7 thoughts on “Staff Nurse Catherine Mary Doohan…

  1. Dave Martin's avatarDave Martin

    Hello Christine….I may be able to help.

    Catherine “Mamie” Doohan was my grandmother on the maternal side of my family.
    She met my grandfather whilst returning to Australia in 1919 on the troopship Anchises and they married in 1921.
    She died at Concord Repatriation Hospital in 1968.

    Coincidently, only yesterday, I was researching more of my grandfather’s WW1 service history when I found a link to your wonderful site.

    Regards,
    Dave Martin

    Reply
  2. Great War Nurses from Newcastle & the Hunter Region's avatarGreat War Nurses from Newcastle & the Hunter Region Post author

    Thanks for that information, Dave, always good to hear from a descendant. Were there any stories about her military service that got passed down?

    Cheers, Christine

    Reply
    1. Dave Martin's avatarDave Martin

      Christine, unfortunately my grandmother didn’t pass on any war service diaries and very little was discussed about her service.
      She was the eldest of four girls.
      Two of her male cousins enlisted in Singleton at the outbreak of WW1 into the 2nd battalion and tragically both were killed in action.
      A 3rd cousin survived the War.

      https://www.aif.adfa.edu.au/showPerson?pid=81653

      On the Trove site I have found a few references to Catherine in a Tamworth newspaper.

      http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/103744446?
      http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/105025878?
      http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/105032936?
      http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/104838185?

      Cheers,
      Dave

      Reply
      1. Great War Nurses from Newcastle & the Hunter Region's avatarGreat War Nurses from Newcastle & the Hunter Region Post author

        Thanks for your reply Dave, including the links!

  3. Dave Martin's avatarDave Martin

    Christine,
    She never spoke to me about her war service and didn’t pass on any diary details, if indeed any were written?
    She died when I was 13 years old and unfortunately I didn’t take time to ask her about her nursing experiences during WW1.

    https://www.aif.adfa.edu.au/showPerson?pid=81653

    However I have found a few links to Tamworth newspaper articles on the Trove website.

    http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/103744446?
    http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/105032936?
    http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/105025878?http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/104838185?

    Interestingly, Catherine had at 3 male cousins volunteer for army service.
    Two enlisted in Singleton at the outbreak of war in 1914 in the 2nd battalion.
    Tragically both were subsequently killed in action.
    Plenty of patriotism in the Hunter Valley in those days!

    Cheers,
    Dave

    Reply
    1. Great War Nurses from Newcastle & the Hunter Region's avatarGreat War Nurses from Newcastle & the Hunter Region Post author

      The families paid a high price for that patriotism, sad to say.

      Reply
  4. Betty longue's avatarBetty longue

    hi Christine,

    not sure if you provided a photo of ww1 nurse Catherine Doohan on your sight but someone did, so thank you maybe it was Dave Martin.

    we’ve found another WW1 nurse to go on the singleton Cenotaph

    Louisa Augusta Hooke.

    born in singleton.

    cannot find anything on her.

    no service record. Believed to have joined over in England. She was holidaying in England with her mother when she joined. She died 25/4/1938

    cremated.
    northern suburbs Memorial.

    Niche wall PP

    site 1063.

    can any anyone help me on this please.

    so far we have 8 WW1 nurses from singleton who’s names are not on our Cenotaph.

    Betty

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