Not all soldiers serve on a battlefield.
The Sandgate RSL sub-branch recently hosted a ceremony that reminded the community of the vital work done by service members behind the scenes during armed conflict.
Sybil Brady (nee Beck) was a Brisbane-based code breaker during the Second World War and her skills and intelligence no doubt helped to save countless lives in the Pacific.
Sybil died in November last year, aged 101, and her family were presented with two medals in honour of her war service, which, until recent years, had been a closely guarded secret.
Her children Mark, Jan, Kerry and Sara attended the ceremony which was held just prior to Anzac Day.
“We’re extremely proud of Mum,” Mark said.
“When we found out what she had done during the war we were totally amazed, she had never said anything – even our Dad never knew.”
The family were presented with the War Medal 1939-1945, known as the Commonwealth WWII Victory Medal, and the Australia Service Medal 1939-1945.
Sybil was just 15 when the Second World War started and she found work as a typist for a US Colonel who was based in Brisbane as part of General Macarthur’s staff.
At age 19, she formally enlisted in the Women’s Auxiliary Australian Air Force and was quickly recruited into the nation’s top-secret service.
Codebreaking and Secret Intelligence Roles
Local veteran Jim Lakey spoke to the Sandgate Guide about the work done by the Central Bureau.
“Australia developed a sophisticated, largely secret intelligence and counterintelligence network from scratch, which became crucial to the Allied victory in the Pacific,” he said.
“The unit was called Central Bureau, and it was Australia’s Bletchley Park.”
Bletchley Park was the home of Britain’s top secret code breakers, who were key to cracking the Nazi codes and winning the war.
“The Central Bureau network included high-level code breaking, daring behind-the-lines reconnaissance, and covert sabotage missions,” Jim said.
“Sybil was highly trusted and involved in some of the most important and secretive activities in the war.
“So sensitive was the work that she was part of, she was not permitted to speak about it for several decades. Precisely what Sybil did and witnessed during her service is known only to her and a select few.”
After the war, Sybil raised her family and was – appropriately – remembered by Mark as “an excellent secret keeper”.
“She was proud too, of her service,” Mark said. “And it’s wonderful for our family to be able to receive these medals.”
Jim added Australia, and the free world, owed a huge debt to the “unsung heroes” of the war, like Sybil.
“She may not have carried a rifle, but her work helped to save countless Australian and Allied lives, and assisted in our ultimate victory,” he said.
Read more stories from the Sandgate Guide print magazine here:
- Bramble Buzz: Updates from the Community
- Movie Review: German Film Festival
- Podcast Review: Uncanny
- Permission to Be Rubbish
- Protect Your Information Before You Share It
- Can You Help Keep Sandgate Beautiful Association (KSBA)?
- Interest Rates Went Up… Now What?
- New Campaign Unveiled To Shape Sandgate’s Future
- Arthouse Northside Finds New Home In Sandgate Village
- Local Artist Unveils First Solo Exhibition
- Bayside Divas Bring Fire, Water, Wind…and Harmony
- Brighton Foreshore Gets Facelift
- Local Favourite Dublin Rose Drops Long-Awaited Debut Album
- Cabbage Tree Creek: Tales of a Waterway (Part 2)
- Issy and Emily Inspire Community Through Interview Project
- Meet the Local Sculptor Shaping Steel by the Bay
- Local Threads: Do You Have a Signature Style — And Why Does It Matter?
- Mini Enthusiasts Unite For London 2 Brighton Run
- Sandgate High Opens Doors to Young Musicians
- Granny Smith Muffins Recipe
- Art at The Heart of School Community
- Do Increasing Prices Mean Less Fun?
- Timeless Duets Concert Celebrates Musical Favourites
- Womenspace Launch Showcases Powerful Symbols of Belonging
- Fish of the Month
- Organic Gardening in May
- Kumbartcho Sanctuary Offers Nature, Education and Family Fun
