Anna Rogers - Annies War: A New Zealand Woman and Her Family in England 1916–19

My first thanks must go to my grandmother, Annie, without whom this book would not have happened, and to my Aunts Winifred, Alex and Beryl, who kept her diaries and memorabilia. My very great thanks to my cousin, John Montgomerie, who first showed me the diaries 13 years ago, and has provided such wonderful background material and photos. I am delighted that we have been able to talk over and share so much of this family story.

This book would never have come to fruition without the enthusiasm and invaluable help of Glyn Harper, Professor of War Studies at Massey University, whom my husband Mike and I first visited in 2012. Glyn has really been part of the team.

Anna Rogers is a wonderful editor, who has assisted me through many ups and downs. Her footnotes add so much interest to the book and she knows how to edit and yet keep the essence of the text. My heartfelt thanks, Anna. Annies War owes so much to you.

I am grateful to Rachel Scott, the publisher at Otago University Press, whose guidance and help have brought the book to print. My thanks, also, to all her team.

I thank my son Hew and sister Egidia for their ongoing support, and Joan Rosier Jones, who gave me so much guidance and backing in the early years. Anita Miller helped to type out the diaries over four years of deciphering spidery writing. Scott Flutey helped me to see how the computer made all this possible, and when the computer appeared to have lost it, Jordan Rees came to the rescue. Thank you all.

Hinemoa and Ed Boyd and the staff at H & A Print were most helpful in dealing with the manuscript pages as they came through from Anna and did the binding for me. Lesley and Rochelle at Paiges Book Gallery in Wanganui have always shown great enthusiasm for this book, and the staff at Aramaho Books and Lotto organised the safe couriering of 100-year-old photos and documents to Dunedin.

Thanks, also, to my friend, chemist Sue Gardener, who spent hours checking the drastic-sounding medications Annie used to treat her family and herself, to Lloyd Hook in Temuka, who made great efforts to check out the family of Fergie, who features so much in the diaries, and to Geof Elston at Timaru Boys High, where Fergie went to school.

Patrick Jones in the United Kingdom, who had two grandfathers who were First World War pilots, very kindly organised a website for my father Setons diaries and letters. My husband and I really appreciated meeting him in London on two occasions. Felicity Campbell, a local historian, gave support. Evelyn Williames supplied the photo of her grandfather, John Tilley, a second cousin who gave Annie so much support and comfort in terrible times. Friends who have always taken an interest in the project include Val Cowan, Michelle Watson and Cynthia and Ken Henderson. Thank you all.

Finally, I give many, many thanks to my ever supportive and computer literate husband, Mike. He helped me to decipher and type out the diaries, and together we visited so many of the places mentioned in this book. Without Mike this book would have never been completed.

Susanna Montgomerie Norris

June 2014