precision

This is something else.

There are some incredible photos of Doxford Engines in its machine shops. It's hard to believe that all has gone now though and all those skills lost - a shame..

The Women’s Australian National Service (WANS) was inaugurated in 1940. Training for members of the WANS included air raid drills, first aid, basic military drills, and even shooting, signalling, and mechanics. In the period leading up to the formation of the Australian Women’s Army Service (AWAS), the WANS demonstrated that women were capable of filling roles traditionally filled by men. Sir Percy Spender, Australia’s Minister for the Army, considered women to be an underutilised resource in Australia’s war effort. Consequently, he approved the formation of the AWAS on 13 August 1941 with the objective of releasing more men into forward areas. Source: www.awm.gov.au/articles/encyclopedia/awas

And work of high merit has been carried out by women members of AEME. Hundreds of AWAS are in the corps, and they are very proud of their AEME colour patch. Some are University graduates. The Army has to rely on many complicated optical instruments for sighting long range artillery, field artillery, anti-aircraft artillery, and coast artillery. These instruments range from ordinary binoculars to complex construction. In all-optical predictors of most work the AWAS has shown extraordinary skill. The girls have also been especially useful in instrument making, armature winding, and other work requiring delicacy of touch, quickness of movement, and perseverance. Source: The Arguse, 20 Jan 1945 trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/1108145