that "these girls will be the mothers of the children who will rebuild Australia. They must not have the death of another mother's son on their hands". Irving did not support the Government's restriction against servicewomen being deployed to operational areas in the South West Pacific Area, and succeeded in having this overturned in 1945. Irving was promoted to colonel in February 1943, and had 20,000 women serving under her when the AWAS reached its peak strength in 1944. At the end of the war she encouraged AWAS members to undertake further training to find jobs in the civilian labour force, but only a small proportion of servicewomen did so. Irving left the Army in January 1947 when the AWAS was disbanded. She later wrote to all her former officers to inquire after their welfare and ask what they were doing in the post-war world. Later life Irving returned to social work after completing her military service. In 1947, she became general secretary of the Victorian Division of the Red Cross and held this position until 1959. She was also appointed Honorary Colonel of the Women's Royal Australian Army Corps (WRAAC) when the Army re-formed its women's service in 1951. In 1960–61 she took a 13-month-long holiday in Britain and Europe, during which time she resigned from the WRAAC in 1961. After returning to Australia Irving worked as a consultant for the Victorian Old People's Welfare Council organising elderly citizens' clubs until she retired in 1971. She died on 28 March 1973 at her home in South Yarra and was buried with full military honours at Fawkner cemetery. Following her death Irving's friends and former colleagues raised funds for memorials to her in all of the Australian capital cities. Notes References 1897 births 1973 deaths Australian colonels Australian Army personnel of World War II Members of the Order of the British Empire Military personnel from Melbourne Women in the Australian military Australian women in World War II