Timaru Genealogy Society Launches WWII Project to Preserve Stories

On November 1, 2023, the South Canterbury Genealogy Society officially launched a project aimed at preserving stories from World War II during a soft launch at the Timaru District Library. This initiative coincides with Armistice Day, a time for remembrance and reflection on the sacrifices made during wartime. The society invited community members to share their personal stories, aiming to enrich the project’s growing database.

Gathering Historical Narratives

The project featured two presentations, with the first highlighting the story of Margery Greenfield, a member of the NZ Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps who was born in Timaru. The second presentation provided a broader overview of the project’s objectives and progress to date. Society member Lois White reported that the database currently contains over 4,000 names, a number that continues to grow as more individuals contribute.

“It’s growing all the time,” White noted. “We tend to find photos first and then get the story behind the photo. If you’ve got a photo, you can see the person, and it’s a bit more interesting.” The society has been able to trace many individuals by cross-referencing names with the Auckland Cenotaph, a memorial listing those who served in the military.

White shared an example of her research into the Gosling family from Pleasant Point. “We have one photo of someone Gosling, but he had two brothers who served as well. We just found them on the Cenotaph, so one often leads to another,” she explained.

Encouraging Community Involvement

The society is eager to gather more personal anecdotes to complement the factual data they have collected. White expressed the importance of individual stories, stating, “We can find out the facts, but it would be great to have people give us a wee bit more of their own information.” She recounted a conversation with a woman whose husband’s uncle was killed in the war. “I asked if she could write a little story about her uncle, and she said she didn’t know,” White said. “I suggested that even small details, like whether he had a girlfriend or rode a bike, could make a significant difference to a story.”

Recognizing the urgency of capturing these narratives, Liz Shea, the society’s convener, emphasized the importance of starting the WWII project now rather than waiting for another century to pass. “If we wait for 100 years, which is 2045, a lot of these photos probably might have gone, and the people who remember the names will be gone,” Shea said. “So we have started now to make sure we get those photos and stories while they are still around.”

Shea encouraged community members to contribute, explaining that many people mistakenly believe that old photographs are no longer valuable. “We would love for people to bring them here. We’ll copy them, give them back, and then they can do what they like with them afterward. But then we’ve got them preserved and retained for future generations,” she added.

The genealogy society plans to hold an official launch for the WWII project around Anzac Day next year. In the meantime, they invite anyone with photos or stories related to South Canterbury individuals involved in World War II to visit the Timaru District Library on Wednesday mornings from 09:00 to 12:00 or Sunday afternoons from 13:30 to 15:30. Community members can also reach out via email to [email protected] for further engagement.