National Archives of Australia assistant director-general collection management Josephine Secis, siblings Robert Williamson and Carol Miller (née Williamson) and World War II digitisation project manager Rebecca Penna. Photo supplied by World War II archives
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A five-year nationwide search is finally over after Kyabram resident Clare Jackson contacted Kyabram historian Eileen Sullivan recently about a mystery woman she had read about who served her country in World War II and had a Kyabram connection.
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The woman in question, Margaret Williamson, was the last person about whom the National Archives of Australia needed details to finalise the digitisation of its World War II service records.
Margaret Williamson was born in 1920.
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Eileen immediately connected the surname ‘Williamson’ to a famous Kyabram name, Whitbourne.
A number of years ago she had helped two of the Whitbourne family descendants, Dawn Smith and Debbie Cox, find information and photos of the family, who had connections with Kyabram and district dating back to the early 20th century.
When Eileen contacted both ladies recently she found Dawn had been in contact with Margaret Williamson’s son, Robert, but at the time, both Robert and Dawn were unaware of the search being carried out to uncover his mother’s wartime history.
Eileen, the librarian and secretary of the Kyabram Historical Society, said the National Archives of Australia officials were ecstatic when she contacted them with news of the “finding of Margaret Williamson’s son”, which had evolved from research in records held in the Kyabram Historical Library.
‘‘They were really excited we were able to supply the final piece of the puzzle in their five-year search,’’ Eileen said.
National Archives of Australia conservation laboratory manager Travis Taylor, right, shows records to siblings Robert Williamson and Carol Miller. Photo supplied by World War II archives
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The upshot is that Robert Williamson and his sister Carol attended a ceremony in Canberra recently to witness the final digitisation of the last Word War II record — their mother’s.
The completion of Margaret Williamson’s service record represents the culmination of years of effort to digitise these paper records, but also an opportunity to honour the memory of the many individuals who served their country.
This time last year, one million World War II records had been digitised, with 45,000 remaining to close out the project.
Margaret Williamson was born Margaret McCredie in Paddington, NSW, in 1920.
She enrolled in the Women’s Auxiliary Australian Air Force at age 20.
Her husband, Richard Williamson, was born in Kyabram in 1915 — the son of John Williamson and Agnes Lilias Jones.
Richard also served in World War II and his record is in the National Archives.
In 2019, the Federal Government provided $10 million in funding to help the National Archives digitise the remaining 852,000 World War II service records.
At the time, 200,000 names had already been preserved and made available.
Richard and Margaret Williamson
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Richard Williamson’s aunt was Janet “Jesse” McLaws Williamson, who married well-known Kyabram identity Arthur J T “Whitty” Whitbourne.
He worked as a reporter for many years with the Free Press prior to 1960 and was a prominent sportsman who excelled at cricket, as a spin bowler, and football.
The Williamson family was also well known in the Kyabram district.
John Williamson was in partnership with Gus Livock in a general store titled Williamson & Livock from 1914 to 1917, where the Kyabram discount store is today on Allan St opposite Hurley’s Hotel.
Eileen recalled Robert Williamson visiting the Kyabram Historical Library more than 10 years ago when she helped him with information, including Free Press articles and cemetery locations.
Margaret and Richard Williamson.
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