Interview with Thora Simpson

Interview with Thora Simpson (nee Farquharson), born in Nasbey in 1924. Talks about her family background and her school teacher parents being 'very much in favour of education'. Recalls her father had fought in World War I but never spoke about his experiences, and her mother had lost friends from Oamaru in the war. Describes her schooling - primary at Eiffelton School and Maori Hill School, and secondary at Otago Girls High School and later Waitaki Girls High School in Oamaru where she was sent to live with grandparents. Recalls her father enrolled her in a commercial course so she would always be 'sure of getting a job'. Refers to the polio epidemic of 1936 when schools closed. Mentions visiting relations in Dunedin, reading and being taught embroidery while the schools were closed. Comments on not being affected much by the Depression and having a vegetable garden. Recalls getting their first radio and the first family car, a Model T Ford, which both parents drove.

Recalls the early war years, listening to the radio and cutting maps from newspapers. Comments on a sewing class at Waitaki Girls making clothes for refugee children coming to New Zealand, and learning first aid. Talks about working as a typist in the Dunedin City Engineer's office and later the School of Engineering at Canterbury University College during World War II. Refers to the Dunedin city engineer being responsible for the Emergency Precautions Scheme (EPS) for the city, taking shorthand at EPS meetings and manning telephones during night time air raid practices. Recalls reading about the bombing of Pearl Harbour and seeing American servicemen in Dunedin. Talks about recreation, holidays, food and clothes during the War. Recalls D Day, and VE and VJ Days and comments that the war led her to take life more seriously. Discusses meeting her husband Trevor in 1946 when he was working on a Canterbury farm under a rehab scheme.

Talks about her brothers Hector and Alexander joining the air force during the war, with Hector being sent to Bomber Command at Little Rissington after training in Canada. Describes how her father and sister drove from Christchurch to tell her when Hector was killed. Talks about the supportive reaction of colleagues and being the first in her circle to have lost someone. Recalls Alex was discharged from the air force in 1942 after an incident but later reenlisted in Britain when there was a shortage of pilots. Comments that like other returned servicemen he found it hard to settle after the war and joined the Army until he died aged 48.

Abstracted by - Erin Flanigan

Interviewer(s) - OHInt-0980-16

Arrangement: Tape numbers - OHC-022565 - OHC-022567

Quantity: 3 C60 cassette(s). 1 printed abstract(s). 1 interview(s) over 2 days. 3 Hours Duration.

Finding Aids: Abstract Available - abstracting complete OHA-7339.

Photocopy(?) of a black and white photograph of Thora Simpson (1942); printout of a colour photograph of Thora (2007)

Search dates: 1924 - 2007