Mother Mac & Women in the Navy

Image: Dressed in the practical green uniforms designed by McKenzie, Corps members spell out W E S C in flag semaphore

Florence Violet McKenzie was a bright, industrious woman. In 1918 she apprenticed herself to her own electrical contracting business to become an electrical engineer. In doing so she started a chain of events that led to the Women’s Royal Australian Navy.

In 1939 Florence campaigned to set up a civilian organisation to train women in telegraphy and signalling. The Women’s Emergency Signalling Corps was a volunteer outfit but in 1941 the first fourteen members of the Women’s Royal Australian Navy (WRAN) joined its ranks.

Like the Women’s Australian Army Service and the Women’s Australian Auxiliary Air Force, the WRAN served only in Australia during World War Two to ‘free up the boys’ for overseas. Those first fourteen telegraphers became a force of over 3000 women during World War Two.

WRANs soon filled various roles beyond telegraphy. These included coders, clerks, education officers, mechanics, harbour messengers, cooks, sick berth attendants and in intelligence roles. WRANs even served as domestic staff at Government House in Canberra.

WRAN women were unlikely to come to harm on active service. However in 1944 one woman was honoured with a Navy funeral. WRAN Writer Margaret Hall of HMAS Moreton died of pulmonary thrombosis, pericarditis and severe anaemia in July 1944. This came only months after she became engaged to Cecil Martin in March 1944. Hall had enlisted in July 1943 and while her service record is only two pages, it shows she first worked in Brisbane as a messenger before becoming an assistant writer. She was only 29 years old and an only child when she died.

The WRAN was demobilised after the war but revived in 1950 with the two other women’s services. Eventually WRAN members became equal members of the Royal Australian Navy.

Florence McKenzie, known as “Mother Mac’, was awarded an OBE for her services to the Women’s Emergency Signal Corps. She lived a long and active life and died in 1982 at the age of 92. 24 serving WRANS provided a guard of honour at her funeral.