PAULEEN
A Young woman's wartime experiences at an Officer Candidate School
By Noel W. Wallis

The story of Pauleen is really a "Love Story"

Pauleen worked as a teenager for the American administration at Camp Columbia at Wacol south west of Brisbane, especially at the Officer Candidate School. She had a tremendous love of her work, the officers, candidates and the other civilian female workers.

Pauleen met many servicemen during the course of her duty - some of these she kept in touch with well after the war's end. Whilst she worked at the camp, relationships were established; outings to the dance or picture theatre were enjoyed, and visits to her home by Americans in uniform were something for which she looked forward. One serviceman contacted her after the war to invite her to the States to be married.

However, her "true love" was stationed at Amberley Air Base after serving in Lancaster bombers in England and Europe during the war. Following a period of courtship James Dean Casos and Pauleen Lillian Badke were married at the Ipswich Congregational Church in 1948.

Includes copies of original documents, photographs and
Pauleen's recollections of the Officer Candidate School

"Australia @ War" WWII Research Products

This page first produced 7 May 2008

This page last updated 12 March 2021