Rae Bywater worked in health during World War II.
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The Sydney-born nurse was based in Baulkham Hills.
“They ran an AGH (Australian General Hospital) just out of Baulkham Hills, it was just for arms and legs,” she said.
“Most of them (veterans) have missing arms and legs. I joined up when I was 18.
“The Second World War broke out when I was 12 or 13. All the England and Aussie boys were involved and my uncle was in the 9th division.
“I was always interested when he came back from the Middle East.
“Uncle Jim, that was my mother’s brother, went right through from the beginning of World War II. It was through him I was really interested in joining up.
“They hadn’t even formed a nursing side for the Second World War.
“The trained sisters, they needed help and they formed the ANNWS and that’s how we came to be formed. During the war years I was old enough to go to first aid classes, first aid and advanced first aid, but I couldn’t join up, I was still under age.
“Having the nursing certificates I was able to get into the ANNWS when it was formed, but I wasn’t old enough to go overseas - you had to be 21 then.
“I was in Sydney at the 103 AGH in Baulkham Hills. It was a Masonic Boys School, they turned it into a AGH.
“Everyone knows about Concord which was the 113th AGH, but I didn’t want to go into just nursing, I wanted to work with people who have lost their arms or legs and Baulkham Hills was the place they sent me to.
“I didn’t even know where Nyngan was in those days.”
Mrs Bywater is currently a member of the Nyngan RSL Sub-Branch, she will be in the Anzac March this April 25.
