Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Hugo Walter Ehrke
Hugo was born in Tanunda on the 4th October, 1913 before his parents moved back to Peterborough in the mid-north of SA; his mother’s birthplace. When Bertha Marie Koch first married, she moved to Nuriootpa but became a widow with two children, Martin and Helen Dallwitz. She met and married German born Wilhelm Frederick August Ehrke who was born in Germany in 1863 and came to Australia in the 1880’s. He and Bertha subsequently married then had five sons, Ernest, Victor, Fred, Hugo and Louis before moving to Peterborough in 1922 as manager for Mr. Hoffman, a wine merchant. Hugo was then 9 years old. He gained his Qualifying Certificate at Peterborough Primary in 1926. He was also an accomplished pianist winning awards in both his Under 18 age group and also in the Open division.
Post school, Hugo worked in the local W. J. Dickson's Shoe Store, a career in which he was involved for his lifetime. Coming from a strong Lutheran background, he was actively involved in church and Sunday School, however at a picnic with the latter when he was 21, Hugo sustained a serious break to his arm in two places earning a mention in the local papers for his misfortune. He was also supportive of the Methodist Church single men’s club which in 1935 presented a "Music, Mirth and Melody Show" where Hugo presented a pianoforte item, numerous choruses and two sketches titled "Harmony in the Home," and "The Sculptor."
Soon after, in 1939 Hugo moved to Whyalla to take up the position of Manager with Blacks Ltd Shoe store. It quickly grew to be the largest footwear shop in Whyalla with a staff of eight. By 1941 the store moved to a building in Forsyth Street which the Recorder newspaper described eloquently: ‘The building has modern curved windows, one of them being used to display ladies' shoes, while the other is devoted to men's wear. A mercery department has been added since the move to the new premises. Arkubra quality hats, men's ready-to-wear tailored fit and- finish suits, pullovers, and fashion shirts are displayed to advantage. A bold electric sign in green marks the location, and at the entrance is laid rubber matting in which the firm's name is imposed in burgundy to match the outside color scheme. A small semi-circular central window exhibits neat ties and scarfs.’ Shoe and boot repairs were also catered for and became more important as the war unfolded. By 1942 Hugo was announcing that ‘five sides of leather are to be supplied to each Whyalla repairer every month but the shortage of man-power to make the repairs will remain.’
Hugo, however did not forget his home town as he and other friends from Peterborough, including Viv. Garwood and Jack Prouse who had also sought work in Whyalla returned to Peterborough some weekend to visit friends and family.
Inevitably, Hugo became actively involved with the Whyalla Community. Like his younger brother Louis, Hugo was keen to be involved in TOC H, an international Christian movement. The name is an abbreviation for Talbot House, "Toc" signifying the letter T in the signals spelling alphabet used by the British Army in World War I. TOC H was a newly formed organisation that worked for Christian Social order ‘for men to come together and help promote a lively interest in the lives and needs of their fellows, and to foster in every man a sense of responsibility toward his fellow man.’ The Whyalla News of September 1941 outlined some of the initiatives the group had undertaken, including helping ‘girl guides with packing goods and another to take books from the hospital to the institute and change them.’ Their actions also included visiting patients who had no local family, distressed families, widows, and widowers. Additionally, ‘Needy cases were recommended to charitable institutions. Broken glass had been gathered from the swimming reserve and other places, and men had been assisted to get off the drink.’ Importantly for the younger people of the town, plans for a recreation reserve at Whyalla South were drawn up and planning was underway for a tennis club and club room in Wood Terrace. Post meetings, Hugo led community singing which was particularly enjoyed. He was to become the official TOC H song-leader.
As part of his role as Vice-chairman in TOC H, Hugo was in the 1942 deputation to meet with the then Minister of Education in an appeal for a further school in Whyalla South to combat overcrowding at the higher primary school where ‘Children were in corridors and sheds and the indications were that the demands on space would grow.’ At that time children were refused admittance ‘because there was no room for them’. However, such construction of a permanent stone building was unlikely because of the war.
Hugo had enlisted on the 13th March 1941 in the Citizen’s Military Forces rising to the rank of Corporal. While on parade one night in 1942, a suggestion was made for the men to each contribute money for a kettle drum to accompany their marching. Hugo consequently approached the manager of Blacks Ltd who immediately authorised the purchase which Hugo then presented to the Home guard. By February 1943 the course of the war was still undetermined. Hugo became secretary of a newly formed organisation which the Whyalla News reported proposed to ‘divide the town into zones and appoint volunteers to each zone. It will ascertain the properties which would have to be destroyed and how long would be required to complete the job.’
He continually sought to support local clubs, Including the Red Cross Queen Fashion Competition, by not only supplying the shoes from his store, but also providing an amusing break by appearing in high heel shoes as Miss Blossom Primrose of the Red Cross Thrift Shop. In a quirky development during the war, the Blacks Limited clock failed to chime its usual quarter of an hour. Initially this was attributed to the black-out or criticisms of hotel guests who said their sleep was disturbed. A request from the men at the works galvanised Hugo to have the mechanism repaired enabling then to continue hearing the time of the day as they worked.
