Phillipa Carlyle

Flight Mechanic – Women’s Auxiliary Australian Air Force

“You had an enormous sense of trust in each other.”

A fine and mild day with northerly winds freshening. That was the forecast for Melbourne on Wednesday, 15th August 1945. It was typical weather for that time of year as a group of mechanics worked away servicing and repairing aircraft at the RAAF base, Point Cook.

At 9.30 that morning, Australian Prime Minister Ben Chifley addressed the nation in a radio broadcast. “Fellow citizens, the war is over,” he intoned.

Word spread quickly around the RAAF’s No. 1 Flying Training School (No. 1 FTS). One young mechanic who had been stripping down a plane engine in the hangar had just stepped out into the sunshine to join other crew when the news broke. They listened with a mixture of relief and disbelief. It had been a long time coming and Australia’s effort in the Pacific had helped turn the tide of Japanese aggression.

Chifley continued: “Let us remember those whose lives were given that we may enjoy this glorious moment and may look forward to a peace which they have won for us.”

As jubilant crowds gathered across Australia and cities and towns erupted in celebration, Flight Mechanic Phillipa Carlyle greeted the news with both joy and sadness:

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