Summary

Single-page letter, typed onto letterhead. From the Canteens Funds Trust of the Australian Imperial Force to Annie Josephine Kemp, widow of soldier Private A.E. Kemp (who died on 21 September 1917 in Belgium). She has apparently written to request funds from the Canteens Funds Trust, and the letter in return originally enclosed a form for her to complete. The recepient had to be 'in real need of assistance'.

Annie had fallen on hard time after her husband's death, and also requested assistance with a grocery bill. She received a war pension, which she supplemented with work as a seamstresss to support herself and her two children. She was evicted from her home, although eventually managed to buy one of her own, possibly with family help.

The Argus, 22 June 1920, page 9, explained the funds then available for war widows and orphans: 'There are in fact three funds which are being used, or will be used, for very similar purposes. The State War Council has a fund, out of which it relieves cases of hardship. A trust, on which the War Council and the Soldiers' League is represented, has a scheme for building houses for war widows, but limitation of means prevents any but the most deserving cases being helped. Another fund consists of the profits made in the A.I.F. canteens, amounting to £300,000, and a bequest of £400,000 from the estate of the late Sir Samuel McCaughey. This fund is now controlled by trustees. Their object is to so administer the canteen profits that they will benefit the widowed mothers and other immediate dependants of deceased soldiers, and give assistance to seriously disabled soldiers. The McCaughey bequest contains the special proviso, that it is to be allocated as follows:- £300,000 for pastoral, agricultural, and technical education to benefit the children of soldiers; £50,000 for beds and cots in hospitals for the wives and children of soldiers; £50,000 in subsidies to building funds of Australian Imperial Force units; and £50,000 for other special purposes, to be decided by the executors. The office of the Secretary to the Canteens Funds' Trust is at Victoria Barracks.'

Physical Description

Thin, cream-coloured paper, printed with letterhead in black, with typed content and signature. Rust from removed pin on reverse of paper.

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