Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Ambrose Stephen Mulhall was the 16th & last child of James Mulhall & Catherine Kearns & my Great Uncle, he was born on the family farm just outside Molong. In 1912 he joined the NSW Mounted Police & for a time served at Murrurundi in the Upper Hunter region, he resigned his post when he enlisted in WW1 on 13 MAR 1917 at Victoria Barracks in Paddington. Amby was allotted to the 1st Light Horse Regiment 25th Reinforcements & departed from Melbourne on 10 MAY 1917 onboard HMAT A42 "Boorara" arriving in Suez on 20 JUN 1917, from here he went to Moascar Isolation Camp in Ismailia, Egypt, a camp for soldiers who either needed isolation because of illnesses like measles or ones like Amby for final preparation for entrainment for Alexandria & the Western Front. A month or so later he was bitten by a mosquito & contracted malaria, an illness that was to plaque him for the rest of his life. On 5 SEP 1917 he was hospitalised in Cairo & started on a 2 month course of quinine, he was transferred the Convalescent Depot in Abbassia in October before finally being released back to his unit. Nearly a year later he had a relapse & on 8 AUG 1918 was admitted to the No.14 Australian General A.I.F. Hospital in Abbassia & then transferred to the Port Said Rest Camp where more quinine was prescribed, again he returned to his unit. On 10 DEC 1918 Amby witnessed the aftermath of the Surafend Massacre which was in retaliation of the murder of Sergeant Leslie Lowry NZMR by a Bedouin villager. In a letter written by Amby to Senator Sir George Pearce, Minister of Defence on 17 JUL 1936 from my Grandmother's home Amby described the actions as inhuman & stated that no Australians were involved in the massacre of the innocent people. On 22 NOV 2009 TV NZ aired a show called "Day of Shame", this seems to have divided Australia & New Zealand over the matter, I have no Family Folklore to shed any light on this dreadful incident. With Amby so ill from malaria he was not involved with a lot of active service, he returned to Australia on 19 APR 1919 onboard H.T. "Ulimaroa" & rejoined the NSW Mounted Police but due to his poor health he had to resign not long after, from here he bought a farm in Kurrajong Heights (Blue Mountains), a decade after his return he was too ill to support himself so he moved in with my Grandparents, these were hard times for all as it was the start of the Great Depression, Amby never gave up though & was a labourer for Lakemba Carrying Co (see story on this site re Thomas Arthur Lace, Amby was related to Arthur only through an in-law), Amby lived in my Grandmother's home until shortly before his death, he had suffered a stroke & was hospitalised, he never married or had children but was greatly loved by older members of my family who knew him. Amby was an avid letter writer, he wrote often to authorities & newspapers voicing his opinion & to me seeking justice for many causes. A comment was made after the airing of "Day of Shame" about how hard it was to decipher his writing, I think we should all remember what these boys & young men went through before we judge, considering how physically ill he was I think he did a wonderful job  & I am proud to be Amby's Great Niece. One of his nieces made a comment of his death "died a terrible death, crippled up terribly", he gave up his quality of life for his country.