Beatrice Maunder, on behalf of the Belgian government, presents Nora Wotton with the Queen Elisabeth Medal.
Beatrice Maunder, on behalf of the Belgian government, presents Nora Wotton with the Queen Elisabeth Medal.
A Whanganui woman will be recognised by the Belgian government for a second time for her efforts on the home front during World War I.
Eleanora Angelina Wotton (1872-1938) was in charge of the Belgian and Serbian Relief Society in Whanganui, organising fundraisers and donations of food and clothing. The society raised 2000 pounds, the equivalent of about $230,000 in today's money.
Eleanora sent the funds and goods to her friend, Beatrice Maunder, a New Zealand nurse from Marton who directed military hospitals in Belgium.
The Belgian government awarded Eleanora the Medaille de la Reine Elisabeth (Queen Elisabeth Medal) in recognition of her work.
Now, as part of the World War I centenary commemorations, the Belgian government is placing plaques on the graves of the 33 New Zealand women who were awarded the Medaille de la Reine Elisabeth.
Historian Imelda Bargas, who works for the Ministry for Culture and Heritage, said the grave project has been "a labour of love" for her over the past four years.
"It started at the beginning of the World War I centenary," Bargas said.
"I was working with Tim Shoebridge on a book on World War I heritage and looking for places that could tell the story of home front experiences.
"I struggled to find one about the home effort that went on in New Zealand to provide financial and in-kind support to Belgium but then I came across this group of women.
"I went to visit a grave of one of the women and it was overgrown and that kicked it off. There was an amazing group of women who did all this work but no-one would know."
Since then Bargas has worked with the Belgium Embassy and consuls to locate the women's graves and have them restored and marked. The work has been completed in Dunedin, where 25 of the 33 women lived, and Wellington and now the push is on to mark graves in other locations to record that the women received the Queen Elisabeth Medal.
"Most descendants we have found had no idea these women had done so much during the war," Bargas said.
"Many knew about what their male relatives did but not about the women."
After seeing an online Whanganui Chronicle story seeking her descendants, Eleanora's grandson Chris Wotton made contact with Bargas and representatives of the Belgium Embassy in Canberra.
"My grandmother died before I was born but I did know she received the medal and obviously we're very proud of what she did," Chris Wotton told the Chronicle.
"I have copies of the letters exchanged between her and Beatrice Maunder. It was incredible what she did in terms of arranging for women to support the cause, doing knitting and donating clothing. She also got the Brunswick Dairy Company involved in having cheese delivered."
Chris has a copy of a letter the Brunswick Dairy Company wrote to Eleanora, saying they had delivered 13 crates of cheese to the New Zealand Express Company store between August 25, 1916 and October 10, 1916. The crates' weight ranged from 334 to 560 pounds.
Eleanora and Beatrice knew each other from when they both lived in Marton and their correspondence records that a large number of women in Whanganui and Rangitikei were involved in the Belgian and Serbian Relief Society effort.
Beatrice wrote to Eleanora saying "we have received bales and bales of beautiful material, absolutely useless for our needs" and listed the most-needed items in the military hospitals in Belgium.
Those items included dressing gowns and jackets for men in the hospital wards. The jackets had to be grey woollen material that would wash well and must have mauve cuffs and collars – no other colours were allowed. Woollen hats, long-armed mittens, khaki (not white) handkerchiefs, socks, shirts, woollen underdrawers and face towels were amongst the other items needed. The soldiers were also given individual treasure bags.
Eleanora Wotton is buried in the plot of her father, Captain Clifford Iveson, at the Heads Rd cemetery.
The Medaille de la Reine Elisabeth presented to Eleanora is in the care of the Whanganui Regional Museum and her family is excited that now her grave in the Heads Rd Cemetery will be marked with a plaque.
"There's been a huge response from the great-grandchildren and other members of the family," Chris said.
"It's a wonderful recognition for her and I expressed my thanks to the Belgian Embassy because I think it's a very kind gesture they are undertaking. It shows the continuing appreciation of the people of Belgium for the contribution of New Zealand and other countries in World War I. It's a wonderful gesture to have this recognition made, especially at this time of the centenary of World War I."
Chris has been researching the family's history and writing notes about Eleanora's life for her descendants.
"I'm very interested in family history and there are quite a large number of great-grandchildren. It's important for them to know about it."
Born in Whanganui on August 21, 1872, to Clifford Iveson and Angelina Iveson (nee Williamson), Eleanora married Percy Wotton in 1893.
The couple lived at Tutaenui, Marton, for many years before Eleanora moved back to Whanganui. Their children were Egbert Henry Miller Wotton (born 1894), Margaret Winifred Wotton (1896), George Cecil Wotton (1900), Henry William Wotton (1910) and Ian (Jack) Athelstan Wotton (1912). Eleanora died on January 4, 1938.
Eleanora's descendants are spread throughout New Zealand, with Chris, who lives in Paraparaumu, the closest to Whanganui. He regularly visits Eleanora's grave and had it refurbished after the original headstone deteriorated.
An obituary for Eleanora Wotton was published in the Wanganui Herald on January 8, 1938. Some excerpts are below:
"During the Great War, Mrs Wotton ... became very well-known as a tireless worker in patriotic work on behalf of the oppressed Belgians and Serbs. Mention of Mrs Wotton will, no doubt, serve to recall for many Wanganui residents street days, bazaars and 'baby shows' held and organised by her and an enthusiastic band of helpers.
"After the war Mrs Wotton continued her interest in all forms of social work. Many knew her as an enthusiastically active member of the Victoria League, the Plunket Society, the Girl Guides, the Townswomen's Guild, the Early Settlers' Association and the Navy League.
"The unselfish life of Mrs Wotton became a byword among those who enjoyed her acquaintance. Her progress along the road of life was marked by many little acts of kindness on the wayside, and it is worthy to note that she often acted the Good Samaritan when she herself suffered pain. The later period of her life was not good but she continued in her activities in the welfare of others."
