Sergeant Rosalind Eunice Noakes (92455) WAAAF

House called Bellevue Hill, at Picnic Bay, Magnetic Island
Does anyone know where this house was in Picnic Bay?

"Picnic Point (probably means Picnic Bay). Meal at house taken over by
Townsville W/T for personnel on leave Magnetic Island, QLD 1944-45?"

"This is one of the queer rock formations on the path
from the boat to the beach at Arcadia. The island is
noted for this type of formation. Rather amazing."

"Zita, Hilda Fisher, Val Chequer, and ?" at Picnic Bay swimming enclosure on Magnetic Island.
More details on two of the above:- Hilda Grace Fisher (105191), Valetta Lillian Chequer (95716)

"Convalescent Depot. Both Jean I I know this well. Used to be a pub.
Picnic Bay, Magnetic Island." This is the Hotel Magnetic at Picnic Bay.
Sign on the front reads "Australian Red Cross Convalescent Home".

"Louis Herries, ? and ?, Townsville"
I wonder if that should read Louise Herrod (106413)
who was also in both 12 Signals Unit and Townsville W/T

"Daphne Scholes, Ros Noakes, Ma & Pa, English couple. Tea Rooms at rear of Barracks."
More info:- Daphne May Scholes (94230) WAAAF

"Louise Herries Ma's Tea Shop, back of Barracks, Townsville."
I wonder if that should read Louise Herrod (106413)
who was also in both 12 Signals Unit and Townsville W/T

"B Shift, The Strand, Townsville, lived in Virtue Villa."
I think "Virtue Villa" was their nickname for their barracks

"Camp at the end of the Strand, Townsville, 1945"
I think this is the North East Area Camp at the Grammar School.

The caption reads "Barrack Huts Pallarenda T'ville". I'm not convinced that is correct.
Looks more likely to be the North East Area Camp at the Grammar School.
See the next photo with Castle Hill clearly in the background!!

The caption reads "The Strand Barracks previously ? St. Anne's College".
This last bit is incorrect and should say previously St. Patricks College.

"Sgts Mess "Chloe". Note the statue of "Chloe" in the middle background of the photo.

"Vinny?, Young Lee?, Joan Shea? ??
Alma Dwyer, The Strand, Townsville, 1944-45"
This caption is very hard to read.

"Jean & Belle & a G.I. truck. Nope - we don't know the owner. Photograph by Noakes."

"Jean ????, Daphne Scholes, ? Jenkinson top of Table Mountain".
This appears to be one of the lookouts on Castle Hill.

"Charters Towers Leave House. Mrs Henderson is on the front stand.
A beautiful house" This is the Leave House run by the YWCA for the
Australian Comforts Fund. Does anyone know the street address?

The caption says "Cathedral Townsville". This does not look like Townsville. It
appears to be the Albert Uniting Church at 319 Albert Street, Brisbane
almost opposite King George Square. The building on the left is Albert Hall.

It would appear that Sgt Rosalind Noakes wrote to some of the Army boys in New Guinea and the following are most likely envelopes and photos from those Australian Army boys, one being "Caveman Gill" based on some text on the front of the first envelope.

I assume these are photos from "Caveman Gill"
that were sent in the above two envelopes. The
caption on the back of the photo reads:-
"Michael Gill St. Clair with ventriloquist Doll & mates N.G."

The WWII Nominal Roll reveals there was a Michael Gill VX51623 who
was in the 9/46 Australian Entertainment Unit when he was discharged.
From other information found I believe his doll was called "Herbert".

Note:- Don Athaldo (not Althaldo) was an Australian strongman who made his
reputation by spectacular demonstrations of strength & by his flair for showmanship.

There is a Walter Probert QX30535 in the WWII Nominal
Roll who was discharged from 2/90 Light Aid Detachment.
May be him?

"Lawson with a load of Aussies, nips & natives. Can you pick
which are which? Taken at the corner of our camp site."

