WOMEN'S NATIONAL EMERGENCY LEGION (WNEL)
IN CHARLEVILLE, QLD
IN AUSTRALIA DURING WW2

In July 1942, nine WNEL transport drivers from Base Motor Command, Base Section 2, were assigned to the Quartermaster of Townsville, twelve to Charleville, five to Charters Towers, seven to Mount Isa and later approximately sixty to Cairns, By the end of April 1944, all pools from these areas were consolidated in Townsville, and with the training of further recruits the number in Townsville reached its peak of one hundred and fifty drivers.

The following article is from the "Bayonet of Australia", the history of the US Army's Base Section 2 which had its Headquarters in Townsville.

W.N.E.L.S. - CHARLEVILLE
When the WNEL drivers went to Charleville early in May 1942, they formed the first pool outside the Brisbane area and drove for the Service Group in charge of the big airfield there.

Charleville is over 400 miles west of Brisbane and is one of the largest inland towns in the State of Queensland and center of a huge pastoral area. The airfield at which we worked, had in pre-war days, been a stopping place for QANTAS Imperial Airways and the Dutch Airlines, but had been considerably enlarged to accommodate the Flying Fortresses.

The work was interesting in view of the fact that Charleville was then a Base for the bombers coming in from the States and also a repair Base for planes from northern operational areas. We became accustomed to seeing the Bl7's, B25's etc., come down from the north with hundreds of bullet holes in them and even the bloodstains left by some unfortunate members of the crew.

There were thirteen girls in charge of a Corporal and as there were only about three staff cars we learnt to handle recons and command cars. In fact there was much rivalry as to the respective merits of these lumbering vehicles.

The first girls to arrive were received by a rather embarrassed Commanding Officer who didn't know quite what to do with them or what they were to do. They, poor creatures, were left with the decided impression that women couldn't be expected to drive without wrecking cars anyhow.

Their initial enthusiasm for doing the right thing, particularly the saluting of officers, soon died a natural death, for the snappy salutes offered were not received with any enthusiasm. The unfortunate officer concerned, invariably turned purple and clawed off his cap, in fact seemed totally unable to cope with the situation. The issue was further confused by the fact that the swarms of small black flies which harrass the dwellers of the outback, bothered the Americans a great deal and they could always be seen beating them off with the least one hand. While we were persevering with the salutes, we seemed to continually have both hands flailing the air before us, which was rather exhausting to say the least and not a little confusing to visiting Generals etc., who however, soon learned what was widely known as the Charleville salute.

After we had been operating for a month or so the Americans had to admit that some women could drive and the C.O. was agreeably surprised to find that the vehicles operated by the WNELs required far less repair than any of the others.

We had many amusing experiences at first over the language problem and were frequently puzzled to know just what had been said to us, so, no doubt, our passengers were too, I recall that my first and lasting impression of Americans was that one had to have a highly developed facility for mind reading as they invariably sprang into ones vehicle and refrained from issuing any requests or instructions. The driver would take off hoping that by the time the first crossroad had been reached, the passenger would have worked out where he wished to go. As nearly everyone wanted to go to town, we usually made off in that direction, but were often halted by an exasperated officer saying " I want to go to Headquarters !!"

Many months later, I recall telling vague and undecided passengers that although I had been assiduously practicing mind reading for some eighteen months, or so, I had not yet perfected the art. When the Service Group was ordered to Townsville in November 1942, the Commanding Officer asked us to go north with them and continue to drive for them. Twelve of us elected to go and ten girls travelled up as passengers in the convoy, while the Corporal and I drove the Commanding Officer in his staff car. We were determined we would get the car through, or else. There was a good deal of skepticism about our chances as sedans had been wrecked on the bad roads in previous convoys.

We left on the 12th of November on a very hot day and to Blackall, some two hundred miles north of Charleville, where we spent the night after a swim in the towns lovely swimming pool. 1 was very glad we had decided against going on to Barcaldine, another 70 miles, as I had started the day by travelling 120 miles by car from my station home, where I had spent a few days leave.

We left at 5 o'clock next morning and had breakfast in Barcaldine where we caught up with the convoy which had left Charleville ahead of us.

Our trip so far had taken us through some of the best pastoral country in Queensland ............

REFERENCES

"The Bayonet of Australia"

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I'd like to thank Allan Tonks for his assistance with this web page.

Can anyone help me with more information?

"Australia @ War" WWII Research Products

This page first produced 25 August 2019

This page last updated 09 March 2020