General News
30 August, 2024
Legacy helps in Vera's war
For more than 100 years Legatees have delivered on their promise to care for the families of those who have lost their life - or health - in the defence of their country.
Wimmera Legacy once had many hundreds of widows under its care across the Wimmera and Southern Mallee; now there are 31 Legatees and only 74 widows.
And many of these are nearly 100 years of age, or older.
These are Beryl Meyer, 101, Arthur Vivian Hostel, Kaniva; Vi Taylor, 101, Horsham; Barbara Ellifson, 101, and Dawn Robinson, 104, both Kurrajong Lodge, Horsham; Phyllis Ferguson, 101, Warracknabeal; Daphne Skews, 102, Menzies Manor. Horsham; May Craig, 104, Nhill, Yarriambiack Lodge, Warracknabeal; and Pat Young, 101, Dunmunkle Lodge, Minyip.
Former Wilkur South and Warracknabeal resident Vera Woods, 99, a Veterans Affairs gold-card recipient, says she is looking forward to her 100th birthday celebration letter from King Charles III next May.
Legatees have helped and shown care over the years, including former Warracknabeal members Hec Law, Bob Lynch and Don Kent and more recently Graeme Massey of Warracknabeal and Judy Living of Birchip.
Mrs Woods' husband Norman William Woods V25701 had enlisted in 1940 in the Citizen Military Forces, 26th Light Horse Machine Gun Regiment, and served in Three Troop A Squadron.
He later transferred to Western Australia's 14th Light Horse, which was renamed the 4th Motor Regiment, and saw service in 13 Troop but was discharged in December 1943 and sent home because of the farm's 'essential industry' status.
His father was ageing, he was the only son and he was needed to work the Wilkur South farm.
But his service in 'enemy territory' enabled his wife, after his death in 1998, to obtain a Veteran Gold Card, allowing free treatment for a range of health care services.
Mr Woods married Vera Roberts in 1953.
They had six children.
Mrs Woods now has 17 grandchildren and 35 great-grandchildren.
She remained in Warracknabeal after her husband's death but now lives in a nursing home in Birchip to be nearer the couple's second daughter, Dianne Lehmann.
Mrs Woods was one of six children and grew up in Aspendale, where her parents ran the Palais Theatre and picnic grounds.
They also had family connections in Warracknabeal, where Mrs Woods' brother Ray was born.
The young Vera's schooling ended at Year 8 and after that she worked in an office and a shop.
She was 25 when World War II broke out.
Two of her brothers enlisted: Ray, then 23, and Ron, 18
After training, both were sent to fight in Papua New Guinea with the 39th Battalion.
Both died on the infamous Kokoda Track while fighting the Japanese.
Ray was killed in 1942 but his remains were never recovered and his name is listed on the wall of Bomana Cemetery, a Commonwealth War Graves cemetery near Port Moresby.
Brother Ron died in 1944 and is buried in the cemetery which is dedicated to Australians who died in the former Territory of Papua and on Bougainville Island.
At the time of Ray's death his mother Adelaide and sister Vera were working on a large hops and tobacco farm in North East Victoria.
It was a difficult time for the family.
Mrs Woods' best friend, Nanette, whose parents owned the property, took flowers to Mrs Roberts when she heard the news of the deaths of her two sons.
"Mum just buried her head in the bunch of flowers and cried," Mrs Woods said.
As a result of losing two of his three sons in the war and in an attempt to save the third, Lindsay, from war service, Mrs Woods' father bought a farm as land workers were exempt from joining up because of the need for food production.
"He was in his late 60s at the time and could not bear the thought of losing his last son to war," Mrs Woods said.
Mrs Woods has a letter written in 2002 by her sister Frances Titchener of Melbourne to then Prime Minister John Howard thanking him for choosing their father, Arthur Roberts, as one of the Australian guests flown to attend the opening of the Port Moresby cemetery in 1953.
Mrs Titchener, who later also visited the cemetery, through her letter to Mr Howard, thanked the people who cared so well for the graves of those who died while serving in New Guinea.
Mrs Titchener wrote: "We think of them every day. War is terrible but I am proud to think that they did Australia proud."
Her husband Bob Titchener had served with the RAAF in the Dutch East Indies.
Mr Howard sent a kind letter in reply stating that her family had made "extraordinary sacrifice".
Mr Howard's letter stated: "I assure you that in the remote Papuan mountains, so near the place where your brother fell, your family's sacrifice and your kind letter will be with me."
Mrs Lehmann said that war was a rarely mentioned topic.
"However, Aunty Francie spoke about it more than the other two," she said.
"She absolutely hated the Japanese for a very long time, and who could blame her?"