Mrs Wakely was born and raised in Dannevirke, began her nursing career in 1939 at Waipukurau and went on to become a registered nurse and midwife. She served in the Middle East at No 5 New Zealand General Hospital (NZGH) in Helwan, south of Cairo. Mrs Wakely also spent a great deal of time in a small town on the outskirts of Naples, Italy, tending to the troops there. Mr Wakely had spent more than three years as a prisoner of war in Campo 52 on the northern Italian border under the Swiss Alps. Mrs Wakely was a familiar face at Dannevirke Anzac Day services, placing a wreath on the Cenotaph on behalf of the Prisoner of War Association, in memory of her husband Bill.

Source: New Zealand Herald November 10, 2016 21:00 UTC