HMAS Moreton welcomed one of its earliest members home on June 16, as World War II veteran Doris Fay Royle marked her 100th birthday surrounded by family, friends and members of the Navy community.
Born in 1926, Mrs Royle is among the few remaining women who served in the Navy during WWII.
Although her father, an Army captain, discouraged his daughters from joining the Army, Mrs Royle and her sister Joy were determined to serve – and chose Navy instead.
Enlisting in 1944 at just 18, Mrs Royle was posted to Moreton in Brisbane and joined the communications branch as a teletype operator.
With limited Australian equipment available at the time, she worked alongside the American Navy at the Bank of New South Wales in Queen Street.
“We did 48-hour shifts, four hours on, four hours off during the day, and six hours at night,” Mrs Royle said.
“It was demanding work, but we were young and we were proud to be doing our part.”
After her time at Moreton, Mrs Royle was posted to Townsville, where her ‘Wrannery’ sat right on the water, looking directly across to Magnetic Island.
“We had the naval depot on one side and the Air Force officers training camp on the other. It was quite a place to be,” she said.
It was there she accepted an invitation from a pilot to join a training flight.
“He did a roll over the island. I was terrified,” Mrs Royle said.
“But once my stomach settled, I thought it was marvellous.”
‘It is an absolutely fantastic day to share with someone who embodies our Navy’s history and spirit.’
Mrs Royle vividly remembers the joy that swept the country when Victory in the Pacific was declared in 1945.
“There were celebrations everywhere; dances, music, people in the streets,” she said.
“We all felt such relief and excitement.”
Mrs Royle discharged from the Navy in 1946, married her husband Gordon in 1949, and went on to raise four children.
Today, she is surrounded by her loving children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren – all of whom joined her for this milestone celebration.
Commanding Officer Moreton Commander Chris Unwin welcomed Mrs Royle and her family to a morning tea in her honour.
“To have someone here who was part of Moreton from the beginning makes this a very special occasion for all of us,” Commander Unwin said.
“It is an absolutely fantastic day to share with someone who embodies our Navy’s history and spirit.”
A long-time member of Navy Women Queensland, who affectionately refer to their WWII members as ‘national treasures’, Mrs Royle said returning to Moreton meant the world to her.
“I’m very grateful to be here,” she said.
“Once Navy, always Navy.”
