Vida was born in 1893 at Waimangaroa, near Denniston. She was the daughter of John Berry, a miner, and Bertha Harford.[1]
Vida attended Nelson College for Girls. In 1917, she married Harold Jowett at Apia, Samoa.[2] Vida and Harold had one child in Samoa and returned to New Zealand in 1919 and settled in Wellington. Following the birth of a second child, Vida became heavily involved in Plunket (Royal New Zealand Society for the Health of Women and Children).
At the outbreak of the Second World War, Vida helped establish the Women’s War Service Auxiliary which recruited women to work in military camps throughout New Zealand as clerks, cooks and waitresses. In July 1942, she was asked to set up the New Zealand Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps, whose members served as drivers, radio operators and signallers, as well as in welfare and clerical sections. Vida was appointed chief commander and in 1944 was awarded the OBE.[3] For the rest of her life she continued to support women who had served in the army both during and after the war. Women in the New Zealand Army now serve in the same capacity as men.
She passed away in 1982[4] and is buried in Plot 57 of the RSA Section of the Patea Cemetery, South Taranaki.[5]
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Featured Female Poet connections: Vida is 15 degrees from Anne Bradstreet, 12 degrees from Ruth Niland, 30 degrees from Karin Boye, 29 degrees from 照 松平, 15 degrees from Anne Barnard, 39 degrees from Lola Rodríguez de Tió, 22 degrees from Christina Rossetti, 20 degrees from Emily Dickinson, 32 degrees from Nikki Giovanni, 24 degrees from Isabella Crawford, 18 degrees from Mary Gilmore and 20 degrees from Elizabeth MacDonald on our single family tree. Login to find your connection.
B > Berry | J > Jowett > Vida Eliza (Berry) Jowett OBE
Categories: Women's Auxiliary Army Corps, New Zealand Army, World War II | Featured Connections Archive 2020 | New Zealand, Notables | Notables
Common ancestors would be my 3rd great parents James and Ann Harford.
We plan on featuring Vida in the Connection Finder alongside Julia Stimson, the Example Profile, on November 11th. Between now and then is a good time to take a look at the sources and biography to see if there are updates and improvements that need made, especially those that will bring it up to WikiTree Style Guide standards. We know it's short notice, so don't fret too much. Just do what you can. A Team member will check on the profile Tuesday and make changes as necessary.
Thanks! Abby