CAIGER, GEORGE (1903–1991), He Was Promoted to Major in December Teacher, Author, Broadcaster, and Army Officer, 1943
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C CAIGER, GEORGE (1903–1991), He was promoted to major in December teacher, author, broadcaster, and army officer, 1943. In June 1945 he relocated with ATIS was born on 9 January 1903 in Brisbane, only to Manila, Philippines. A skilled linguist, surviving child of English-born parents Jasper he was one of a small group entrusted to Stoneman Caiger, Anglican priest, and his wife translate documents and accompany Japanese Edith Maud Mary, née Godwin, a former nurse. emissaries during surrender negotiations George’s twin brother, Harry, died in infancy. commencing on 19 August. Later that month In 1908 the family returned to Britain. George he was part of the advance party to enter Japan. was educated at Denstone College (1914–22), The American head of ATIS, Colonel Sidney Staffordshire, and St John’s College, Oxford, Mashbir, commended his abilities, noting where he completed a second-class honours that General Douglas MacArthur [q.v.15] had degree in English (1925). He played rugby made ‘important decisions’ based on Caiger’s for St John’s and the university and served as ‘extensive knowledge and understanding of a lieutenant in the East Lancashire Regiment Japan and the Japanese people’ (NAA B883). of the Territorial Army. Returning to Sydney in late 1945, In 1925 Caiger joined the teaching staff Caiger transferred to the Reserve of Officers of Sedbergh School in Yorkshire. Three years on 18 December. Hoping that his wartime later he took leave of absence to teach English, experience would lead to a diplomatic career, French, and economics at The Armidale he applied to the Department of External School, New South Wales, Australia. There he Affairs, but without success. He then freelanced met Nancy Roberta Constance Rendle, who as a journalist and gave numerous public was working at the New England Girls’ School. lectures, before being engaged to organise the On 26 June 1929 the couple married at the Australian Broadcasting Commission (ABC) Anglican Church of St Margaret’s, Sandgate, radio program ‘The Nation’s Forum of the Air’. Brisbane. They travelled to England and Seeking to enhance Australians’ knowledge of George resumed at Sedbergh. He would later the region, he compiled (1946–48) the East claim that Yorkshire’s poor weather prompted Asia Newsletter. In 1948 he was appointed him to accept a position to teach English at general secretary of the Australian Institute of Musashi Koto Gakko, a private high school in International Affairs and undertook (1949) Tokyo. By September 1930 he and Nancy had an international tour of similar organisations arrived in Japan. He obtained further work in Canada, the United States of America, lecturing at Peers’ School. Immersing himself United Kingdom, the Netherlands, and in Japanese language, history, and culture, South Africa with the support of a Carnegie he wrote and edited several books, including Foundation grant. English language textbooks, guide books, and After Caiger’s younger son, Michael, was pictorial volumes. From 1938 to 1939 he diagnosed with Down syndrome, he and was president of the Association of Foreign Nancy sought alternatives to institutional Teachers in Japan. care. In March 1951 they became founding Following the outbreak of World War II, members of the Mosman District Auxiliary the family returned to Australia. By June, of the Subnormal Children’s Welfare Caiger was working as a censor for the army Association. Over the years that followed, in Sydney. On 10 April 1941 he joined the they helped to establish schools and supported Citizen Military Forces and, having risen to accommodation for children with disabilities. captain in the Intelligence Corps, transferred George was also employed briefly as secretary to the Australian Imperial Force in September of the association before returning (1952) to 1942. From March 1943 he was assigned to the ABC, attached to the talks department. the Allied Translator and Interpreter Section, In 1955 he was appointed public relations located in Brisbane. Placed in charge of the officer at the New South Wales University information section, he was given the task of Technology, a position that afforded him of extracting and indexing data derived from ‘a real measure of stability for the next decade’ captured documents and interrogation reports. (Caiger MS Acc08/124). Describing himself 123 Caldwell A. D. B. as an ‘opsimath’ (mature student) he relished Prominent in a number of sports—including the opportunity to learn about the research tennis, hockey, swimming, and riding—she undertaken at the university and to promote was also a champion golfer and was awarded it within and beyond the campus. a silver medallion for life saving. Caiger retired in late 1966. By then In 1930 Stark was one of many young grey haired, bespectacled, and sporting women inspired by the visit