ising ▁with ▁the ▁Commonwealth ▁government ▁and ▁federal ▁organis ations , ▁such ▁as ▁the ▁Return ed ▁and ▁Services ▁League ▁of ▁Australia . ▁V ase y ▁was ▁elected ▁found ing ▁president ▁of ▁the ▁new ▁national ▁organisation ▁at ▁its ▁first ▁conference ▁in ▁ 1 9 4 7 . ▁ ▁V ase y ▁set ▁out ▁to ▁obtain ▁an ▁increase ▁in ▁the ▁War ▁W id ow ' s ▁p ension . ▁This ▁had ▁originally ▁been ▁introduced ▁during ▁the ▁Great ▁War . ▁A ▁review ▁of ▁p ensions ▁in ▁ 1 9 2 0 ▁had ▁set ▁the ▁war ▁wid ow ' s ▁p ension ▁at ▁£ 1 / 2 ▁per ▁week ▁at ▁a ▁time ▁when ▁the ▁basic ▁w age ▁was ▁£ 3 / 1 3 ▁a ▁week . ▁Although ▁war ▁wid ows ▁were ▁fort un ate ▁to ▁avoid ▁a ▁p ension ▁cut ▁during ▁the ▁Great ▁De pression , ▁the ▁p ension ▁remained ▁un changed ▁until ▁ 1 9 4 3 , ▁when ▁it ▁became ▁£ 2 / 1 0 ▁a ▁week . ▁By ▁this ▁time ▁post - war ▁infl ation ▁had ▁e aten ▁away ▁much ▁of ▁its ▁value , ▁leaving ▁many ▁war ▁wid ows ▁in ▁financial ▁hard ship . ▁V ase y ▁resolved ▁that ▁the ▁war ▁wid ow ' s ▁p ension ▁should ▁be ▁raised ▁to ▁the ▁basic ▁w age , ▁which ▁by ▁ 1 9 4 7 ▁was ▁£ 5 / 9 ▁per ▁week . ▁ ▁There ▁were ▁also ▁some ▁anom al ies ▁in ▁the ▁p ension ▁structure . ▁For ▁example , ▁a ▁serv ic eman ▁was ▁paid ▁an