by Susan Toscan
Throughout 1938, Michael and Steven worked hard to build their business. They had increased their stock considerably, and to their delight, their wool was proving to be everything they had planned for. The fleece was beautiful. They personally took samples to Sydney to show to a large company that manufactured and exported Australian wool products. The manufacturer was very impressed with the quality; the only issue was that Michael and Steven had not been able to increase their stock levels enough to generate the amount of fleece required to make a business deal viable. Nonetheless, the company was keen to sign a contract for all of the fleece the men could provide. They agreed to give the manufacturer the first option on the next shearing and settled on a very favourable price. With the promise of such a contract, the partners could go back to the bank manager for more funds. They would need to double their stock—and quickly. They were keen to return home with the good news.
Michael was pleased to have something positive to focus on. He was becoming a little paranoid about the situation in Europe. Michael kept himself as well-informed as he could on the subject, reading newspapers and journals and listening to radio broadcasts, but all of this had a negative effect on his mood. Agnes had noticed that he was becoming quite introspective and temperamental. When she questioned him about what was wrong, he would answer with a snappy response.
Agnes was worried about her husband. Michael seemed to be very anxious and preoccupied. She knew that he was working hard. She was also aware of his concerns about what was happening overseas, but she did not fully understand. She did not know that her husband was already anticipating how the fallout from Europe would affect their family.
Michael was hiding a frustration that was building to a dangerous level. Finally, he talked to Steven. “I am so torn, mate. I want to work hard to secure a future for my family that will provide them with a good standard of living. I want to build a home for them on a property I hope to buy in the future. I also want my children to be safe and free—but I do not want to leave them.”
“I know exactly what you’re saying. I feel the same way,” Steven said. “Renata and I don’t plan to start a family for a little while, but I know that when we do, I would want the same things for my family.”
He and Michael agreed that they would wait as long as they possibly could before they had to join up. They prayed that that day would never come.
It was November 1938 when Agnes received the news that a third child would be joining their family in the autumn of the following year. She laughed when she told Michael. “No sooner do I stop breastfeeding one child than I find I am expecting another. I think three children is a good number. Perhaps we might stop there.”
Michael held his wife in his arms. He was pleased to know that he was going to be a father again. He would never have dreamed that being a father would be the most rewarding experience in his life. His two little girls were so precious to him, and he knew that he would treasure another little one. He worried for Agnes, but he knew how capable she was.
Michael’s heart was torn, however, as the joyful news of another child in their lives left him feeling even more afraid than he had previously been. If his predictions were correct, he would very likely have to go and fight in this impending war, leaving Agnes with three little children to look after. He dreaded the day he would have to leave them.
The news in early 1939 that Hitler and Mussolini had signed an agreement to support each other in the event of war sent shivers of dread throughout the world.
In the small country town of Griffith, people had finally come to realise that many young men would be taken from their community and that this would be devastating. A growing area that was thriving on the development of its farms and industries would be brought to a virtual standstill with the loss of workers. Community leaders were anxious about how the area as a whole would deal with the workforce being largely depleted.
Agnes was terrified; she was expecting her third child in August. The very thought that Michael would have to go to war and leave their family was beyond her comprehension.
Now that Mussolini had aligned with Hitler, some families in Griffith had already become the target of abuse because of their Italian background. The Italians understood that people were afraid and angry. Anxiety was rife throughout the community, the country and the world. There would be no more denials of what was happening in Europe and how it was going to change the world.
Now the situation not only affected the Messera family in Italy but its impact was also felt by their relatives in Australia. Shortly after the news of the German and Italian alliance broke, when Frank and Maria were in town to do some shopping before meeting up with Elsie for lunch, five young local men started yelling abuse at them.
“Go home, wogs! Go and fight for your crazy leader! Next thing we’ll be murdered in our beds!”
Frank quickly stepped in front of Maria, but he was pushed by one of the youths and fell hard against the window of a shop. “Stop, you idiots!” Maria screamed. “We love this country, and we do not want anything to do with Mussolini. None of you know what you are talking about!”
As she was trying to help Frank to his feet, she heard a voice she knew very well but angrier than she had ever heard it. Elsie came running across the road with her shopping bag flying. The bag connected with one of the young abusers. “You get away from these good people! What on earth do you think that you are doing? These people have much more to lose from a war in their homeland than any of us. They still have family over there. Don’t you realise that they left Italy to get away from all this madness? You all make me sick! Now get away before I call Constable Mac!”
By this time, a large group of shoppers had joined Maria in assisting Frank. He had hit his shoulder very hard and was not looking well. They also joined Elsie in voicing their disgust of the group who had attacked the Messeras, and the aggressive young men scampered away up the street. Elsie was so angry that she was shaking. She quickly assessed Frank’s condition. “Frank, I think that you’ve dislocated your shoulder. I can fix it, but it will hurt like hell.”
