Chatswood South Uniting Church Voluntary Aid Detachments Memorials

This church contains two memorials:

• Two cast bronze plaques, set outdoors, listing 200 women who served in Voluntary Aid Detachments (V.A.D.) in the Middle East theatre of the Second World War. The plaques list service number, maiden last name (with married names appearing in brackets), and first name (being the name the person was known by in the unit).
• A stained glass window dedicated to Beryl Suthers (V.A.D. 1941 - 1943).

In the years between the First and Second World Wars, the Red Cross and St John Ambulance Association held courses in First Aid and Home Nursing to train young women for community service. The classes were known as Voluntary Aid Detachments. At the outbreak of the Second World War, many Detachments were formed in both city and country areas. Qualified V.A's were sent to hospitals for extra training to serve in Army Camp Hospitals. In 1941, it was decided to send 200 V.A's to army hospitals in the Middle East. V.A's were chosen from every state, enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force, and departed on 31 October 1941. They arrived in Palestine on 23 November and worked in Australian General Hospitals in Palestine, Syria and Egypt. They were the only Detachment of V.A's who served in the Middle East. They returned to Australia with the 9th Australian Division in 1943 and were posted to army hospitals, mainly in Australia and New Guinea.

Note: The Australian Government under its commemoration program, 'Saluting their Service', has made a very generous grant, through the Department of Veterans' Affairs, towards the cost of this memorial.