Matron Ida Greaves – ‘a right daughter of Australia‘ by Christine Bramble is available locally at selected bookshops in the lower Hunter or by mail. For details, contact the author by emailing –sistersofthevalley@gmail.com
RRP $32.99
See below for more details about the book.
My latest book was launched on Friday 5 March by Ms Sharon Claydon MP, Federal Member for Newcastle. The book tells the story of Newcastle woman, Ida Mary Greaves, who graduated from Newcastle Hospital in 1904. After six years experience in hospital and private nursing in Australia Ida left to work in England. When Britain and its allies declared war on Germany in 1914, Ida immediately volunteered to join the Australian Voluntary Hospital (AVH), an independent military hospital established by Rachel, Lady Dudley and funded by donations from Australians. With Ida as matron and Newcastle surgeon Lieutenant Colonel William L’Estrange Eames as commanding officer, the hospital was the first unit from any of the dominions to arrive on the Western Front. In over four-and-a-half years of service in France and Belgium, Matron Greaves was awarded the Royal Red Cross and was mentioned in dispatches three times.
For details of where to purchase the book locally or order a copy by mail contact the author by emailing sistersofthevalley@gmail.com RRP $32.99
I am always keen to receive new information from relatives of these women or from other researchers. See below for some of the contributions.
© Christine Bramble 2013
Great War Nurses from the Hunter 
Indeed a great tribute to their service and their memory.
Great work Christine.Have not bought your book as yet,will certainly do so.Do you know of a Mary Ellen Briggs who joined the AIF in 1917?She was born in Newcastle and is buried at Sandgate Cemetery.
Cheers,
Gary Mitchell
I have a photo with Briggs in it with the pyramids in the background. I think Christine has posted it on this website (also has my grandmother Stewart and other Hunter Valley nurse Michie
Robyn Talbot
Hi Robyn, thank you for information on Miss Briggs. I have not seen photo as yet, would love to add to Sandgate database. Cheers, Gary.
To Gary Mitchell – if possible for contact I wd be most grateful, my name is Therese Alexander , and Mary Ellen Briggs was a great aunt. I am attempting to find a photo and other details of her please. She was killed in a car accident being driven by my elderly grandfather William eathorne Alexander.
Hi Therese,
My apologies for not replying sooner, I had a very hectic week and am now doing catch-up: the following is everything I have about Mary, including a summary written some years ago. The addresses of the National Archives newspaper articles at the end of this message may not work from here, but copy and paste an address into your browser and should take you to the item on Trove. As more material has been added to Trove since I did the research, it would be worth your while to do a search of her name.
Unfortunately I don’t have a photograph other than the group photo with other nurses, on my website.
Hope this helps. Cheers, Christine
*
Staff Nurse Mary Ellen Briggs joined the ANNS on 26 June 1917.
Born in Newcastle, NSW, her age was 39 years her profession was given as “hospital nurse” at the time of her enlistment. Mary’s next of kin was her mother, Margaret Briggs, of High Street, Newcastle, NSW. An annotation in red ink notes “Notice to be sent to sister Mrs W.E. Alexander at same address.
She is described as being 5 feet 4 inches tall, 10 stone 5 pounds, with a fair complexion and grey eyes and brown hair. Distinguishing mark was vaccination scar. Her religion was Roman Catholic.
She embarked for overseas duty on 10 September 1917 on the Hospital Transport “Runic”, with a stop at Durban 7 October where she was accommodated in a hotel. She transferred to the Hospital Transport “Caronia” for Egypt via Bombay on 3 November. She reported for duty at 69th General Hospital in Alexandria, Egypt, on 23 January 1918.
On 12 July she was attached to the 31st General Hospital in Abbassia.
She went on 10 days leave on 10 December and returned from leave on 20 December 1918. on 28 December she was transferred to 71st General Hospital in Abbassia. On 12 February 1919 she was transferred to 14th Australian General Hospital, Abbassia.
She embarked for Australia on the Hospital Transport “Burma” at Suez, for duty, on 26 July 1919. She disembarked on 1 September 1919 and was discharged on 1 October 1919 from the 2nd Military District. A medical report following an examination at the Anzac Buffet in the Domain Sydney on her return contains a signed statement by Mary that “I am not suffering from any disability due to or aggravated by War service, and feel fit and well.”
A letter from James & James Solicitors of Newcastle, dated, 28 January 1931, refers to Mary Briggs having been killed on 21 December 1930. The letter seeks information of the whereabouts of the witnesses to Mary’s will dated 29 August 1917. The letter is addressed to the officer in charge of base records in Melbourne. A reply on 3 February provides the last known address of one of the witnesses.
She received the British War Medal and the Victory Medal.
Above summary, based on service record of Mary Ellen Briggs, B2455, BRIGGS M E, National Archives of Australia,
compiled Christine Bramble 2011
Other references:
http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article15860048
http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article46577435
http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article137708865
http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article135248937
Thanks for the feedback, Gary. Yes, there is a page for Mary Ellen Briggs – go to “The Nurses” and scroll down to find her name. It was sad that her life was cut short in a car accident. Are you related to her? Would love to know of any additional information you have about her life.
Local Studies at Newcastle Library has a few copies of the book still. There are also copies for loan from both Newcastle and Lake Macquarie Library and a reference copy in the State Library and the Australian War Memorial if you are not local.
Cheers, Christine
Hello Christine. I read with interest the article in Satruday’s NMH. Ida Greaves is my great aunt and my mother owned her Royal Red Cross. Can you contact me for further information please. Regards, Chris
Hello Chris – I’m delighted to hear from you! The lack of recognition of Ida Greaves is one of my hobby horses, I would love to have a chat and and perhaps fill in some of the gaps in my knowledge of Ida’s war service. I away from home at present on family business, but it would be great if you could contact me at sistersofthevalley@gmail.com to suggest a way we can meet or at the very least have a talk on the phone. Cheers, Christine
Dear Christine,
I am trying to purchase a copy of the current book “sisters of the valley” for my mother for Mother’s Day. She has been a nurse for over 30 yrs. I can’t seem to get a hold of the current version of your book anywhere. I realise you are updating it however am just hoping to buy a copy up till now.
Newcastle Public Library should still have some copies for sale in Local Studies – top floor of Laman Street Library. Let me know if they have run out and I will contact the Graduate Nurses’ Association to see if they still have copies. Thanks for your enquiry. Regards, Christine
Additional information on WW1 Nurse Catherine Kitty Hughes THOMAS of Plattsburg, the 8th child of Elizabeth nee DICKEY (said to be a Maori Princess) m1879 Wallsend John Hughes THOMAS widower. Kitty’s eldest brother John 17 was killed in Co-operative Colliery in 1897, while her youngest brother E Cedric Thomas was the Last Mayor of Wallsend.
Thanks for your contribution, Patricia! Interesting to hear about her brother being Mayor of Wallsend – many of the women who became military nurses during the Great War had family members who were leaders in their communities in one way or another. More examples of this in Chapter One of my book “Sisters of the Valley.”