“Okay, Elsie, you do what you have to do,” Frank said bravely. “The pain couldn’t be worse than it is right now.”
With a few helpers, Elsie moved Frank over to a nearby street bench and then asked the people assisting her to hold him very firmly. She counted to three and then used all of her strength to readjust his injured shoulder. Frank gave a loud yell, but he experienced instant relief. “Thanks, Elsie. You were right—that didn’t exactly tickle.” He tried to move his shoulder.
Elsie spoke in her most professional voice. “No you don’t, Frank. Try not to move the shoulder. We’ll get you to the hospital for an X-ray, and then it will have to be strapped. No working for a couple of weeks.” A flash of anger appeared on her face and in her tone. “Those young men should be ashamed of themselves!”
“Don’t be angry, Elsie; they are just ill-informed—and they are scared, too. The world is changing around us all. Those young fellows are most likely the ones who will eventually have to go to fight. Fear changes people, and I understand that,” Frank said in his caring, understanding way. Once he felt strong enough to move again, Elsie and Maria helped him over to the truck they had borrowed from a neighbour to get into town and took him to the hospital.
Michael’s moods were getting worse, and he was stopping at the pub more often and for much longer. When he finally did get home, it was obvious that he’d had too much to drink. Agnes was not coping well with the way he was acting, and eventually she got very angry with him. “Michael, why are you being so destructive? This behaviour is not like you. I’m afraid of what is happening to you.”
Michael apologised and promised to be more considerate, but although he wanted to stop his drinking, he couldn’t. He knew that with two children to look after in addition to being pregnant, Agnes was feeling a little overwrought herself.
It seemed as if their peaceful family existence had been turn
ed upside down, and neither of them were up to dealing with the stress that had taken over their lives. As little as Patricia was, she seemed unsettled and aware of the tension. Frances would run to her room when Michael came into the house at the end of the day, and she asked her mother why her daddy was angry all the time. Agnes tried to reassure her daughter that Michael was just very worried and tired, but it broke her heart that their little girls were so aware of the changes that were taking place. It was as if the destruction that was mounting so far from Australian shores was already pervading their small community.
A prayer for the
mothers of sons
A boy was born to Agnes and Michael on 2 August 1939. He was a beautiful baby and very like his father. Agnes had gone into labour a week early, and Neil was not born in the hospital. Elsie and Maria had helped deliver the little boy in a very hurried birth.
Elsie, Joe, Michael, Agnes and the girls were visiting Maria and her family. Agnes had planned to go into Griffith later to await the baby’s birth as she had done with Patricia, but it seemed that little Neil was in a hurry to be part of the family. Agnes felt her first contraction just after they had arrived at Maria’s. She tried to cover up her discomfort, but her contractions got very strong, very quickly. Agnes was very calm, confident that her mother would help her through her third delivery.
Lucia and Flavio were there, and they took Frances and Patricia back to their house for a sleepover. The girls were not concerned; they loved staying over at Lucia’s house. They especially loved playing with little Adrian. He was big enough to crawl around after them, and this was a good game for the three of them.
Maria and Elsie made Agnes comfortable in the spare room, and the men got out of the house as fast as they could. They decided that the shed was a good place to set up camp and wait. The food, which had not been touched, was quickly collected, and of course, an esky of cold beer was taken along to help pass the time.
Michael kept checking on how the birth was going, but he was told to stay out of the way as things were progressing very quickly. The baby was born just before midnight, healthy and looking to be fed. Neil was a little bigger than the girls had been, but Agnes had no trouble bringing him into the world.
Agnes cried when she saw him—a little boy, finally. She cried for all the mothers who would have to see their sons go off to war in the not too distant future, and she prayed for all of them. The birth of a child was always so special, bringing so much hope and promise for the future. It was like a renewal of all things good in the world. Agnes also prayed that there was still good in the world that seemed so intent on self-destruction.
Michael was called into the room to meet his little boy. He took the baby in his arms and was overwhelmed with complete love for the third time in his life. He hugged Agnes and thanked her for another perfect child. They sat together, watching Neil as he slept. It was time for contemplation on how this little family would deal with such an uncertain future. No words were necessary—what could be said? There were no choices left except to keep going and to do the very best that they could for their family. Whatever the future would bring, Michael and Agnes had to be strong enough to get through it.
We have to do
what is right
The Italians had long accepted that another war was imminent, but they were shocked at the German invasion of Poland on 1 September 1939, which effectively began the second World War. The news was broadcast across the world, and two days later, Britain and France declared war on Germany.
