大象传媒

This story was submitted to the People鈥檚 War site by volunteer Michael Stimson on behalf of Hope Shaw and has been added to it with her permission. She fully understands the terms and conditions.

In 1943 I was 20 and living with my mother in Melbourne. News came through that my elder sister, Nona, was seriously ill in an Australian military hospital in Palestine,where she was nursing.

My mother put down the telegram,put on her hat and coat,and without a word,beckoned me to follow her. We walked in silence to our local Catholic church. It was closed, because it was fairly late by now.We then walked about 8 miles into the centre of Melbourne. Still in total silence. Eventually we reached the St.Francis Catholic church which was open 24 hours.

It was now about 2a.m., but it was full of of people praying and taking communion. There were several priests.Still my mother did not say a word to me.We prayed and received communion. In the morning,we caught a train home. My mother did not speak to me until later that day

Later on, I understood why my mother had been totally numbed by the news.She had, after all, already experienced 2 war deaths in the family.

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