Mona Corlett
Mona Corlett is the most senior member of the Hamilton Bridge Club at 98 years of age!
Mona was born at Fencourt near Cambridge. She had always wanted to be a nurse and after finishing school she went to Auckland to do her nursing training eventually working as a Plunket nurse. Whilst doing this she enrolled in Army Nursing Service and after 6 Months was called up to go overseas. They were given a list of items to take which included 6 pairs of black woollen stockings and a suspender belt - NO GARTERS ALLOWED! She was one of 15 nursing sisters to leave Wellington with 800 troops but sailing was delayed for 24 hours as a submarine had been sighted outside the harbour, consequently they were all seasick before they got out to sea!
After a short while they were posted to No 1 Hospital at Senigallia in Italy ( on the Adriatic Coast ). Many of the wounded were sent to them from the North and she remembers the Maori boys being very quick at picking up the Italian language. The winter was very difficult for them all and many of the wounded were German POWs. She said "they were just like our own boys". Many had suffered tank burns and they were immersed in saline baths where their skin was removed whilst under water.Penicillin was discovered during this time which proved to be a huge relief to many.
Mona was entitled to 3 weeks leave at this stage and took a trip to England and on her return it wasn't long before peace was declared. She had spent over 2 years there. On returning to New Zealand she resumed nursing with Plunket in Hamilton and after 2 years she married Fred a returned soldier who had been a POW in Germany.They had 3 children.
Mona joined Hamilton Bridge Club in the middle seventies. She and 3 friends went to lessons with 20 others. They had 3 alternating tutors whose patience was remarkable ( just like today ! ). One night all 4 people at the table played the entire game without dummy! For several years after moving into the newly built club rooms the women wore long skirts, usually over slacks in winter until the heating was adjusted ( they were already having problems! ) She remembers one day a member was ecstatic to find her arranging Belladonna lilies in the foyer. He informed her they were named after Giorgio Belladonna, an Italian Bridge player who won a number of world championships and invented some of the bidding systems in use today.
Mona is still enjoying her bridge and is a regular player at the club on Fridays – her mind is still sharp even if getting about isn't as easy as it once was.
She enjoys going out to lunch with her bridge friends which also includes a glass of a good red wine!
Joan
