Feilding’s war stories revealed
A new book tells the stories of Manawatu war heroes.
War Stories 2 was compiled by Literacy Feilding and launched on May 22, sharing the memories of Feilding soldiers who went to war.
The book is the second in a series, following War Stories – Memories of Residents of Feilding, which was published to coincide with Anzac Day last year. Following its release, writers immediately started working on the second book.
Co-ordinator Bobbie Nicholls said the 64-page publication highlighted Manawatu’s commitment to the armed forces.
‘‘It’s important these stories are written down for future generations to understand what war was like from the perspective of those who left New Zealand to fight, those who stayed to work and look after families, and also those who were children during World War II.’’
But as well as additional WWII accounts, the new edition delves into other conflicts, such as Korea and Vietnam, where Manawatu soldiers also fought. The earlier book left them out and hadn’t looked into Maori Battalion members and professional soldiers in the preceding years.
‘‘We owed it to those people to try and capture their stories,’’ Nicholls said.
For Barbara Billinghurst, the book offered a chance to publish a letter written to inform her family of her great uncle’s death in the Boer War, making it available to a wider audience.
Also included is Wim van Leeuwen’s letter to his grandchildren. Van Leeuwen was a child in Holland when war broke out. At the time, he wrote a memoir in ‘‘Dutch-Kiwi-English’’ for his grandchildren to understand his history.
Feilding cabinet maker Rex Flavell’s story is also a heartwarmer. Flavell’s brother Jack went to Europe with the New Zealand army, but Rex stuck to his Christian Pacifist beliefs and refused to fight. Nicholls said the effect on his wife, family and business lasted long after peace was declared.
The project was funded with help from the Manawatu District Council, Feilding and Districts Historical Society and graphic artist Heather Thomson.
‘‘We all learned a huge amount from this project,’’ Nicholls said. ‘‘You are never too old to continue learning.’’