Bridgetown local mapped territory in women’s air force before digital age

More than 50 years ago, the Royal Australian Air Force mapped out territory with a hands-on approach before technology came in. And, one Bridgetown woman knew it was her dream to be involved. Before moving to Bridgetown more than 30 years ago, Judy May fulfilled her childhood dream as an air photo plotter in the air force before the digital age changed everything. Born on the August 21, 1948 in Perth, Ms May knew she wanted to enter the air force from an early age. “My mum and dad were in the (Royal Australian) air force during the war when they met. I always wanted to join the air force,” she said. Pursuing her childhood dream, she joined the Women’s Royal Australian Air Force on March 27, 1968, by her 18th birthday. Finishing her rookie stint at RAAF Base Edinburgh in South Australia in April that year, Ms May entered the force as an air photo plotter making maps. It had been her first choice of job. Posted to the Central Photographic Establishment at the RAAF base in Laverton, Victoria, she said photo plotter mapped out the territory in real time. They took photographers into the sky to visually capture different locations and activity below before, during and after manoeuvres. “When they were developed, they were brought back down to the mapping section, and we had to put them on maps,” Ms May said. The air photo plotters were responsible for placing the aerial photos in the right locations on a large map spread under a glass light table. “That’s all different now. They’re not there anymore. It closed down because of digital,” she said. Ms May stayed in Laverton for eight years as plotters could not be posted to other bases, but they could get attachments. One of her favourite attachments was going to Townsville to work for the American navy for nine weeks, as well as a week in Darwin. Ms May made her way to senior sergeant — the highest ranking possible for her position. However, when she met her first husband — who was also based at Edinburgh — she couldn’t continue in the air force as they planned to be married. Female soldiers were discharged if they married, however, in recent decades this has changed. She retired from the air force on October 22, 1975, and had three children — a boy and a set of boy-girl twins. When the children had grown, Ms May enquired about going back to the air force. As she came out as a sergeant, she found she could go back as a corporal, however, technology advances prevented her from going back as an air plotter. “I love the air force and tried to get back in, but it’s a different stage of your life — you just got to get on with life and different stages,” she said. “It wouldn’t have taken long to go back up to a sergeant, but it was disbanded because digital came in. That was the end of that, even with the photographers. “I’m proud that I’ve done it.” Ms May said the air force is a “great career” for people if they want to go places, however, said it was “not for everybody”. “You’ve got to want to be able to do that. It’s perseverance. If you really want something you go for it and that’s all I ever wanted to do. That and go to Scotland.” Later in her life when her marriage ended, Ms May moved to Bunbury before relocating to Bridgetown in 1994. “I was married to a Bridgetown man. My second marriage didn’t last — he left town — and I thought ‘I’m not going anywhere’. People just accept me,” she said. Working for Australia Post in Bridgetown connected her with the local community where she began making friends. She became a part of the Anglican Church and as soon as she stepped in, she knew it was the right place for her. “It was just like going home because I was looking,” she said. Ms May now has six grandchildren and enjoys her life in Bridgetown. She enjoys most mornings having morning tea with her friends and is an active member of the Bridgetown RSL.