By March of 1942, Hugo was elected inaugural secretary of the Whyalla Traders Association which he held for countless years. In light of current reliance on ‘plastic’ a pre-Christmas appeal in his secretarial role was to ask residents to ‘leave any pennies they have at the shops. If you have only one shilling’s worth in the house take it to the store or bank, and do not delay until the Xmas rush is here. Pennies are scarce and customers are delayed unless correct change is available. Help us to help you.’ On a wider scale, he was also vocal in his support of an improved Post Office, mail delivery and public phones in the fast-developing Whyalla South area. At their social in December 1943, the Association presented a gift to Hugo ‘one if its most ardent workers’ who had been called up to serve, becoming SX33387. Younger brother Louis had also enlisted in July. Hugo was to move through the ranks to become a Corporal.
A posting to New Guinea resulted in Hugo’s reportedly peaceful encounter with Dyak head-hunters, featured in the News of November 1945. Private Hugo wrote to his soon to be fiancé, Madeline Draper from Tarakan: “We had four Dyak head-hunters in the tent, complete with big knives encased in elaborately carved sheaths, part of the decorations being tufts of human hair. They also carried their long blowpipes complete with pouch of poison darts. "These were some of the chaps who worked with our fellows. The Dyaks did a great job. Many Nip heads were sliced off and scores killed with poisoned darts.” Certainly, no mincing of words in that report.
By July 1946 Hugo and Madeline Draper from Largs Bay announced their engagement a month before his brother Lou and Dorothy McLeod followed suit. Hugo met Madeline while she was teaching on the staff of Whyalla Higher Primary School in 1941 and also through her involvement playing hockey in the local competition. The family were able to have almost seven months with their father, then in his 80’s before William died on the 23rd of October, 1946 and was buried in the Peterborough Cemetery, in the community he had served so well. A month later Hugo and Madeline married in the Semaphore Methodist Church with Hugo having Ross Lloyd from Peterborough as his best man.
Madeline graduated from the School for Arts and Crafts then introduced the art of puppet making into Adelaide infant schools in 1945 using papier mâché faces, painted and varnished, and clothes made from bright scraps of material. Her expertise in puppets were on display at the newly established Whyalla South School with a production by her Grade 2 class in 1947 to the Mothers’ Club and also the teachers. In an interview with the Whyalla News, Madeline outlined the benefits of puppets in helping children’s speech and overcoming shyness, adding that “the making and dressing of the figures can be an education on styles and people of other days and other lands”. By November 1949 the school and its library were officially opened with Hugo as manager of Blacks Ltd being thanked for his assistance to the school band. By 1952 Madeline was also offering to have the school library open during the holidays in the afternoon for children to choose books to read instead of getting bored as, "there is not a great deal for them to do during the holidays."
Hugo’s sporting involvement was wide-ranging. In November 1942 he was elected President of Whyalla Athletic Club, a role he held for well over a decade, presenting trophies, attending busy bees, arranging carnivals, organising billets, collating program for printing and supporting the Whyalla Gift Carnival. The Athletics Club also appointed him as their representative on the Whyalla Sports Association in 1943, a role he returned to post war. He was heavily involved in other sports including Hockey, acknowledging the role of umpires with the presentation of a book and propelling pen in 1947 as well as traditional awards to players. By 1950, Madeline was also serving on the committee. Hugo was also the Cricket Vice president in the 1950s and donated a trophy for Bowling in 1948; he was on the Finance Committee for Bowls and was North Whyalla Football Club’s Vice President.
His generosity was evident with donated prizes for the Fighting Forces Comforts Fund, support for the Whyalla Hospital and the RSL Committee. For the latter he was the nominated representative to meet with other sub branches from Quorn, Port Augusta, Iron Knob and Whyalla, Woomera and Cook.
By 1950 Hugo was appointed by the Whyalla Town Commission to discuss the erection of entrance gates at the Memorial Oval. The structure would also incorporate the names of those killed in World War I, originally listed in front of the Institute. Interested bodies were optimistic about getting support and they hoped to raise between £1,000 and £2,000. His role with the Sports Association in the development of Memorial Oval involved working with football, tennis, cricket, cycling, athletics clubs and appreciating their different needs for seating, change rooms and fencing. Hugo pushed for fencing to be a priority as this would contribute to gate takings but there was still a reliance on volunteers to help with parts of the construction including conveniences, seating and the fence.
Hugo’s brother, Louis lived to be 77 years old, dying on the 27 March 1998. He is buried at Tanunda in the St John Lutheran cemetery. Hugo, aged 84 died the same year on the 22nd June and was buried in the Whyalla Cemetery, having given so much to the local community. Madeline then had four years as a widow, dying on the 23rd December 2002. She also is with Hugo at Whyalla Cemetery.
Researched and written by Kaye Lee, Daughter of Bryan Holmes SX8133 and Eva Cummings.