Michael and Agnes sat in their kitchen, close to the radio, and listened to the voice of the prime minister of Australia, the Right Honourable R. G. Menzies. “Fellow Australians, it is my melancholy duty to inform you officially that in consequence of a persistence by Germany in her invasion of Poland, Great Britain has declared war upon her, and that as a result, Australia is also at war.”
Agnes put her head in her hands and cried. That day, her life and the lives of many others changed forever.
The town of Griffith and the surrounding area seemed to come to a standstill. People stood around in the streets, talking quietly. The general anxiety about what was to come was clearly apparent. Over the following weeks, the main street became a meeting point for anyone and everyone who wanted to have a say about the state of the world. Tables were set up in the park along Banna Avenue, with members of the military providing information to the many young men who were keen to be part of the action. When the time came to enlist, the men stood in long lines, waiting to sign their lives away. Mothers could be seen close by, crying silently.
Things changed so quickly, and the thriving community almost ground to a halt. Men deserted their farms and businesses to follow their dreams going abroad and fighting for their country. There were street parades to bid farewell to those brave soldiers, but the parades were not happy occasions. The vivid memories of the previous war were ever-present among the older generation. They looked on in sadness, knowing that these young men would not find the adventure that they sought but rather horrors that would break their young spirits all too soon. However, the adventurous young people rejoiced just as they had all those years ago. “How many will return this time?” was the question on everyone’s lips.
The initial military training for men from Griffith and the surrounding areas was held at the Kapooka Army Training Centre and the Royal Australian Airforce Base near Wagga. After their training had been completed, the soldiers were sent to England.
Most of the Australian soldiers loved the experience of being in England. As a rule, Australian country boys did not travel far from their homes, let alone overseas. Their leave time was often spent in London, whose nightlife was beyond anything they had ever seen. Nightclubs and bars that were open at all hours were like heaven to these country boys. Being larrikins by nature, the soldiers often found themselves being reprimanded by their commanding officers for their rowdy and drunken behaviour; it frequently landed them in some form of detention—at least until they sobered up—but it certainly did not deter them!
Eventually, however, the fellows who started out thinking that this was all a bit of fun soon realised that things were pretty serious. Gradually the impact of the events taking place across the English Channel made them realise that this was no holiday.
In 1940, almost a year after the start of the war, the Battle of Britain was a wake-up call for the world. During this attempted invasion, the Australian men stationed in Britain experienced the full impact of being in the middle of a war zone. The four months between July and December 1940 were the worst possible nightmare for the British people. Over 43,000 innocent people lost their lives and another 50,000 were injured as a result of the bombing raids of the German air force, the Luftwaffe.
Many Australians had close relatives living in England, and they were constantly worried about the safety of loved ones. Agnes and Michael too were horrified to hear the reports coming out of Britain. They had no way of understanding how people lived through such experiences. Michael knew that he would finally have to make a decision about what he would do. He was already aware that he was the target of stares, which were sometimes followed by the same basic question, “What’s a strapping young fella like you doing at home still when the other boys are over there fighting?”
Michael discussed with Steven how this made him feel. “You know, I just want to scream at them. If only those people knew the anguish we suffer over this. Yes, I know I should enlist, but I also know that I do not want to leave my family.”
“Look, mate, we have to ignore them,” Steven said. “It’s all very well for them to be so judgmental, but as you say, they’ve got no idea of what it’s like for us. Of course we want to do the right thing for our country—but what about our families? There is no justice when it comes to war!” He shook his head. He knew what Michael was feeling, and they shared the knowledge that if this war did not end soon, they would have to go and fight.
“Living in
a country town makes it very hard to be anonymous. When so many men have already gone to fight, I suppose that people think they have the right to pass judgment on those who haven’t gone. It doesn’t make it right, but I reckon that people believe the more men who go to fight, the sooner this war will end and everyone will be able to come home.” Steven shrugged his shoulders and patted Michael on the shoulder. “We have to do what is right for us, mate.”
A month later, both Steven and Michael signed up for army training. The war was showing no signs of slowing—rather, it was escalating at an incomprehensible rate—and the call was going out for more volunteers. They could not wait any longer.
In July 1940, they went to the army camp near Wagga to undertake rigorous training. Both men were fit, and they enjoyed the challenge of training—they just did not like what they were being trained for. Agnes and Renata were able to take the children and visit their husbands on a few occasions, which certainly helped them all get through that strange and difficult time.
The training took about six months, but the two friends were able to return to their families for Christmas. Michael and Steven knew that early the following year, they would be shipped overseas to fight.
Just as Agnes was trying to come to terms with Michael joining the army, she received a letter from Betty, and the news that her sister shared was terrible.
Dearest Agnes,
I hope this letter finds you all well. I know that you must be upset with Michael away training, we pray for him every day. Sam will also be attending the training camp, but as it is near to our home, I will see him every weekend. I will be sure to look up Michael and Steven. These are worrying times.