Woman’s 25 years in the Army

Press, Volume CXIII, Issue 33358, 17 October 1973, Page 6

Woman’s 25 years in the Army

Twenty-five years service in the New Zealand Women’s Royal Army : Corps ended last week for Warrant Officer First-Class Dorothy Day, of Christchurch. She was the senior non-commissioned officer in the women’s branch of the Army. Bom in Christchurch, Warrant Officer Day worked for five years in a box factory before enlisting in the New Zealand Army in 1949. She worked in Christchurch for the next 12 years, the first six months in the Southern District Ordnance Depot, and Army Area 10 for the rest of the period. For some time, Warrant Officer Day worked in the office for sick and wounded, which dealt with men returning from the I Korean War. In August, 1961, she was posted to Singapore as a pay clerk, being one of the first three members of the N.Z.W. R.A.C. to be posted overseas. Postings to Trentham, Papakura, and Linton followed her return to New Zealand. In 1967, Warrant Officer, Day became the first woman' posted to a senior rank’s: appointment in the Royal I New Zealand Army Ordnance; Corps. She was posted to I Defence Headquarters, Wel-|

Ilington, in 1969; and when < the Army was reorganised in September, 1970, moved to ; Headquarters Home Com- : mand, where she remained as personnel clerk in the Directorate of Ordnance —another appointment normally filled by men. She was awarded the Long Service and Good Conduct Medal in 1967, and was presented with it at the same parade at which her husband, Captain A. S. Day, who is I also in the Ordnance Corps, received Lis.