Can you help the National Archives track down any information about this woman, Margaret Williamson, so it can complete its World War II records? Photo: National Archives of Australia.
The National Archives of Australia (NAA) is poised to complete a five-year project, digitising World War II service records – but it needs your help.
The project ensures that a record of those who represented their country in the 1939-1945 war is collated correctly and stored in the national archive for posterity. It is also designed to help all Australians better understand and reflect on their nation’s wartime history.
But according to project director Rebecca Penna, public help is needed to locate the family of Margaret Williamson, whose World War II record is the last to be digitised.
Ms Penna said finding Margaret’s relatives would be the perfect way to mark the end of the project.
“Margaret’s record is the last, but certainly not the least, of more than one million World War II service records that the National Archives has digitised,” she said.
“Margaret’s record reveals some clues about her life before and during the Second World War, but we would love to fill in the blanks with some help from her family.”
Information known so far is that she was born Margaret McCredie in Paddington NSW in 1920 and enrolled in the Women’s Auxiliary Australian Air Force (WAAAF) at age 20.
Prior to enlisting, she trained at Bankstown Domestic Science School and worked in the mail order department of the David Jones store in Market Street, Sydney.
“During her time in the WAAAF, Margaret worked as a storekeeper and equipment assistant across various locations within Australia including Robertson, Parkes, Point Cook, Laverton and Sydney,” Ms Penna said.
She was promoted to sergeant in April 1944 and discharged on demobilisation in October 1945.
Records show her husband Richard Williamson was born in Kyabram, Victoria. He served in World War II with his record already in the NAA collection.
“We are inviting anyone who might have information about Margaret or her family to contact the National Archives,” Ms Penna said.
“Margaret’s service record represents the culmination of years of effort to digitise these paper records, but also an opportunity to honour the memory of the many individuals who served their country.”
In 2019, the Federal Government provided $10 million to help the NAA digitise the remaining 852,000 World War II service records. At the time, 200,000 had already been preserved and made available.
Around 1,058,000 Second World War service records are already available to view online. The remaining one per cent are available on request, free of charge.
The NAA’s defence and war service records are also available online.
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