Florence Muriel (Phyll) HOLDEN

HOLDEN, Florence Muriel

Service Numbers: Not yet discovered
Enlisted: 7 October 1918
Last Rank: Nursing Sister
Last Unit: Australian Army Nursing Service (WW1)
Born: College Town, South Australia, 4 May 1891
Home Town: Victor Harbor, Fleurieu Peninsula, South Australia
Schooling: Not yet discovered
Occupation: Nurse
Died: Natural Causes, Victor Harbor, South Australia, 23 September 1950, aged 59 years
Cemetery: Victor Harbor General Cemetery, S.A.
Row 12, Plot 1307
Memorials: Adelaide Royal Adelaide Hospital WW1 Roll of Honour, Keswick South Australian Army Nurses Roll of Honor
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World War 1 Service

7 Oct 1918: Enlisted Australian Army Nursing Service (WW1), Nursing Sister, Australian Army Nursing Service (WW1)
14 Oct 1918: Involvement Australian Army Nursing Service (WW1), --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '23' embarkation_place: Sydney embarkation_ship: SS Wyreema embarkation_ship_number: '' public_note: ''
14 Oct 1918: Embarked Australian Army Nursing Service (WW1), SS Wyreema, Sydney
8 Dec 1918: Discharged Australian Army Nursing Service (WW1), Nursing Sister, Australian Army Nursing Service (WW1)

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Biography contributed by Felicity Paige

Florence Muriel Holden was born in College Town, of South Australia. Her parents were Henry James Holden and Mary Anne Dixon nee Wheewall. She had three siblings, Ida Caroline M. Holden, Dorothy Edith Holden and William Arthur Holden.

Florence's father's father (her grandfather), James Alexander Holden, was a business man who founded the South Australian company that began making the Holden cars. Sadly, however, this type of car will not be made for much longer in Australia, the manufacturing ceasing and factories closing in October 2017.

She was 26 years old when she enlisted and had previously trained for three years in nursing at the Adelaide hospital.

She enlisted on the 1st of February 1918, at Keswick, and embarked on the 14th of October, 1918, on the ship SS Wyreema. She returned to Australia on 4th of December, 1918. During the war, she was known by the name Muriel or Phyll, two names she used while serving.

After returning from the war, she met and married William John Shaunessy, who also served in WW1, however, her parents did not approve of him. They believed that he was not up to her standards, because she was the daughter of the family who had founded the company and eventually Holden car industry in Australia, plus, her father was also the mayor of Norwood, in South Australia.

She died aged 59, from natural causes in Victor Harbour, on the 23 of September 1950, and is buried in the Victor Harbour General Cemetery, of South Australia.

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