Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Noel McGinty
Noel, the youngest of the boys, wanted to join the service like his two older brothers. Noel enlisted in February 1941 with the Citizens Military Forces (CMF/Militia) in Longreach, Queensland, just short of his 21st birthday in April. Noel was working as a shed hand. He declared his date of birth on his enlistment papers as 12 months older than he actually was. A letter written in September 1941 by Alfred his eldest brother while in Palestine to an Uncle and Aunt in Brisbane explains how Alfred heard that Noel enlisted and that their mother tried to stop this. Alfred was supportive of their mother’s wishes and wrote that two sons where enough in the war and pointed out that Noel was a great help to their mother.

Noel’s mother Ethel May McGinty lodged a request to cancel Noel’s enlistment. On 3rd October 1941, Noel was called up for full time duty as a Signalman Telegrapher Grade 1 (TG 1) with the 26th Infantry Battalion. By this time, however, he had been granted leave without pay from 8 September 1941 through to 14 June 1942. The records show that Ethel May was having an influence on her son’s enlistment as a Certificate of Discharge was raised for Noel in December 1941 as a consequence of Noel McGinty being under the age of 21 years and at the request of his parents. However, the certificate was cancelled, and Noel remained on full time duty. Ethel May McGinty had tried to stop her son from joining up but ultimately was unsuccessful.