Historical information

A bookmark made to honour the founder of the War Widows Guild, Mrs Jessie Vasey. It has a photo of her and the Guild Motto on the front and a brief summary of the guild on the reverse.
The Guild Motto: "We all belong to each other. We all need each other. It is serving each other and in sacrificing for our common good that we are finding our true life", which was taken from the Christmas speech of King George VI in 1941.
Mrs J M Vasey was the founder and president of the War Widows Guild. During the second world war she became secretary of the AIF Women's Association, a body which sought to help soldiers' wives. Her work with this body drew her attention to the plight of war widows. After her husband Major-General George Alan Vasey died in an aircraft accident on 5 March 1945 she became a widow herself. At the end of the war Mrs Vasey founded the War Widows Guild, established on 22 November 1945.
The Victorian War Widows Guild closed in 2021. Some items, including this bookmark, were donated to the Legacy archive for preservation. It was possible for a widow to be members of both Legacy and the War Widows Guild. Both organisations helped war widows in various ways.

Significance

A record of the work done by Jessie Vasey and the War Widows Guild.

Physical description

Bookmark honouring the founder of the War Widows Guild.