WALKER, Beryl
| Other Name: | MANION, Beryl - Married Name |
|---|---|
| Service Number: | 106683 |
| Enlisted: | 5 October 1942, Sydney, NSW |
| Last Rank: | Aircraftwoman |
| Last Unit: | No. 2 Operational Training Unit Mildura |
| Born: | Blackpool, England, 3 April 1924 |
| Home Town: | Gosford, Gosford Shire, New South Wales |
| Schooling: | Gosford High School, St Joseph's School Wyong |
| Occupation: | Cashier and Book Keeper |
| Memorials: |
World War 2 Service
| 5 Oct 1942: | Enlisted Royal Australian Air Force, Aircraftwoman, 106683, No. 2 Operational Training Unit Mildura, Sydney, NSW | |
|---|---|---|
| 14 May 1945: | Discharged Royal Australian Air Force, Aircraftwoman, 106683 |
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Add my storyBiography contributed by Faithe Jones
Beryl enlisted in the Women’s Australian Auxiliary Air Force (WAAAF) in October 1942, and served as a radar operator at No. 31 Radar Station at Ash Island, Newcastle.
In June 1944, she was posted to No. 2 Operational Training Unit in Parkes, NSW, and Mildura, Victoria.
While stationed in Newcastle, Beryl guided a lost Catalina flying boat back home.
'I saw a plane circling on the radar screen, and I kept telling the CO that there was a lost aircraft, but he did not believe me,' she said.
'I remember yelling into the phone, suggesting that he count his aircraft because he couldn't see what I could see on the radar, which was top secret.
'There was definitely a lost plane circling.'
The radio went silent, likely because she was right.
'I noticed on the radar shortly afterwards, that the Catalina had changed course and was heading back to Newcastle,' she said.
'A message from the boys came back to me through my WAAAF friends the next day - to thank the radar operator on duty because she got them home safely.'
While based in Mildura, Beryl met a radar mechanic by the name of Clovis 'Bob' Manion. The two married after the war and raised their daughter Sandra.
Beryl discharged from the WAAAF in May 1945 and went on to work as a clerk in family businesses. Her and Bob also owned their own pharmacy.
The two spent 67 years happily married until Bob passed away in 2014.
In her spare time, Beryl loved to volunteer in her local community and took to the court to play tennis. These days, she enjoys jigsaw puzzles.
Beryl also authored a book titled My Life in the WAAAF 1942-1945.
When asked what her secret to longevity was, she said it's a mix of good genes, an active lifestyle, and a healthy outlook on life.
Australian Government Department of Veterans' Affairs (www.facebook.com)
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