"If you should notice that the island Belles are in a condition
natural to those that love their lords or masters - Don't blame
us - We have only been here a short time. Wally Probert."

MARCH BY RAAF STIRS CITY

Attractive WAAAF'S marched in the city yesterday with tall graduated pilots, air crew trainees, and ground staff trainees in a spectacular "Bonds Before Bombs" parade which underlined the £100,000,000 war loan appeal.

The slogan was coined by Senator Keane, new Minister for Trade and Customs, the keynote of whose rousing speech to Collins St. crowds was Answer Nazi propaganda by flooding the war loan."

Group-Capt. Cobby, RAAF Director of Recruiting, told the crowds that the march emphasised the importance of a steady inflow of recruits for the RAAF as the war in Russia neared a crisis. a Lunch-hour crowds gathered at the barriers well before the march, and thousands crowded the area within earshot of the platform from which speeches were delivered. Evidence of the fine organisation behind the march was the distribution of special RAF recruiting flags by WAAAF'S, who drove along the barriers in cars. The flags formed a waving fringe of blue on each side of the barriers in Collins St. from Spring St. to Elizabeth St.

Marching with characteristic drill square precision, the columns of blue were a stirring sight as they came down the Collins St. hill. The blue flags waved frantically, confetti showered down from the office windows, and streamers wove patterns in the breeze above the marchers, but the onlookers, with typical Melbourne reserve. were somewhat slow to give voice to their admiration. They thawed sufficiently, however, to give a warm reception to the column of WAAAF's.

Sqd.-Ldr. R G. Francis led the march, in which 100 WAAAF's, 50 graduated pilots, 250 air crew trainees, and about 800 graduate! ground staff trainees took part. Air Vice-Marshal Wrigley took the salute in Collins St. Two columns of the trainees marched in mufti.

A Wackett trainer plane displayed in Collins St. was a centre of interest.

"No more convincing answer could be given to the lying propaganda of the enemy than for the Australian people to subscribe the loan 3 or 4 times over," Senator Keane said in his address. "The position today is lone of gravity, and Australia is directly affected. You have sent away the cream of your manhood in the 3 fighting services. It is up to you to equip them with all the i weapons and supply them with all the materials your money can provide. Every section of the community has a bounden duty to get behind this £100,000,000 loan to remember that whatever Government is in power is faced with a most appalling financial obligation. All have interests, rights, and privileges which can disappear as they have disappeared in countries that have fallen under the iron heel of Hitler."

Women Signallers' Post-War Plan

To Open Provident

Fund for Members

THE Women's Emergency Signaling Corps has launched a provident fund to assist members after the war. Founder and director of the corps, Mrs. F. V. McKenzie, originated the scheme and is asking every member to subscribe half a guinea.

All will be eligible for benefit and the money paid into a trust fund will be invested in Government War Savings Certificates and Bonds during the war, and afterwards used to tide girls over waiting for employment. An employment bureau to help to place girls who have done war service is another postwar plan being undertaken by the organisation.

Since the outbreak of the war 115 women signallers have enlisted with the Women's Royal Australian Naval Services and he Women's Australian Auxiliary Air Force. At headquarters, 10 Clarence-street, 300 girls are in training and early in the new year there will be room for 100 more.

Rosalind Noakes became the new Matron at the Goulburn Base Hospital on 12 December 1972 taking over from Matron Jeffrey-Browne.

AFHQ	From enlistment
HQs Bankstown	9 Mar 42
2AP (2 Aircraft Park)	8 Jun 42
HQ Eastern Area	1 Dec 42
2AP	6 Sep 43
2ED	24 Jan 44
1RRP	22 Feb 44
12 Signals Unit	4 Mar 44
Townsville W/T	15 May 44
North Eastern Area HQs Telecommunication Unit	1 Feb 45
2PD	12 ??? 45
AD HQ	4 Jan 46
2PD	4 Mar 46
Discharged	12 Mar 46