Audrey Grace cleveland Worsley
|
Audrey 1946
Harold
|
Audrey with Janice 1947
Audrey Worsley was the only daughter of Edna and Robert Worsley. She had an older brother Morris Richard and a younger brother Harold Wesley. Her parents divorced and her mother remarried. The children's stepfather Frank was abusive, making her home life difficult. The children would often stay with Edna's sisters Aunt Lillian and Aunt Mary. Both the boys were regularly sent to the Burnside Home for boys. http://cdn.uniting.org/burnside-stories/index.html However, when things were settled at home, Edna would bring them back, one by one, and things would go forward for a while until Frank had enough and off they would go again
Audrey began working in the shoe department at David Jones in 1936 when she was 14. All of the female staff wore black dresses with either a string of pearls or a lace collar. When Audrey got the job, Edna bought 2 remnant pieces to make Audrey a uniform. The fabric pieces were two different shades of black but she made a dress anyway. Then she dyed a pair of brown shoes black for Audrey to wear. The dye made the shoes stink. Audrey 's first day was in a mismatched dress and smelly shoes. As the Second World War got underway, Audrey left David Jones to work in munitions factory, because it paid better wages. One day, less than a year after starting, her glove got caught in one of the machines. She was able to slip her hand out of it before suffering any injury, but was frightened and quit soon after. She spent the remainder of the war working at a shop called “Stitches” that altered and repair military uniforms.
Primarily to escape her home life, In 1942 at the age of 20, she married Alan Oswald McLure, a 26 year old chemist's clerk. Only one week into the marriage she realised that she had married someone very like her step-father. They were both working, but when they came home in the evening, he would sit in a chair and tell her to take his boots off, then sit while she made dinner, cleaned up, etc. Audrey returned home and later divorced him. However, she was pregnant from that short marriage and gave birth to Janice in 1945.
Although she was not yet divorced from Alan McLure, Audrey was a young, vivacious woman and was not about to sit around home alone. The Trocadero, a famous Sydney dance hall, had been converted to use for allied troops. Audrey often went to the Trocadero with her friend Joy Thomas. One evening early in 1943 Joy excitedly told Audrey that she had met a handsome American sailor, Eugene Mogis, the night before and was planning to meet him at the Trocadero again that night. In February of 1943 Joe and Eugene had arrived on the Otus in Sydney for rest and recreation. Her crew was looking forward to getting off the ship and having some fun. Joy told Audrey that Eugene had a friend that Audrey might like to meet. That night at the Trocadero, Audrey met Joe Alexander, a chief boatswain's mate in the U.S. Navy. He was tattooed with thick wavy dark hair and a big smile He was intelligent and well-spoken and she had the time of her life dancing with him.
As the days passed while Joe had leave, he and Audrey spent a lot of time together. Audrey loved his American accent and the fact that he would hold her hand, gaze into her eyes and recite poetry to her. They often danced the night away and would go to eat breakfast when the dance hall closed. Audrey was totally enraptured. Eventually, Joe's leave was over and he had to return to his ship. They exchanged addresses and promised to write. And write they did. Audrey and Alan divorced on November 5th, 1944.
In April 1947 Audrey, Janice and Audrey's mother Edna boarded the SS Phoenix to take Audrey to her new life in America with Joe Alexander. The SS Phoenix would be the last ship to transport war brides to America. It is estimated between 12000 Australian women married US servicemen during the 1940s. The ship arrived on the 2nd May 1947 and Joe and Audrey were quickly married on the 5th May 1947. Audrey's mother Edna would have been at the wedding too. Joe and Audrey settled in Newport Rhode Island and on the 19th May, 1951 they had a church wedding at St Mary's Church, Newport. They had five more children together. In the early 80s they moved to Jacksonville, Florida where Louis died on March 4th, 1984. Audrey lived for another thirty five years passing away on March 9th, 2019,
Both Dick and Harold served in the military in the war. Dick lost a leg and, after the war, got a degree in psychology and worked as a parole officer. Harold had a fruit and veg barrow in the city. He married Grace and had three sons. Dick died in the 1980's and Harold passed away this past January, 2017.
Audrey began working in the shoe department at David Jones in 1936 when she was 14. All of the female staff wore black dresses with either a string of pearls or a lace collar. When Audrey got the job, Edna bought 2 remnant pieces to make Audrey a uniform. The fabric pieces were two different shades of black but she made a dress anyway. Then she dyed a pair of brown shoes black for Audrey to wear. The dye made the shoes stink. Audrey 's first day was in a mismatched dress and smelly shoes. As the Second World War got underway, Audrey left David Jones to work in munitions factory, because it paid better wages. One day, less than a year after starting, her glove got caught in one of the machines. She was able to slip her hand out of it before suffering any injury, but was frightened and quit soon after. She spent the remainder of the war working at a shop called “Stitches” that altered and repair military uniforms.
Primarily to escape her home life, In 1942 at the age of 20, she married Alan Oswald McLure, a 26 year old chemist's clerk. Only one week into the marriage she realised that she had married someone very like her step-father. They were both working, but when they came home in the evening, he would sit in a chair and tell her to take his boots off, then sit while she made dinner, cleaned up, etc. Audrey returned home and later divorced him. However, she was pregnant from that short marriage and gave birth to Janice in 1945.
