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Bad news at home

60 second histories

This video covers:

A description of how women were given the news of their loved one's death and shows that some war pensions were only temporary

I only saw my Sam three times during the war. He wrote to me as often as he could, always asking about the children and what was happening in the street. The authorities informed me that Sam was missing, believed killed in action somewhere near the Somme, so I have no grave to visit, no place to mourn. All they sent me was his medals and some bits of paper telling me how sorry they are he was killed. I’ve been granted a temporary war widows pension of fifteen shillings a week which pays the rent and gas and there is just enough left over for food, but Sam’s family are good to us. They miss him as much as I do. His medals came the other day I showed them to the children. Apparently they’re going to issue us with a bronze plaque with my husbands name engraved on it; that’ll be nice. I’ll put it next to Sam’s picture on the mantle piece where the children can their father’s face, perhaps that way they will remember him.
Eras: 
20th Century
WW1
Topics: 
Domestic Life
Character: 
WW1 widow
Key words: 
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