As Australia marks the centenary of the war that brought Legacy into existence and service personnel depart for the Middle East for the fifth time in 100 years, the organisation's Canberra chapter fears it does not have enough members to fulfil its mission.
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With Legatees of the WWII generation, exemplified by 89-year-old retired career army officer and diplomat Simon Agnew now thin on the ground Canberra Legacy is turning to men and women of 33-year-old Squadron Leader Leigh Wrighten-Jones's vintage and younger.
Legacy, an entirely voluntary organisation which receives minimal government support, was formed by returned WWI servicemen to honour the pledge to look after the families of the fallen.
It was, in the inter-war years, one of the largest community service organisations in the country and provided direct assistance and support to tens of thousands whose lives had been shattered by the loss of husbands and fathers.
That obligation remains with Mr Agnew, a former Lieutenant Colonel who joined the army at 16 during WWII and went on to fight in New Guinea, Korea and Vietnam, telling Fairfax he still has two widows of WWI soldiers, one of whom is 103, "on the books".
"That link with the past is still there," he said. "Why do I keep this up? (at 89). I had mates who were knocked off and feel some responsibility for their dependants. I felt I had to do something and it has become a discipline."
"If I can help educate the children, keep them out of trouble or take an elderly widow to hospital I enjoy it and it doesn't take up much time," Mr Agnew, a Legatee since 1970, said.
His clients include an elderly Japanese woman.
"Her husband was in the occupation forces after the war, as was I," he said. "She came back to Australia as a war bride."
Squadron Leader Wrighten-Jones, an aeronautical engineer who trained at ADFA, has friends currently on deployment in Iraq as part of the ISIS deployment.
He worries about their safety and what would happen to their families if they did not return.
Squadron Leader Wrighten-Jones said Legacy supported the dependants of all ADF personnel who were killed, died or incapacitated during their service, not just those who were killed or maimed on the field of battle.
Nationwide the organisation currently assists 85,000 widows, dependants and disabled service personnel.
While this number is expected to fall to just under 44,000 by 2024, of whom 36,000 are expected to be widows, the rate of attrition in the ranks of Legatees is as high or higher.
"The average age of Legatees is now 80 and the number of Legatees Australia wide has fallen by 25 per cent over the last 10 years," Canberra Legacy membership committee chairman, Ian Gollings, said.
The Canberra branch has 240 members but, because of age considerations, about 90 are "reserves" who can be called on if necessary but are not necessarily active day-to-day.
Mr Gollings, who noted Legacy was one of the most respected "brands" in Australian community service and had always been well-supported by the Canberra community, said potential members do not have to have a military background.
They must be prepared to submit to police checks and "working with the vulnerable" screening however.
He said the time commitment could be tailored to the individual, that the work was very rewarding and the job far from done.
