Interview with Marian Beech

Interview with Marion Beech (nee Harvey), born in Newcastle, England, in 1917. Talks about her musical family including her father's "glorious tenor voice", and emigrating to New Zealand in 1928. Refers to leaving school young and working at Smith and Caughey. Mentions her brother Edgar starting a jazz club in Auckland. Comments that life had been carefree until war came, boys started to leave, and her brother joined up. Talks about seeing Edgar off three times, and mixed feelings about soldiers marching down Queen Street. Refers to the courage of conscientious objectors. Comments on rationing, not recalling being short of food, vegetable gardening, and passing on unused coupons. Explains they received all war news from the radio, and were lucky not to have television coverage.

Talks about meeting her husband Rev Walter Beech when they were best man and chief bridemaid at a wedding. Refers to marrying and moving to the Bay of Islands where Walter, who had failed a Services medical, worked with many bereft people. Mentions Walter's extra petrol coupons. Comments on the vicarage being an open house to doctors and nurses, not being concerned about New Zealand being invaded, and making parcels to send to New Zealand forces overseas. Talks about letters from her brother and the slow postal service. Describes how her brother died when his plane crashed during take-off, just after his honeymoon, the family reaction, and his widow Josephine spending two years in New Zealand after the war. Comments on the community spirit among church members and that everyone had the understanding of being in it together. Recalls being thrilled by the end of the war, and hearing about Hiroshima. Comments that her husband knew he would be dealing with damaged men returning. Mentions moving to a parish in Papakura where Walter gave services at the army camp. Talks about 300 English Tommies coming to the camp to recover from a Japanese torture camp, and the vicarage being open to the soldiers day and night as they were starved of home life. Calls her relationship with the soldiers "one of the most rewarding and exciting experiences" of her life.

Abstracted by - Erin Flanigan

Interviewer(s) - Alison Parr

Arrangement: Tape numbers - OHC-022524 - OHC-022525

Quantity: 2 C60 cassette(s). 1 printed abstract(s). 1 interview(s). 2 Hours Duration.

Finding Aids: Abstract Available - abstracting complete OHA-7324.

Prinouts of colour photograph of Marion Beech (2007), and a (scanned?) black and white photograph of Marion Beech with her husband Walter, possibly on their wedding day (1940)

Search dates: 1917 - 2007