Serving their country

Yesterday in the mail I finally received my Great Grandmother, Amuri Russell's, war service records. As I have previously mentioned she served as volunteer in the Women's Auxiliary Australian Air Force (WAAAF) in the catering department. With the release of her service records we have been able to shed a little more light on her time volunteering in the forces during the Second World War. We now know that she initially applied to be in the administration department, however she was rejected. She was then accepted in the catering department for the next three years. Prior to her enlistment she was a chef at the women's hostel in Lansell Road, Toorak, Victoria and volunteering with the Australian Women's Army Service (AWAS). I have also discovered that during the time she was away with the WAAAF in places such as Ascot Vale and Deniliquin, her husband, my Great Grandfather Eric was living in Griffith, NSW. During this time their son Tom was away fighting in the 53rd/55th Battalion for the AIF, and Eric was presumably looking after the property in his absence.

Sergeant Amuri Russell's war service photo 1943.

During her time in the WAAAF, Amuri's daughter Erica (my Grandmother) was away at boarding school. In 1944 when she was 18 and finished school Erica joined the Australian Women's Land Army (AWLA). Nothing much else is known of her time in the Land Army, but I am trying to work my magic - so I will keep you posted.

 

Erica Russell in her Women's Land Army uniform, circa. 1944.

And on the other side...

A history of war service doesn't just run on my paternal line of the family.
After the outbreak of the First World War in 1914 the Hughes family of Kapunda must have been feeling particularly patriotic.
Henry and Penolope Hughes of South Australia had four sons and a daughter. All of their sons served in the Australian Imperial Forces during the First World War. Only three returned home.
The three eldest brothers, Roland Harry Hughes, Lancelot Dudley Hughes (my Great Grandfather) and Leonard Headland Hughes enlisted within 7 months of each other in 1915-16. Roland was sent to the trenches of Gallipoli and spent time in and out of hospital in France. Lancelot was stationed in England and France and was also wounded in action at least once. Leonard was the eldest of the brothers and the final of the three to enlist, but not for want of trying. He was initially rejected because of a problem with his teeth. However, when he finally did enlist it was at a time when Australia had seen a large amount of casualities and needed reinforcements on the battlegrounds overseas. Leonard left South Australia for Egypt in January 1916. From Egypt he was then stationed on the Western Front in France. Tragically, within the first few days fighting in the Battle of

Pozières Leonard was killed in action in the most brutal of ways. Australian forces had witnessed a huge loss of life during these first few days in Pozières with a further 23,000 casualties. Leonard was reported "Missing in Action" for sometime and not until mid-1917 was he finally declared "Killed in Action".

As if Henry and Penelope had not had enough worries with three sons going off to war and one being killed, their fourth and youngest son also enlisted. Norman Charles Hughes was 19 years old in 1917 and was ready for war. Because he was under the age of 21 years, Norman had to have permission from his father. So in November 1917 Henry Hughes wrote to the war office to offer them his final son for enlistment. Henry's letter must have been particularly hard to write having just confirmed his eldest son's death. Here he writes, "may add that he is the fourth and final son to enlist. I have no more."

Permission for Norman Charles Hughes to join the AIF

from his parents Henry & Penelope Hughes, 1917.

 

Norman made it home to Australia with two of his brothers. Sadly Leondard did not. His remains were reinterred in a war grave in Amiens, France with many of the other men lost during the battles on the Western Front.

Also, interestingly at this time Penelope Hughes was participating in 'Conscription Parades' through the streets of Adelaide. This in itself proves the patriotism of the Hughes family.

 

For family historians, historians or anyone interested in the military we are extremely lucky to have access to war service records and war records through the Australian War Memorial and the National Archives of Australiawhere a lot of this information has come to light.

 

There's plenty more to find out.

 

Phoebe.