Set of 'Aviator' playing cards : Private G L Crawford, Australian Army Medical Women's Service

Set of 53 playing cards with a red decorative back. The pack consists of the four suites and a joker. Also included in the pack are three cards, one advertising the cards and stating that it can be used as an extra joker. The other two advertise books on card playing published by the The United States Playing Card Company. The cards are stored in a red cardboard box which is open on both the side and top. The front and back of the pack depicts an aeroplane above the words 'AVIATOR PLAYING CARDS'. The sides of the box are printed with the maker's details. This box is in turn stored in brown paper which is open at the top.

Associated with the service of Gladys Lila Crawford who was born in Benalla, Victoria in October 1908. During the 1930s she worked as a mothercraft nurse and in May 1939, aged 31, joined the Voluntary Aid Detachments. In February 1941 she volunteered for overseas service and formally enlisted in the Australian Military Forces on 21 April with the service number V13447. On 17 October she was discharged and joined the Australian Imperial Force and was assigned the new number VFX64863. She served initially at 115 Australian General Hospital at Heidelberg and on 1 November sailed for the Middle East from Sydney aboard the Queen Mary. From November 1941 to March 1942 Gladys served as a nursing orderly with 1 AGH in Palestine, transferring to 6 AGH for the remainder of her overseas service. The VAD returned home to Australia early in 1943 and in March that year the women became members of the newly formed Australian Army Medical Women's Service. From her enlistment in the AAMWS on 22 March 1943 Gladys underwent training at Darley, Victoria before her posting to 2/6 AGH in Atherton, Queensland. She remained there for over a year, transferring to 116 AGH in Cairns on 23 October 1944. In January the following year she moved to Redbank to serve with 128 AGH, moving in September to her last unit, 102 AGH. She remained here until her discharge on 24 April 1946. After the war Gladys returned to mothercraft nursing, gaining her qualifications in nursing and kindergarten care in the late 1940s. Gladys also became active within the Returned and Services League, serving at one time in the late 1960s and early 1970s as president of the Returned and Servicewomen's sub-branch of Victoria. She died on 1 December 2000.