Series 01 Part 02: Hughes family correspondence, 3 April 1917-22 September 1918 - Page 147
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[Page 147]
3.
written out a letter to the Military Authorities here, making application for a medal which the Commonwealth Government is issuing to wives and mothers of soldiers at the Front. She has also asked for a bar, as bars are issued to mothers who have more than one son at the Front. I am not sure whether they will issue a bar for you, as you do not belong to the Australian Army at present, but it is worth Mother's while to try for it. She has drawn attention to the fact that you were formerly a lieutenant in the 26th Australian Infantry (Citizens' Forces).
Miss Rodway sent home the second portrait of dear Roger yesterday. She still has the first one, which we shall get later. We intend of course to give one to Eileen when she starts a household, which she threatens to do when she comes down from Collaroy when the weather grows hotter. We know that she must start her own establishment sooner or later, but we dont care how long she is about it, and we are secretly pleased when she inspects flats & tells us that she doesn't care for them. You can hardly believe how we miss that dear little baby of Roger's now while they are away in the country.
As far as Eileen is concerned, she has a military pension of about £100 a year, plus an allowance of £26 a year for Peter till he grows to sixteen years of age. Mother & I are making this up to £500 a year altogether, in other words we are adding about £375 a year. Then dear Roger had about £1000 worth of shares, which ought to produce her another £50 a year so that she won't be badly off with say £550 a year, and only herself & baby to provide for.
Mr Maher spoke to me one day about her, & wanted to know if he ought to help, but we said there was no necessity for him to do so, as we would never see them stuck, though of course that did not prevent