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| Stephen Lee showing me Mary's wonderful WW1 photographic album. |
Yesterday I had the pleasure of meeting a descedent of one of our Lemnos Nurses - Nurse Mary McIlroy.
Over lunch with Sandra and Stephen Lee we talked about the serivice of Stephen's great auntie, the sister of his paternal grandmother.
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| Mary's RVTNA Nursing Certificate. |
Born in Bendigo and trained at Bendigo Gold District General Hospital, Mary sailed on the
SS Mooltan with the other nurses of the 3rd Australian General Hospital. She served on Lemnos, then Egypt, Western France, England and then on the Italian Front. She was famously present at the wedding of fellow Nurse Clarice Daley and Sergeant Ernest Lawrence on Lemnos in 1915 - signing the wedding certificate.
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| Nurse Mary McIlroy, second left rear, at the Clarice Daley's wedding on Lemnos, 1915. AWM image. |
While on service Mary took a number of photographs and wrote a series of postcards home which document her service and experiences in WW1. Viewing these fragile images at our meeting, I was moved by their survival and yet again more records of life on Lemnos in 1915.
These records are cherished by Stephen and his family and has shared them with me.
More to come on this unique story.
Thanks to Stephen and Sandra Lee.
Jim Claven
Secretary
Lemnos Gallipoli Commemorative Committee
Brave Bendigo girl
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