LONDON LEGACY
(Registered charity No 1085603

PRESS BRIEFING

‘Lest We Forget’ - London Legacy looks for Support for the UK’s Forgotten War Widows

2nd April, 2008, London, United Kingdom

London Legacy today announced that it plans to step up its commitment to Widows of Australian & New Zealand Servicemen living in the UK through a series of Collection Drives based around this year’s upcoming ANZAC Day events in London.

2008 sees the 60th year of London Legacy, the European arm of Legacy, a uniquely Australian & New Zealand charity No 1085603, established in 1947 in London by ex-servicemen. Legacy is dedicated to the task of caring for the widows and dependants of their comrades who have served in a war or operational area or whose death was occasioned by hazardous service or training for war.

Lindsay Birrell, Legatee & President of London Legacy today pointed out that many Australian & New Zealand Service Personnel have fallen in love with and married brides whilst stationed in the UK. “For 60 years now we have been assisting widows here in the UK who don’t have the same support network for them as exists in Australia”.

“Our major challenge is the care of widows of advanced years who now need special care and practical assistance in such matters as accommodation, medical, legal and general welfare and assistance. This all costs money so we are looking for help” Birrell commented. “We find ANZAC Day is a time of the year where people open their hearts and pockets to us, so we are looking for people to support Legacy either through donations, buying a Legacy Pin or even by giving their time to us as a Volunteer” he added.

“Never has it been more important in our 60 year history in Europe as now in taking care of our widows and we will use the services of ANZAC Day 2008 for a moment of reflection not only for the departed, but the families and loved ones who remain behind. This year we will particularly remember fallen comrade Dick Sinclair and his widow and son still with us” advised Birrell. “Dick’s widow Naomi Sinclair has an amazing story of love and tragedy and I will let her tell her story”.

Naomi Sinclair wrote:

“From that awful day 7th December 1951, when Legacy stepped in and looked after me and my 14-week old son Roger, Legacy and London Legacy has been there in the background. Always at Christmas, they remembered us. When I needed some method of augmenting my pension they gave me the money to buy a sewing machine and I was able to do dressmaking etc. which was a great help.

Mr Sandover came to see us in England once in those early years and my son was able to see a “real live Australian”; a great thrill for him, thanks to Legacy again.

As for my husband, Sub Lt. Richard Roslyn Sinclair RAN, he was born in Perth W.A. on 14th May 1929. He attended Hale School Perth and he was a middle distance runner who did very well. His two older brothers had both served in the RAAF as bomber pilots during the 2nd World War. His father served in the 1st World War and they had all returned home safely.

Dick joined the RAN in 1948 to train as a fighter pilot for which he was sent to England and, in March 1950, we met in HMS Garnet at Eglinton Co. Derry, Ireland, where I was an aircraft engine mechanic in the WRENS. We were the missing halves of each other and we married on June 3 1950. His time over in the UK was up in July that year and, after much begging and pleading, we were fortunate enough to get berths on the same ship, RMS Orcades, arriving in Fremantle in August 1950, where he received orders to stay on board and proceed to Melbourne and Point Cook, leaving me with his parents and brothers in Perth.

He returned to Perth at the end of August on two weeks leave. Then he had to return to Point Cook, for training in how to become an officer, having been raised from P4 to Sub Lt.

I then followed him across the Nullabor Plains taking three trains by myself for the 3 day, 3,000 miles trip. From there it was a room in Frankston, south of Melbourne, before my husband was posted to Sydney. I followed again and we were a month there. Then we went to Nowra, south of Sydney on the coast, to a caravan in December.

In March 1951, he was told that HMAS Sydney was going to Korea for 6 months to relieve HMS Glory. From that time he was on board much of the time training on Sea Furies. By then I was pregnant and our child was due on the 18th of August that year, the day that Dick came home on embarkation leave and when we moved into our first married quarters. The baby however had other ideas and did not put in an appearance until 2.20am on Tuesday the 28th of August, 1951, 10 days late. Dick had said goodbye at 10.30 am on Thursday the 30th. He never saw his son again.

Sadly, he was killed in action aged 22 on the 7th of December, 1951. He was heavily strafed and forced to bail out only to hit his head on the tail of his jet, his body was recovered and a burial service was held on HMAS Sydney that day. In the letter he wrote the day before he died, he said he was very frustrated at that point as they had just been told that instead of going straight back to Sydney as planned; they would be escorting Princess Elizabeth on her proposed 1951 tour of Australia.

However, the King died the day before I left Australia to return home to live and I do not think that tour ever happened.

Sorry if I’ve bored you with this but it is the background into which Legacy and later London Legacy stepped in. I have never forgotten the verse Dr Morrison told me in 1951 - To you, from failing hands we throw the torch. Be yours to lift it high. If ye break faith with us who die we shall not sleep though poppies grow in Flanders fields. Australian Legacy and London Legacy has not broken faith and I am grateful – 77years old now and still grateful.

Thank you all. God bless”.  Naomi Sinclair

London Legacy is looking for help to support deserving people such as Naomi and will be present at services on ANZAC Day, commencing with the Dawn Service at the New Zealand Memorial at Hyde Park Corner, London. The service will commence at 5am. Wreaths will be laid at the Australian War Memorial (also at Hyde Park Corner) immediately after the completion of the Dawn Service.

At 11am, a service and march will take place at the Cenotaph in Whitehall followed by the ANZAC service at Westminster Abbey at 12 noon.

Legacy will also be present at other ANZAC Day themed events including the ANZAC DOGS NIGHT on 11th April the TNT ANZAC BALL on the 25th of April, the ANZAC SPORTS CHALLENGE on the 26th of April and ANZAC DAY at “The Church” in Camden on Sunday the 27th of April. Any help and assistance people can offer to London Legacy UK Registered Charity No 1085603 would be very much appreciated to allow the continued support of widow’s still living in Europe.