My name is Kathy Rix, I was Kathleen Moloney when I joined the Women’s Royal Australian Air Force in July 1967. I was 18 and my mustering was a Clerk Equipment Account. I did ‘rookies’ [recruit training] at Edinburgh in South Australia, was posted to Wagga Wagga, Richmond and finally to Perth where I left in December 1969. These years were very enjoyable and rewarding.
I enlisted because I was in a dead-end job and wanted to do something different. My mother was in the Air Force during the World War II and absolutely loved it. I thought what a great opportunity to serve Australia and do something different. I applied for an accounts position, sat the trade test and was accepted. I was working in accounts as a civilian so I applied for what I knew.
Starting off, rookies was a bit daunting but because of my mother I had a bit of an idea of what I was stepping into. I had attended a strict private school so following orders was not difficult. After the first week, life got easier and we were all in it together. I especially liked the drill and the camaraderie.
The culmination of rookies is the passing out parade. Mum came to the parade and she was so proud because it brought back memories for her. Then we were all off on our big adventure. We thought we were so smart. Little did we know.
My first posting was Wagga Wagga, I absolutely loved it. Wagga was the training base for technical trades. I learnt on the job. We had so much fun, lots of parties and dances. We had the parades in the early mornings and in the freezing cold winter and because we were doing the same thing, we could all have a whinge then get on with life. Our winter uniform was blue serge skirt, light blue shirt, our cap, battle jacket, our sturdy shoes and stockings - not thick ones! The blokes had long trousers so I guess they were a little bit warmer than we were. It was freezing cold with frost on the ground. Then the summertime was pretty hot. But it toughens you up. The cap I’m wearing is part of our winter uniform.
When I left Wagga, I went to RAAF Base Richmond . Richmond was a huge base and a totally different environment. The working environment was much larger, the personnel older and mostly living off base. We had a WRAAF Sergeant in charge which was pretty unusual. She was one of the first intakes when the WRAAF restarted in the 1950s and was an inspiration to us new girls. One of my male colleagues, who’d been to Vietnam, was a very good at caricatures and he called me ‘Snoopy’. So, when I was posted to Western Australia, he drew this for me. I have fond memories of that time. Richmond was a totally different environment but just as interesting.
When I was at Pearce – advanced flying training school – one of my jobs was the cashier in the clothing pool and dealt with personnel from all sections of the base. The guys I knew who had returned from the Vietnam conflict were proud of what they’d done. My fiancé, then husband, had been at Ubon – Northern Thailand – they didn’t talk very much about it but were proud of helping their country.
During my time in the WRAAF there were antiwar protects etc, but these did not affect us.
Social life at Richmond was more self-made, trips to Sydney and surrounds, spending time in the pool on hot weekends etc. We were lucky enough to have flights in the Caribou when the pilots were practising circuits and bumps. Sydney harbour at night is amazing!
I was posted to Western Australia and discharged from there. Again, totally different to Richmond and more like Wagga. You’re isolated so you make your own fun, lots of parties and dances. We’d hitch a ride into Perth and there was a designated meeting place to obtain a lift back to base. Everyone knew everyone else.
I was in Perth in 1969 and I met the man I was going to marry. The government had just legislated for married women to continue their service with the armed forces. I didn’t want to leave, I just loved the Air Force, I was going to make it my career. We were both waiting on postings, then he got posted to the UK and other places for five years, I made the decision to go with him.
It’s a harder life when you have children and they don’t settle moving around. But for the young people I think service life is very rewarding.
I really think that the services, and I’m really talking about the Air Force is a really good experience for young people. They learn discipline, self-worth, and from my point of view you feel you’re contributing to the greater good of your country and part of a bigger organisation helping out. But I really think it’s self-building. I went in as a very naive 18-year-old from a sheltered background and I learnt so much. For me it was a character-building experience.
In a war situation it’s different, but definitely in peace I think it’s character building. You make friends. I’m still in contact with two girls I served with; one was on my rookies course, we went our separate ways in our trades but met up again in Perth, the other I met in Perth. Then there’s the friends I made in the very tight-knit group whilst overseas. When you live together in a small group for five years you either love or hate each other and we all got on well.
I would encourage young people to pick up the baton join the services and experience a rewarding lifestyle.
This is the story of Kathy Rix as told to Carla Edwards.
