Honouring our WWII veterans on Anzac Day: Edna Sherwood

At 101 years old, she is one of Tamworth's last surviving World War Two (WWII) veterans, and quite possibly the oldest.

As Anzac Day arrives, we pause to honour Edna's extraordinary life and service, and pay tribute to her resilience and courage which exemplify the spirit of the Anzacs.

Born Edna Gann on August 5, 1922, she grew up in Sydney before her military career took her to Tamworth and eventually on to the far-flung battlefields of the Pacific.

At 20 years old, she enlisted in the Australian Army Medical Women's Service (AAMWS), following in the footsteps of her brothers Norman and James, who had also enlisted in the Army and RAAF, respectively.

Assigned to the 102 Australian General Hospital in Tamworth, Edna's wartime experiences were marked by both heroism and hardship.

In December 1943, a cyclone tore down 13 army huts, including one Edna was inside. She and 20 other people were injured in the storm.

But her trials and tribulations had only just begun.

Less than a year later Edna was transferred to Moratai Island, near Borneo, where she encountered the sweltering heat and challenges of wartime service.

"The mostly male population were unaware of our arrival and some were actually walking naked to the showers," she said.

Edna told the Leader she distinctly remembers her unit's arrival being announced with a single shout, "Sheilas!"

She also remembers the conflict, the guards always on watch in case Japanese soldiers attacked, how the Americans on the island always seemed better equipped than the Aussies, and how day after day after day was spent treating casualties from battles in nearby Borneo.

Most of all, Edna remembers the loud sirens of the ships in the harbour celebrating the surrender on September 2, 1945.

She returned to Australia on the hospital ship Manunda in February the following year.

Throughout all the strife and sacrifice, Edna found love in the form of Arthur Sherwood, a fellow soldier also stationed on Moratai.

Their fleeting meeting at a dance would blossom into a lifelong love, enduring long beyond the end of the war.

Together, they raised three sons in South Sydney before moving up to Manilla and purchasing a dairy farm.

Now at 101 years old, Edna continues to inspire us with her resilience and strength. Her indomitable spirit and unwavering dedication to her country serve as a timeless reminder of the sacrifices made by the Anzacs.

While history will never forget that sacrifice, the fact remains Australia's dwindling population of WWII veterans is leading to a loss of what historians call 'living memory'.

That's why it's so important to share stories like Edna's, while the people with lived experience are still here to tell their tales.

In 2020, the Leader put out a call to arms for all surviving WWII veterans in the region to come forward to mark the 75th anniversary of the end of WWII.

Of the eight veterans to attend that ceremony, the Leader was able to confirm half are still alive.

With the recent passing of local legend Jack Woolaston, our remaining WWII veterans include Keith Power, Jean Janson, Manilla's Vivian Simmons, and of course, Edna Sherwood.

Agnes Richardson, who turns 100 this year and recently had the honour of lighting Tamworth's torch for Legacy's centenary celebration, recently moved up to Queensland to be closer to her family.

Sadly, the last four years have seen the deaths of local WWII veterans Stanley Allen, Richard Allman, Trevor Schwallbach, Earl Shephard, Douglas Plante, Joyce Abra, and Robert Croker.

The Leader could not confirm the status of Lance Corporal Elijah Rogers.