Mavis Irene Watkins

  General Notes:

Mavis enlisted in the Citizens Military Forces on 6 November 1942 at Concord West in Sydney. She was 22 years of age, working as a clerk, and living with her parents at 249 Darley Road, Randwick. She listed her father, James, as her next of kin. She was issued with the service number N282663, which was later changed to NFX145139 when she was transferred to the Australian Imperial Forces (AIF). She was assigned to the 113 AGH in Concord. Her trade was described as "Clerk and Typiste".
Mavis continued to work at Concord with the 113 AGH through the war years. She was promoted to the rank of Corporal on 29 September 1943, but in February 1945 she reverted to the rank of Private at her own request for reasons unknown. At the end of the war she was transferred to the 101 AGH and on 9 March 1946 embarked on the H.S. Manunda with her unit bound for Kure to join the Allied Occupation forces there. They arrived there on 25 March. On 7 February 1947 she was again promoted to the rank of Corporal.
She had met her future husband Jack while serving in Japan. Jack was to continue serving in Japan until 1 April 1947 when he boarded the Manoora to head home to Sydney, arriving on 15 April. One week later, on 22 April 1947, he was discharged from the army. He was the recipient of the Pacific Star, the Defence Medal, the War Medal and the Australia Service Medal.
Mavis left Japan on 18 June 1947 and disembarked in Sydney on 8 July. She was discharged from the Army as part of the demobilisation on 14 July 1947, and was the recipient of the War Medal and the Australian Service Medal.

Mavis married John Herbert Jones, son of James Hardie Jones and Annie Herbert, in 1947 in Mary Immaculate Church, Waverley, New South Wales, Australia. (John Herbert Jones was born on 27 Dec 1923 in Croydon Park, New South Wales, Australia and died on 11 Dec 1980 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.)