The gold leaf

I suspect my mother had her own mystery going on – just as Dad’s mystery is Valerie. Well, a mystery to  me anyway because my Dad didn’t talk about Valerie and my mother didn’t talk about the gold oak leaf. At least I think it’s an oak leaf – the gold oak leaf collar insignia worn by a Major of the United States Air Force, Army and Marine Corps. I think this is right but no doubt someone with good knowledge of military insignia can help me out.

Anyway. Valerie I suspect was Dad’s love interest whilst he was training in England in late 1941/early 1942. He named his Spitfire “Valerie” so it had to have been some sort of solid connection. In Dad’s logbook for May 8, 1944, he notes: “My own A/C. Lovely too. I christened it Valerie“. The aircraft was a Spitfire IX. What gives me goosebumps is that May 8 is my birthday. I’ve never found out who Valerie is or was; or how long my father might have known her. I suspect she is English.

But back to my mother’s mystery. I guess all daughters are fascinated by their mother’s jewellery collection. My mother had very little jewellery because she only wore a watch, a wedding ring and occasionally some earrings or a necklace. But she wore all that brightly-coloured plastic stuff from the 1950s and 1960s. She did have a few pieces from my grandmother, which I now have and…..a very fascinating (to a young kid anyway) gold leaf brooch.

I asked her once about this brooch – where did it come from? I thought she said it was a Canadian maple leaf. I know she said she was given it during World War II. But Dad’s Valerie mystery has caused me to contemplate my mother and Stuart Jay Jnr III (or Stewart, not sure). My mother told me that she was engaged to this chap and he was American.

She would have met him in Sydney, Australia where she was working as a secretary for some American Army officer or General during WWII. Can’t recall exactly. I think the Yanks had some headquarters in Sydney. I know she said she was working in the Sydney CBD and I guess she was part of the civilian war effort.

She then met my father, as he was returning to New Zealand after the war ended, and broke off her engagement. At least this is how I remember it. I’ve always loved the brooch; no idea why. I just find it a simple, elegant piece.

My mother died in July 2007 and I now own the gold leaf. I decided to do some searching and found out that it is probably an oak leaf of the kind American service personnel wear. I’m putting two and two together and possibly coming up with six – but I wonder if the American chap gave it to her?

I remember my cousin (the son of one of my mother’s brothers) telling me that my grandparents weren’t too keen on my mother marrying “some Yank” and disappearing off to America. I also recall him saying they were very relieved when she met a “nice young New Zealand chappie”. You can read about how my parents met here.

My mother never wore the gold leaf but she always kept it in a special box. I don’t know if my father ever knew she had it or kept it. I suspect not because Dad wasn’t the sort of person to pry, so he probably never snooped around in her jewellery box!

I thought I’d take a photo of it and if anyone has information on what it is, just leave a comment.