AT 11am on Wednesday morning, Pam Worland will again feel a sense of pride about her family’s wartime contribution during the Remembrance Day service.

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The Worland family history in World War i is an amazing one with Arthur Worland and six of his seven sons all serving in what was called the war to end all wars.

Arthur served in Egypt while sons David, Joe, Amos, Alec, Hector and Arthur, or Nugget as he was more commonly known, all served in various theatres of war.

All except Joe returned home.

Youngest son Les was the only male in the family who didn’t go to war but not without trying.

He enlisted when he was only 16 years-old but as he was a big strapping lad Les was able to convince the army that he was 18.

When word reached his father in Egypt that Les was going to join his brothers, Arthur intervened to get his youngest son discharged.

Pam’s connection to the family is through Nugget being her father-in-law.

Her husband Jim was Nugget’s eldest son.

Initially a member of the Field Ambulance Brigade, Nugget transferred to the 1st Artillery Field Brigade early in 1917 to be with David, Harold and Alec resulting in the four brothers manning one gun.

Having survived multiple gunshot wounds he suffered in France, Pam said Nugget’s service didn’t end there.

“He joined up again for the second one (World War II),” she said.

“When things got pretty grim in the middle of it all he decided that he’d join up again.

“So away he went again and he was the one that lasted longer than the rest of them.”

Pam, 86, who now lives at Boambee Gardens Retirement Village said she remembers young men heading off to battle when she was a young girl growing up in Karangi.

“They used to have send offs for the men when they were going off into the war and then when they came back we’d have another party,” she recalled.

“I suppose I remember the parties more than anything.”

Just as she has done every year, Pam will make sure she takes the time on Remembrance Day to honour those who’ve served and sacrificed so much.

“If you knew it (war time) when you were younger, a lot of people remembered and still remember,” she said.

By Brad GREENSHIELDS