks as a Clerk.
Although the war in the Pacific finished in August 1945 Beryl stayed with the AWAS until she was discharged in August 1946 having served just short of three (3) years.
Life After the War
Following discharge, Beryl went to work for David Jones in the city. As she was an experienced Clerk and typist, Beryl worked in the office and at that time was living in the Stella Maris Hostel for Women and Girls in Greenwich, Beryl later moved out and flatted with friends in West Street, North Sydney.
Beryl worked at David Jones for a number of years and left when she married Jim Guy. They met at a catholic social, a common event in the 1950’s. In those days women had to leave their job after marriage, so Beryl left DJs and became a housewife. This policy only changed in the mid-60’s.
Soon Beryl was busy with three children Margaret, James and Catherine. Her days were filled looking after family and also helping out with Jim’s family who were at that stage getting older.
As Beryl didn’t drive, she was busy taking her young children to school and collecting them in the afternoons and generally organising the everyday running of family activities. Beryl was an active member of the Greenwich Altar Society at the Our Lady of Colours Catholic Church and the children remember having to help out by dusting the pews, the statues and tidying up the hymn books.
Jim died of cancer in 1990 of cancer and sadly, he never met his first grandchild Nicholas. Beryl however delighted in her grandchildren who lived in Orange and Perth and was always very pleased to see them when they visited. Beryl loved regular updates on the grandkids and was always interested and proud of their achievements.
Beryl had a great relationship with her siblings, many of whom lived in Moruya and she was particularly close to her sisters. While still able to travel, her daughters took Beryl on a little road trip to visit her last remaining sibling, Judy.
Beryl was a remarkable person and survived many major falls and her quality of life was good until a few years ago. Covid stopped Beryl doing the things she enjoyed and this affected her mobility and interests.
Her children were grateful they were able to spend time with their mum before she passed away on the 9th of July this year just 5 weeks off her 99th birthday.
Beryl had a long life. She was proud of her army service; was a wonderful wife and a caring and much-loved mother, grandmother and great-grandmother.
Help Support Local and Independent News
You can support us in three ways:
- Become an ITC reader sponsor – Feel free to be a reader sponsor if you have enjoyed our local news coverage and would like to be an ITC reader sponsor. You can sponsor us with a monthly sponsorship fee. We have reader sponsors who sponsor us for $5.00 a month and some who sponsor us for $100 a year – no amount is too small or too big. Thank you so much to the people who have already supported us via our press Patreon account. Help Us Here.
- Buy the ITC team a coffee – We now have a team, and they need to be paid – buy the ITC team a coffee (or two) and that will help us pay their wages and shout then a coffee Buy a Coffee here.
- Do you own a Lane Cove Business or a Lane Cove resident who owns a business, you can advertise with ITC – our packages start from $30 monthly fee (for a 12-month commitment). Email us here for our rates card.
