Dannevirke Anzac Day ceremony remembers forgotten women

Josephine Seymour, left, East Coast District RSA vice-president Roly Ellis and Colonel (Rtd) Ray Seymour, guest speaker at the Anzac Day civic service. Photo/Christine McKay

At Dannevirke's Anzac Day civic service, guest speaker Colonel (Rtd) Ray Seymour was determined to honour a group of citizens he believed had been forgotten during commemorations past.

"To my mind there has not been one word to commemorate or even just to remember the toils of one particular group of New Zealanders and I want to rectify that," he said.

"It's about the mothers of servicemen and women, the wives, the girlfriends, the sisters, cousins and nieces of those who have served," he said.

"Those poor women paid an unbearable burden. During the four years, three months of World War I they endured a long and anxious vigil.

"Uncertainty pervaded everything. Would their son or daughter, husband or wife, father, brother or sister live through the war?

"Could they make ends meet until the family bread-winner returned?

"Once the men were in the front line the only news from the front came via belated newspaper accounts, at least two months after the event and these were highly censored and generally only told of success stories.

"The soldiers' letters were also highly censored and then there was the dreaded telegram delivery boy bringing news of the death of a loved one.

"Those poor women. Those women had to run the farm, or whatever businesses the family may have been in.

"They had to look after all the kids and they had to live through food rationing and other deprivations. They were a tough breed.

"But even on November 11, 1918, when armistice was declared, the war wasn't over for them or their men.

"For some reason the New Zealand Division was ordered to march into Germany as part of the occupation force.

"Once that came to an end, our men slowly moved back to England and then there was another wait. Many of our men didn't get back to New Zealand until 1919.

"They were home at last, but the suffering of the women wasn't over yet. Many of these men arrived back into Aotearoa suffering from shell shock, or as we now call it, post-traumatic stress injury.

"So how did this affect the women of New Zealand? Those suffering men took to the highways and byways of New Zealand looking for their lost mate, the mate next to them in the front line when they went over the top.

"But those mates were never seen again and those stressed returned soldiers, in their hundreds, combed New Zealand looking for them.

"Some were on the road for up to four years and in those years the women continued to run the farm, look after the kids. And while all this was happening the influenza pandemic, the Spanish flu, hit New Zealand and some 9000 died, many of them returned soldiers.

"We owe these women something. The least we can do is remember them and what they went through and to say, in any way we can, a great, big thank you for their devoted service to this nation.

"The least we can do is acknowledge we remember them."

Colonel Seymour retired in 2013 after 50 years' continuous service in the Army, and Paddy Driver, the president of the Dannevirke and Districts RSA, said it was an honour to have such a distinguished soldier at our civic service.

Tony Olsen, born in Pahiatua, served in the Australian Navy for 12 years before returning to Tararua with his family and said it was heartwarming to see so many children participating in the Anzac service.

"I believe each generation must know about the devastating effect of war on families, communities and countries," he said.

"It is crucial future leaders of every country remain focused on the fact that the freedoms we love and sometimes take for granted were, in a great part, given to us by massive sacrifices and great loss by life by servicemen and we must not forget the results of war.

"'We have truly been blessed by God since moving to Dannevirke to live.

"Family, friends and the entire community generate an uplifting, positive and friendly atmosphere which is very welcoming and we feel very privileged to be part of this great community."

• Full coverage of all three Dannevirke Anzac services in tomorrow's edition of the Dannevirke News.