to Australia of a trim moustache, he judged it better to British aviatrix Amy Johnson. Eight years leave while in good health. Soon after, he later she began taking flying lessons at Mascot and Nancy returned to Tokyo for a year. airport where she gained her ‘A’ pilot’s licence While there he renewed the acquaintance on 10 July 1939. At about the same time she of several of his former students and taught joined the newly formed Australian Women’s part time in the Department of English and Flying Club, becoming assistant State American Literature at Rikkyo University. commandant (1940). Among the types of Nancy, a founding member of the Sydney aircraft she flew were four in the de Havilland chapter of Ikebana International, undertook Moth series. She gained a comprehensive further training and later became a director knowledge of aeromechanics and navigation. of the association. An engaging speaker and On 10 March 1941 Stark became one prodigious writer, he continued to pen radio of five women appointed as assistant section scripts and articles on a range of subjects officers in the Women’s Auxiliary Australian including Japanese life and psychology, the Air Force (WAAAF) and the first officer Australian way of life, and the English language selected in New South Wales. Posted initially in Australia. After Nancy’s death in 1987, he to Sydney, she performed the immediate went to Canberra where his son, John, was task of selecting recruits. Between 1942 and a lecturer in Asian studies at The Australian 1943 she served with headquarters staff at National University. Survived by his two sons, Townsville, Queensland. Following Japanese he died on 6 May 1991 in Canberra. air raids in July 1942, she expressed her pride in the behaviour of her charges during the ABC Weekly. ‘A.B.C. Man Tutored Emperor’s Brother.’ 9 November 1946, 13; General attacks. In 1944 and 1945 she was based at Headquarters Far East Command, Military Wagga Wagga, New South Wales, where she Intelligence Section. Operations of the Allied was responsible for the discipline and welfare Translator and Interpreter Section GHQ, SWPA. of airwomen employed in the North-Eastern Intelligence Series, vol. 5. [Tokyo]: The Command, Area and with No. 2 Training Group. [c. 1948]; Mashbir, Sidney Forrester. I Was an Stark’s appointment with the WAAAF American Spy. New York: Vantage Press, 1953; ended on 8 August 1946 and she moved to National Archives of Australia. B883, NX123363, a property at Bowral, New South Wales. SP368/1, 7/13/15; National Library of Australia. MS Acc06/75, Papers of George Caiger, c. 1920– Her postwar work included spending a few 1991, MS Acc08/124, Papers of George Caiger, months of 1948 in West Germany where, c. 1920–1991; Redman, Sir Vere. ‘Foreign Teachers with Lady Tedder (wife of Baron Tedder, chief in Japan. G. Caiger: Undying Love Affair.’Asahi of the air staff), she helped establish Malcolm Evening News, 30 November 1967, 6. Clubs that provided welfare for British airmen N. T. McLennan involved in the Berlin airlift. She also travelled throughout Britain investigating farming and CALDWELL, AMY GWENDOLINE animal-breeding practices that might be useful (GWEN) (1910–1994), pilot and air force on her farm and, as the Girl Guides district officer, was born on 3 April 1910 in Sydney, commissioner for Bowral, gave talks on girl the youngest of six daughters of Scottish- guiding in Australia. She returned home in born William Stark, commercial traveller, January 1949 and on 23 July at St Philip’s and his English-born wife Amy Louise, née Anglican Church, Sydney, married William Clarke. Gwen attended school in Sydney, (Bill) Caldwell, a retired bank manager whom attaining her Intermediate certificate before she had met in Britain. undertaking kindergarten teacher training Caldwell remained deeply involved with at Waverley. She was involved in the Girl aviation. In 1946 she helped to establish the Guides Association and, after seven years WAAAF branch of the New South Wales training, achieved the rank of warrant captain. division of the Royal Australian Air Force 124 1991–1995 Caldwell Association, becoming its first president. attachment to 73 Squadron, Royal Air Force, She was active in the Australian Women he transferred to 250 Squadron, RAF, flying Pilots’ Association for forty years, serving as P-40 Tomahawk fighters. federal president (1964–65). She was patron Lean, broad-shouldered, and just over for the WAAAF silver anniversary reunion 6 feet 2.5 inches (190 cm) tall, Caldwell was (1965), and in 1968 was appointed OBE a snug fit in the cockpit. Based in Libya, he for her services to aviation. A popular leader gained much success in strafing enemy land with a ready smile, Caldwell rated her fellow forces but was not a natural fighter pilot; it was WAAAFs and their wartime service highly, and some weeks before he scored his first combat for many years she led the WAAAF contingent victory. Eventually, by firing at the shadows of in Sydney’s Anzac Day march.