Joan, Rose and PegWritten on the back of this 6x8 photo, in capitals printed in my Mother's hand, is the legend:
Joan Wilsher, Rose Casey + Peg Casey
Arriving well, N.Z. on Feb. 1948 on
the good ship "Rangitata"
Voted the most popular girls on boardMy brother Robert organized our Mother's funeral in Wellington and asked me to officiate. I spoke of my memories of her and encouraged others there to also speak and stood there at the lectern for what seemed like ages as a sort of focal point as at least thirty of the seventy or so people there, one after another, stood to speak of the Rose that they knew and loved.
It was a heart-warming experience for everyone.
I flew back yesterday and today I could do nothing except post this photo, which I have never before seen, one of hundreds that I found at Mum's apartment as my son Eli and I looked through all her stuff. Only the photos interested me, I am our families archivist by common consensus.
My Mother and her friend Joan drove jeeps, staff cars and all kinds of trucks and tank transporters for the British Army in World War 2 in England, France and Southern Germany.
They came out here to New Zealand as adventurous young women looking for a better life away from the strict rationing of post war Britain.
New Zealand is made of people from all over the world coming here for a better life and this continues to be the case.
We are lucky that way.
I flew back yesterday and today I could do nothing except post this photo, which I have never before seen, one of hundreds that I found at Mum's apartment as my son Eli and I looked through all her stuff. Only the photos interested me, I am our families archivist by common consensus.
My Mother and her friend Joan drove jeeps, staff cars and all kinds of trucks and tank transporters for the British Army in World War 2 in England, France and Southern Germany.
They came out here to New Zealand as adventurous young women looking for a better life away from the strict rationing of post war Britain.
New Zealand is made of people from all over the world coming here for a better life and this continues to be the case.
We are lucky that way.
Your mother was very elegant, then and still when we met her at Christmas. I would have recognised her in the photograph. It'll be an interesting journey working your way through the photographs.
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