General News
6 April, 2025
May Craig shares a snap shot of her 104 years
May Craig is 104 and will celebrate her 105th birthday in October this year. She travelled from Nhill to Horsham recently to attend the Wimmera Legacy meeting as a guest speaker for the March meeting.
Travelling wth her was Merv Schneider, her Legacy carer who will soon celebrate his 100th birthday.
She is sprightly, has a sense of humour, a twinkle in her eye, and memories galore to share.
Wimmera Legacy President Phillip Nicks welcomed Mrs Craig and visiting Legacy Victorian Vice President Michael Annett to the meeting and introduced the delightful guest speaker.
Mrs Craig grew up on a small farm in the Otways in Southern Victoria and recalled the joy of riding her pony on the farm and through the nearby forest.
"Dad died when I was 10 so life was a struggle for our mother who had six children to care for. I left school at 13 and helped around the farm until I went to work in a fruit shop and nursery in Colac when I was 15.
"I think I may have told the owner I could cook, but she soon found out I could only cook porridge and chocolate sago; luckily she agreed to teach me and kept me on.
War was declared in 1939, and after the Japanese bombed Darwin in 1942 the young May hurried to Melbourne to join the Women's Auxiliary Air Force which had been created so that men could be released to the front line.
"I couldn't shoot straight and had no skills for war but I wanted to join the men where the action was, however, the Australian government ordered that women could not leave Australia," she said.
She did three weeks of rookie training and a three-week stewardess course at Somers by the Sea in the vey cold weather.
"I had just two grey blankets and they were itchy," she said.
"I also learned how to throw an enemy to the ground if I was attacked."
History says there was a fence between the male and female training camps.
"But the fence wasn't that high," she said with a twinkle in her eye.
Mrs Craig's daughter Lesley said her mother told her once if she lived to be a hundred she'd never forget the first morning she had to serve breakfast to all those young men.
"Well, she is now 104 and still has vivid memories of serving the Air Crew who had been on night maneuvers," she said.
Mrs Craig takes upon the story.
"In the confusion, I gave them black tea when they ordered white coffee, I gave them mince on toast when they wanted scrambled eggs.
"Most of them were great. But there is always one, isn't there?" she said.
It was about that time that an American soldier murdered his third female victim in Melbourne so the women had to be chaperoned when they went out.
"He was caught and later hung," she said.
She was posted to the School of Administration for Officers at Melbourne University and then to Newman College.
"In March, 1943, we assembled on the parade ground at Melbourne University and swore the oath of allegiance which meant we were enlisted in the R.A.A.F.
"Previously we had been an auxiliary so with that action we made history as the first women’s service to do so, other than the Nursing Services."
The girls also made history with a newsreel that went around the world of them swishing the grass off the back of their skirts after sitting on the grass at another formal event.
"I was then sent to Ormond College and danced with Chips Rafferty who went on to become an Australian movie star.
"I told the other girls I danced with him but I didn't say it was a Progressive Barn Dance and I only danced with him for a few minutes when he came my way," she said.
She said she remembered the young servicemen she met, with great pride.
She studied and passed the Fabric Workers test so she could repair parachutes and the wings of planes; but was not allowed to change her job due to the shortage of stewardesses.
When the opportunity to become a cook she jumped at it.
"It wasn't because I wanted to be a cook but the course was in Adelaide and I'd never been to Adelaide, so off I went."
However, of all her memories spanning 104 years one remains the most vivid.
Those wonderful words that echoed around Australia and the rest of the world. The war was over.
The sheer jubilation of hugging and kissing total strangers. Dancing and singing in the streets while everything else came to a standstill for a day and a night.
I'll always remember Sir Winston Churchill who said at that time, “The price of Freedom is eternal Vigilance".
Her work life included making shoulder pads and keys for wardrobe doors.
During her time in service, she met a young Army soldier on a tram. They got off the tram at the same stop and exchanged addresses.
He went to Japan as part of Occupation and when he returned she was engaged to someone else.
However, they met again due to a chance meeting and married.
She has written three books and has plans for another one.
She has fond memories of her father and how her mother took care of six children after his death.
She has two daughters, 5 grandchildren, and now great-grandchildren and attributes her longevity to horse riding, not drinking milk and never telling a lie after joining the Girl Guides.
Legacy Victorian Vice President Michael Annett was a special guest at the Legacy meeting to hear May's story.
Mr Annett is a Royal Military College (RMC) Duntroon graduate. He commanded a troop, squadron, and unit in the Australian Army from 1980 to 2006.
On leaving the Army, he worked in veteran support and services roles, including over a dozen years as CEO of the Returned Services League (RSL) Victoria.
Michael continued to serve in the Reserve, commanding 4 Brigade and returning to full-time service in 2015/16 to deploy to Afghanistan as the Task Group commander.
He is currently the National President of the Defence Reserves Association, the Vice President Melbourne Legacy, and Honorary Colonel of the 4th/19th Prince of Wales’s Light Horse Regiment.
