SCARONI, Estelle May
| Service Number: | 99391 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 12 May 1942, Brisbane, Queensland |
| Last Rank: | Aircraftwoman |
| Last Unit: | RAAF Stores Depots |
| Born: | Ipswich, Queensland, Australia, 23 February 1922 |
| Home Town: | Esk, Somerset, Queensland |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Switchboard Operator |
| Died: | Accidental (Motor Vehicle), Charters Towers, Queensland, Australia, 28 June 1944, aged 22 years |
| Cemetery: |
Charters Towers Cemetery, Qld Plot A. Row B. Grave 9 |
| Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour |
World War 2 Service
| 12 May 1942: | Enlisted Royal Australian Air Force, Aircraftwoman, 99391, Brisbane, Queensland | |
|---|---|---|
| 28 Jun 1944: | Involvement Royal Australian Air Force, Aircraftwoman, 99391, RAAF Stores Depots, Homeland Defence - Militia and non deployed forces | |
| 28 Jun 1944: | Involvement |
NORTH HAS BEST W.A.A.F. BARRACK
The Courier Mail - Thursday 22 June 1944.
NORTH HAS BEST W.A.A.F. BARRACK
GIRLS of the Women's Australian Auxiliary Air Force who are serving at an isolated stores depot in North Queensland, agree that they have 'the best barracks in Australia.'
They expected ordinary bush huts, and a lack of entertainment when they received their postings from southern States to which many of them belong. Instead, they have found sleeping huts with wooden louvre windows at each end, ample permanent cupboards with hanging and shelf space for each girl, and even telephones installed. In their ablutions blocks are the luxury of baths, and each girl has her own partitioned section for toilet accessories. The climate, they say, is glorious, and entertainment is plentiful. Only half an hour after their arrival in this centre far from city life, Australian Army sergeants camped a few miles away arrived at the unit with an invitation to tea and tennis on the following Sunday. This proved to be the fore-runner of many festivities. The W.A.A.F. officer in charge, Section Officer Hope Forster (Richmond, Qld.). has in her team, girls from every State in the Commonwealth except Western Australia. Other Queensland representatives include Alrcraftwoman Norma Nott (Gladstone), who was formerly a tailoress in a men's outfitting firm; Aircraftwoman Ruth Faulkner (Brisbane), and Aircraft woman Estelle Scaroni (Somerset Dam) . The girls have an entertainment committee of their own, and are planning to present some dramatic shows in the near future.
This article appeared only 6 days before Estelle & several others were killed in an horrific accident.
Aircraftwoman Estelle May Scaroni died of injuries sustained in collision with R.A.A.F. vehicle No: 202023 & Army convey vehicle No: C17069. She was in the R.A.A.F. vehicle when it crashed 8 miles east of Charters Towers. She was given an R.A.A.F. burial and is resting in the Charters Towers Cemetery.
Submitted 30 July 2016 by Jude Spalding
Biography contributed by David Barlow
Daughter of Stanley and Florence Scaroni of Morningside, Queensland
RAAF Vehicle 202023 (Chevrolet 1541) was involved in an accident with Army Vehicle C17069 on the evening of 28 June 1944 on the Burdekin Highway, approximately 6 miles east of Charters Towers. The vehicle was returning from a dance that had been held that evening at RAAF Breddan. Sixteen servicemen and women were severely injured, with three airwomen and a RAAF officer killed:
2380 Flight Lieutenant Bernard Keith Barty of RAAF Headquarters North Eastern Area
91885 Corporal Thelma Edith McConnell of Number 8 Stores Depot (8SD)
99391 ACW Estelle May Scaroni of Number 8 Stores Depot
90550 Sergeant Mary Catherine Wynack of Number 8 Stores Depot (passed away at 5th Australian Camp Hospital, Charters Towers)
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