Friendship of Olive Pugh and Marie Brady continues after almost 80 years and serving during World War II

Olive Pugh and Marie Brady both put their hand up to serve in the war effort as 18-year-olds with their friendship lasting more 75 years.

Olive Pugh and Marie Brady have been friends for almost 80 years after they met while serving in the Women’s Auxiliary Australian Air Force during World War II.

A friendship forged amid World War II which has spanned almost 80 years was rekindled over a cuppa in Ipswich, with plenty of stories and history to catch up on.

Olive Pugh and Marie Brady were both 18 when they put their hand up to serve in the war as part a growing push by women to play their part in the conflict.

They become friends while serving in the Women’s Auxiliary Australian Air Force, which was formed in March 1941.

Olive Pugh and Marie Brady met in 1944.

The pair met in 1944 and were put through their paces at a month-long training camp, called Rookies, on a beach near the old Hornibrook Highway at Sandgate.

“The thing I remember is being given a hessian bag and told to go to this pile of straw and fill the hessian bag, not realising that this was going to be my mattress,” Mrs Pugh said.

“We were given grey blankets and every day the hut was inspected by the sergeant, Rose Rothman. I’ve never forgotten her.”

After training, Mrs Pugh was sent to cypher school and Mrs Brady, who had experience working in a shop, was due to go into clothing.

“After Rookies, we had to go to Melbourne and I went one way and Olive went another way to another place in Melbourne,” Mrs Brady said.

“But I had an accident in Melbourne and although my placement was to be up north, I had to stay in Melbourne for a while to wait for my injury to heal.

“Because of that I missed my appointment and had to go back to the RAAF command in Brisbane.

“That’s where Olive and I got together again and I met her family. I felt I had a found a lovely extended family.”

Olive lives in the Milford Grange aged care facility in Eastern Heights and Marie lives in Toowoomba.

It is a strong bond that has persisted in the almost 80 years since they first met as teenagers.

Mrs Pugh, who now lives in the Milford Grange aged care facility in Eastern Heights, would marry Bill in 1952 and they had three daughters, with six grandchildren and eight great grandchildren to dote on.

She rose to the rank of corporal and was about to receive her sergeant’s stripes when the war ended in 1945.

She was discharged in January 1946.

Mrs Brady went on to marry husband Tom and they had three children, with many grandchildren and great grandchildren following.

She now lives in Toowoomba and daughter Kerry recently brought her down the range for a morning tea at Milford Grange with her dear friend.

“I always tell my daughter what a beautiful lady Olive’s mother was,” Mrs Brady said.

“She was like another mother to me. Apart from Olive I also had her mum.

“Looking back on it all, it’s really emotional. It was only for two years but it was a very special two years in our lives.”

The WAAF was disbanded in December 1947, with the Women’s Royal Australian Air Force formed in its place in 1950.

That too was then scrapped in the early 1980s with female personnel absorbed into the Royal Australian Air Force

Read more stories by Lachlan McIvor here.