Although she was not yet divorced from Alan McLure, Audrey was a young, vivacious woman and was not about to sit around home alone. The Trocadero, a famous Sydney dance hall, had been converted to use for allied troops. Audrey often went to the Trocadero with her friend Joy Thomas. One evening early in 1943 Joy excitedly told Audrey that she had met a handsome American sailor, Eugene Mogis, the night before and was planning to meet him at the Trocadero again that night. In February of 1943 Joe and Eugene had arrived on the Otus in Sydney for rest and recreation. Her crew was looking forward to getting off the ship and having some fun. Joy told Audrey that Eugene had a friend that Audrey might like to meet. That night at the Trocadero, Audrey met Joe Alexander, a chief boatswain's mate in the U.S. Navy. He was tattooed with thick wavy dark hair and a big smile He was intelligent and well-spoken and she had the time of her life dancing with him.
As the days passed while Joe had leave, he and Audrey spent a lot of time together. Audrey loved his American accent and the fact that he would hold her hand, gaze into her eyes and recite poetry to her. They often danced the night away and would go to eat breakfast when the dance hall closed. Audrey was totally enraptured. Eventually, Joe's leave was over and he had to return to his ship. They exchanged addresses and promised to write. And write they did. Audrey and Alan divorced on November 5th, 1944.
In April 1947 Audrey, Janice and Audrey's mother Edna boarded the SS Phoenix to take Audrey to her new life in America with Joe Alexander. The SS Phoenix would be the last ship to transport war brides to America. It is estimated between 12000 Australian women married US servicemen during the 1940s. The ship arrived on the 2nd May 1947 and Joe and Audrey were quickly married on the 5th May 1947. Audrey's mother Edna would have been at the wedding too. Joe and Audrey settled in Newport Rhode Island and on the 19th May, 1951 they had a church wedding at St Mary's Church, Newport. They had five more children together. In the early 80s they moved to Jacksonville, Florida where Louis died on March 4th, 1984. Audrey lived for another thirty five years passing away on March 9th, 2019,
Both Dick and Harold served in the military in the war. Dick lost a leg and, after the war, got a degree in psychology and worked as a parole officer. Harold had a fruit and veg barrow in the city. He married Grace and had three sons. Dick died in the 1980's and Harold passed away this past January, 2017.
Audrey, c1943
Saying goodbye to Audrey, Sydney 1947
|
Louis c1943
Aboard the SS Phoenix
|
HAROLD AND DICK
Harold stood in the doorway clutching his brother Dick’s hand tightly. He watched the car retreat down the road, his mother’s face looking through the back window, her gloved hand raised in farewell. He turned and pressed his wet face into Dick’s chest. He could feel his brother’s body shuddering, then his chest rise as he took a big breath.
‘Come on Harry. Let’s go and find our beds.’
They trudged up the stairs and into the dormitory the matron had shown them earlier.
‘This is your bed, and mine is here next to you.’ Dick gestured to two small narrow beds.
Dick helped Harold unpack his suitcase and put the clothes away.
Harold lay on the bed and watched his brother unpacking his bag.
‘How long will we be here for Dick?’
‘I don’t know Harry.’
Harold sighed and closed his eyes. He thought about the day their father had left the house.
‘You be strong, little man’, his father had said patting him on the head. ‘I’ll be back soon.’
It seemed like a long time ago now and their father hadn’t come back. Then their Mother had started going out a lot, smelling nice and wearing lipstick. One night a man came to tea.
‘This is Mr Whitehouse’, their mother smiled at them. ‘We are getting married.’
Dick had told Harold Mr Whitehouse didn’t want another man's children and that’s why they had gone to live in the orphanage.
‘You won’t go away will you Dick?’ Harold asked, his voice quavering.
‘No Harry. I’m not going anywhere. We’ll stick together me and you.’
Harold stood in the doorway clutching his brother Dick’s hand tightly. He watched the car retreat down the road, his mother’s face looking through the back window, her gloved hand raised in farewell. He turned and pressed his wet face into Dick’s chest. He could feel his brother’s body shuddering, then his chest rise as he took a big breath.
‘Come on Harry. Let’s go and find our beds.’
They trudged up the stairs and into the dormitory the matron had shown them earlier.
‘This is your bed, and mine is here next to you.’ Dick gestured to two small narrow beds.
Dick helped Harold unpack his suitcase and put the clothes away.
Harold lay on the bed and watched his brother unpacking his bag.
‘How long will we be here for Dick?’
‘I don’t know Harry.’
Harold sighed and closed his eyes. He thought about the day their father had left the house.
‘You be strong, little man’, his father had said patting him on the head. ‘I’ll be back soon.’
It seemed like a long time ago now and their father hadn’t come back. Then their Mother had started going out a lot, smelling nice and wearing lipstick. One night a man came to tea.
‘This is Mr Whitehouse’, their mother smiled at them. ‘We are getting married.’
Dick had told Harold Mr Whitehouse didn’t want another man's children and that’s why they had gone to live in the orphanage.
‘You won’t go away will you Dick?’ Harold asked, his voice quavering.
‘No Harry. I’m not going anywhere. We’ll stick together me and you.’
