During the First World War many Ipswich women watched their boys sign up to fight in the battle in Europe. Two such women were Elizabeth George and Mary Fleischmann. As a way of communicating with their friends and relatives overseas many Ipswich people sent postcards and other forms of correspondence overseas, however this act was most prevalent among female relatives who had been left back on the home front to tend to their daily lives in declining economic circumstances. Elizabeth George was just one Ipswich mother who watched her son Norman George enlist in the First World War.

Norman was just 18 years old when he enlisted for active service on the 9th of October 1915. At the time of enlistment he was employed as a miner and was living with his parents Elizabeth and Herbert and his siblings at their Bergin’s Hill home in Bundamba. After enlisting for overseas service Norman embarked from Sydney in July 1916 on the H.M.A.T. “Orsova”. In January 1917 he travelled to France for overseas service in the 3rd Field Artillery Brigade on the “Princess Henrietta”, which is coincidental as his sister was also known as Henrietta. He served in France until December 1918 and returned to Australia in June 1919 on the Hired Transport Ship the “Themistocles”.

During his time spent overseas Norman received many postcards and photographs from his large family back home in Bundamba, which he retained mementos of his service. One such postcard included a portrait of his two sisters Agnes and Henrietta. Agnes was 21 years old and Henrietta was 22 when this photograph was taken in 1915 at Whitehead Studios in Ipswich. Agnes later married Roland Eaton Winks in 1917 before he was to depart for overseas service in the Australian Broad Range Railway Operating Company in France. Agnes was pregnant at the time of her husband’s departure and had a daughter later that year, who she named Jean. Norman’s second sister, Henrietta George married Edward Francis Elms after the war in 1919.

This photograph looks like any other studio portrait; however if you look closely you can see that both sisters are wearing small gold wishbone brooches. To satisfy my curiosity I researched further and discovered that these pins were actually known as sweetheart brooches and were worn by mothers, wives, and sisters to show support for their soldier serving overseas. The brooches were both commercially produced and hand-made. Jewelry, brooches and other mementos produced during this time featured personal items and photographs. An example can be seen in the gold wishbone in the top left, which has incorporated the regiment colours of the soldier using Perspex.

Postcard sent to Norman George whilst serving overseas, pictured is Agnes and Henriette George, Ipswich, 1915 – Image courtesy of Picture Ipswich

Mary was another mother who watched her son sign up to fight during the First World War. Mary, whose maiden name was Warouwsky, married Charles Fleischmann in 1876 in Ipswich. Charles was well known around the town for his saddlery shop on Nicholas Street which he inherited from his father Johan in 1907. Mary Fleischmann had a large family of 5 daughters and 4 sons to provide for during the war, all of whom resided in their small family home, ‘Shilliday’ at 4 Arthur Street, Woodend. During this time Mary had a large responsibility resting on her shoulders with chores of cooking, cleaning and caring for several of her younger children, taking up most of her time during the day. This would have been especially tough during the war years as her husband Charles had the family business to run, and Harold, one of her older children had enlisted for service, which meant there were fewer helping hands around the house. Mary’s son Harold was just one of hundreds of Ipswich sons to make their way overseas during the First World War and Mary was one of many to make their presence known to their sons by regularly sending postcards overseas.

Mary Fleischmann, on the verandah of her house ‘Shilliday’, at Woodend – Image courtesy of Picture Ipswich.

Harold was just 22 years when he enlisted in the 11^th Australian Field Ambulance in 1916. He was stationed at Enoggera for several months before embarking for service in June 1917 from Sydney on the ‘Baltana’. Whilst her son Harold was serving in France, Mary Fleischmann was maintaining life on the home front by continuing to perform her daily chores and ensuring her household and large family were well cared for. She also sent postcards to Harold regularly to ensure that he knew he was always thought of fondly and was not forgotten to his mother, his father or his beloved siblings. These postcards and letters expressed Mary’s deepest feelings regarding the fear of losing her son to the war and the associated angst of waiting for him to return safely to his family in Ipswich.

One such postcard was sent by Mary in Christmas, 1918 whilst Harold was recovering from an illness in an English hospital. The postcard shows a short, heartfelt poem telling of a mother’s heartache over not having seen her son during the festive season, and wishing him a safe return from the war. The back of the postcard contains a personalised message from Mary to her son Harold, stating the following:

“My dearest Harold. I do hope by the time you get my card the war will be over and you safely arrive home all well. I hope you are better and hard at it again. I was sorry to see you were so ill. Am praying for God to bless and keep you and cause his face to shine upon you. Wishing you a very joyous Xmas and a very happy and peaceful New Year. The words on the card express my wish a great deal. Your Mother xx”

It is clear that Mary sorely missed her son whilst he was overseas and obviously feared for his life having so desperately hoped that when this postcard reached him he would already be safe back home with his family. One notion that is quite evident from this postcard, however is that Mary’s attitude still remained stoic and strong, which would have been much for her own sake as for that of her son’s. Soon after his mother sent this postcard, Harold did return home to his family in Woodend. Elizabeth and Mary are just two Ipswich women who bravely watched their beloved sons sign up to fight in what was then hoped to be a short and successful endeavour, but which turned into a gruelling and bloody battle that robbed many women of their sons, husbands, fathers and brothers. Their efforts and stoic endurance during this time will always be remembered by the people of Ipswich.