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‘Well, fly o with Qantas’

‘It’s not as easy as that, Avice’

‘I can’t go on that awful ship!’

‘Listen, Avice, I paid a lot ofout a daht more to keep you in that ruddy hotel because you didn’t fancy naval lodgings I can’t pay out even hty just because you don’t like the facilities on board the ship’

‘But, Daddy--’

‘Sweetheart, I’d love to help, really, but you’ve no idea how hard it was to get you on board’

‘But, Daddy!’ She stalanced at her She lowered her voice to a whisper: ‘I knohat you’re doing – don’t think I don’t knohy you’re refusing to help ht I think the ship thing is a very bad idea’

‘You do?’ Avice felt a flicker of hope Hercos should be done properly What would Ian think if she turned up looking like a navvy?

‘Yes I think you should co’

‘Ho has just too many ifs and buts This ship business sounds absolutely awful, you haven’t heard fro--’

‘He’s at sea, Muainst you Cut your losses, darling, and co about thisto be anyone to ets there Co, and we’ll sort it all out froe their et dumped too,’ called Deanna

‘I’ about that I mean, hardly anyone over here even knows’

‘What?’

‘Well, it was only a little do, wasn’t it? We could have it annulled or soh! You’re both such hypocrites! I knohat you’re doing You got me on the rottenest old ship you could find just so I wouldn’t want to travel’

‘Avice--’

‘Well, too bad You’re not going to iven up any pretence of not listening and was agog, leaning over her counter Avice placed her hand over the receiver and raised her eyebrows at the girl Embarrassed, she busied herself with some paperwork

Her father broke back in: ‘You there? Avice?’ He sighed heavily ‘Look, I’ll wire you soht at the Wentworth We’ll talk about this’

Avice could hear her round Her sister was de at Sydney’s best hotel ‘No, Daddy,’ she said ‘Tell Mummy and Deanna I’ll be on the daet therein diesel fuel and stinking troops, because I love hiain, but you can tell her – tell Mummy I’ll wire her at the other end When Ian – ible for an appoint Service, the applicant had to be a trained registered nurse, a British subject, single, without dependantsood character and personal attributes essential to theof an efficient army nurse

Joan Crouch, ‘A Special Kind of Service’,

The Story of the 2/9 Australian