Obituary - Claude Hewlett

I first met Claude Hewlett some years ago when I interviewed him about his late wife, Marjory’s time as a land girl in World War II. This resulted in an article in the Historic Review and Claude joined the Historical Society. He was a typical man of his generation. He had worked hard farming then found his life interrupted by war. He was conscripted into the army and Marjory became a land girl in 1942.

Claude (left) with mates in Trieste, Italy

Claude served as a machine gunner in Italy and then a peacekeeper on the Yugoslav border and returned to New Zealand in 1946 and immediately married Marjory. They farmed in Pongakawa until 1954 then moved to Tauranga where Claude became a carpenter.

Marjory introduced Claude to her interest in horses and he spent 43 years involved with the Greerton Pony Club. He was president of the Papamoa Pony Club for five years and a founding member and President of Riding for the Disabled for 25 years. Claude also organised the horse sports at the Tauranga A & P Show for 19 years. His interest in rugby led to him presiding over the BOP Rugby Supporters for several years.  Claude Hewlett received the Bay Times education services award for contribution to the community at the 2002 Compass Community Recognition Awards.

Besides these more formal roles he spent much of his time as an informal social worker visiting older people especially returned soldiers and doing their shopping and chores. Those who knew him described Claude as a perfect gentleman. He was in his one hundredth year when he died.

Images courtesy of the Hewlett family