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4 mins read 17 October 2024“My name is Wera Gazecki and I was born in Germany in 1930. My parents had a substantial farm, and I grew up during the Second World War. Life changed after the war when the Russians occupied our part of Germany. It wasn’t as easy as before. I studied nursing and earned my degree, working as a nurse in the hospital.
Later, I met my husband. He was a mining engineer working for the Russians. He was in charge of explosives at the uranium mines. After some challenges at his job, we left our home and defected to West Berlin and eventually made our way to West Germany. It was 1953, and my husband ran into an Australian recruiting officer, who convinced us to move to Australia. In 1954, we boarded a Swedish ship and set sail for our new life.
It took 32 days to reach Melbourne. From there, we went to Bonegilla. Eventually, we were sent to Sydney, where my husband continued working in mining, and I wanted to return to nursing, but my english wasn’t strong enough at first, so I took a different path and worked in an electronics company. I learned a lot about air purifiers and electronics during that time.
After my daughter was born in 1969, I retired and focused on family life. We moved to a farm near Dubbo, where we stayed for 30 years, raising our daughter. We spent some lovely years in our farmhouse and made incredibly beautiful memories. When my husband passed away, I moved back to Sydney as my daughter had by then moved to Sydney as well. And we wanted to be close to each other. That’s when I found this lovely place at the Dardanelles in RSL ANZAC Village, where I’ve lived for 10 years now. Life here is wonderful. I have a one-story house with a backyard and great neighbours. It’s peaceful, and I feel at home.
Now, you asked why I became a volunteer. Well, I went through the war and the hardships that followed. The aftermath was worse than the war for us civilians. I volunteer at the War Museum because I want to share my experiences with those who want to understand what it was really like for ordinary people. Many people here might have heard about the war on the radio or knew about Darwin being bombed, but they didn’t live through the devastation we did.
One memory that never leaves me is the bombing of Dresden. It was February 1945, just before the war ended. Dresden was a beautiful city of culture, with no military significance. Yet, it was bombed into oblivion with many innocent people dying who had nothing to do with the war; they were just trying to survive. That’s why I speak out against war. It’s always the innocent who suffer.
Volunteering at the museum gives me a chance to tell these stories, to help others understand what it was really like during the war. I’m proud to volunteer here, and I encourage others to give their time too, whether it’s at the museum, an op shop that we have onsite, or sitting with residents in residential care homes. There’s always something meaningful you can do.
At 94, I still believe in the importance of giving back, and sharing my story is part of that.” – RSL LifeCare resident and volunteer, Wera Gazecki
If you’re interested in volunteering at RSL LifeCare, like Wera Gazecki, please click the button below to learn more.
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22 Home Care service locations across NSW & ACT
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6 Dedicated Veteran & Family Hubs, offering free support for veterans
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