100-year-old woman refused war medals for decades

Wednesday, 10 June 2015

A 100-year-old woman who refused to accept her war medals for nearly seven decades has finally received them after the Defence Force Chief surprised her with a visit to her Auckland rest home.

Inga Heaton-Bow is believed to be the last living Tui - a member of the Women's Auxiliary Army Corps which formed the New Zealand Forces Clubs during World War II.

The Tuis played a welfare role which gave soldiers a brief respite from the horrors of war.

The women were selected by Lady Freyberg to be companions for the officers when they came back from the front 'completely battle weary,' Heaton-Bow's daughter Michele Carson said.

Heaton-Bow survived being aboard a ship chased by an enemy submarine and she pulled out of a flight which crashed and killed her best friend Marie Innes.

But the humble Heaton-Bow refused her war medals for years.

Her engraved decorations had been left sitting in a box since 1946, Carson said.

'Mum would just say she didn't earn them.

'She didn't face the dangers and the horrors that the men did so she felt she didn't deserve to earn their medals. 

'She must've heard some horrendous things that went on in the war that she hasn't told me and I think that's why she didn't feel worthy.'

The medals were awarded after a Wellington-based defence force member read a local story  about the ex-Tui's forthcoming 100th birthday.

The officer passed the story to a defence colleague whose mess in Wellington is named the Fernleaf Club - the same name as the club the Tuis worked in.

Heaton-Bow had earlier slipped under the radar as defence records only keep information about when a person was in service.

But a check of her record revealed the unclaimed medals - the 1939-1945 Star, the Africa Star, the Italy Star, the Defence Medal, the War Medal 1939-1945, the NZ War Service Medal and the NZ Defence Service Medal.

The Chief of Defence Force, Lieutenant General Tim Keating, offered to visit Heaton-Bow and award the medals in person.

Keating, along with Warrant Officer Danny Broughton, paid a special visit to her Parakai rest home, sparking curious glances from excited fellow residents.

Keating surprised the veteran by presenting seven medals for service during World War II.

'Mum was delighted; absolutely thrilled,' her daughter said.

'He explained how proud they were of the work the girls had done overseas, that she'd done a wonderful job and definitely deserved some recognition,' she said.

'He said because she looked after these boys and made their lives so much better he had come with these medals to present her with.'

This time the strong-willed Tui relented and accepted the awards graciously.

'It was the experience of a lifetime for my mother,' Carson said.

'To see this very important lieutenant general sitting down with an old lady and being so kind and understanding, it brought tears to your eyes.

'He had an elderly mother himself and was so marvellous with mum. She realised he was the top, top boss; it was pretty amazing.'

It was originally thought that Jean Gilmour, who died earlier this year, may have been the last Tui.

'They didn't realise there was one left.'