War widows deliver a lasting legacy

THE war years made up only a fraction of their 100 years of life – but the memories loom large.

TAS_MER_NEWS_LEGACYWIDOWS_25MAR15

THE war years made up only a fraction of their 100 years of life – but the memories loom large.

Each of these Hobart war widows celebrate their 100th birthday this year, a centenary year they share with Anzac commemorations.

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As the nation’s thoughts turn to war, these widows of World War II veterans have shared their memories over a birthday cake supplied by Legacy.

They were hard times, said Doreen Hodgman, but they were good times too.

“War brought hardships, but we were all in the same boat. We didn’t have much, but there was always a community around that you could rely on,” said Mrs Hodgman.

The widows still have a community of support through Legacy, which is paying special tribute this year to the families who bore the cost of war on the home front.

The 99-year-olds are among a group of seven widows in southern Tasmania who will turn 100 this year. They are among about 3000 war widows cared for by Legacy throughout Tasmania.

Hobart Legacy president Peter Hodge said it was important the nation remembered not only the service of those who fought abroad, but of those who were left behind.

“When we are going through the commemorations of World War I, the stories of the families who bore the costs of these wars is often forgotten,” Mr Hodge said.

Mrs Hodgman brought up her baby son, who was born in 1939, alone for two years while her husband Geoffrey served in the Middle East.

But she has no complaints.

“He was a good baby,” said Mrs Hodgman, who was widowed in 1983.

For Dot Shields, the war was a time of making do with little.

“We were on rations so there were lots of things the children couldn’t have — but we used to make a lot of things and mend things,” she said.

“We even mended the soles of our shoes.”

Mrs Shields, who was widowed in 1994, also recalls the mysterious letters that came home from her husband John Shields.

She said the letters would be cut up “like jigsaw pieces”.

“He spent time in Darwin but we didn’t know what he was doing because they couldn’t tell us anything,” she said.

Effie Matthews was widowed from her war veteran husband Laurie Matthews only last year, when he was 97.

The pair met at Hobart’s Belvedere Dancing Studio before war broke out, and remained in contact and married in 1946 on his return from service in Western Australia.

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Originally published as War widows deliver a lasting legacy