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Emily Charlotte James-Wallace was born on the 18th February 1882 at the family property “Killarney Station” near St Lawrence, halfway between Mackay and Rockhampton in Queensland. Her Irish father John and German mother Amalie, known as Marie, were the parents of 8 children in all but one died in infancy. Emily was the 3rd eldest with 1 older sister, 3 younger sisters, 1 younger brother and 1 older brother, Frank, who served for Australia in the Boer War. He died in April 1906 aged 28. Emily’s younger brother Tony and younger sister Florence served for Australia in WW1. There was also an older half-brother, William, born in 1865 to John and his first wife Jane who died in 1870.

“Killarney” was in a remote area so a school house was built on the property and the children were educated there by a governess. Emily’s father died at the family property in February 1901 aged 65.

After her father’s death Emily moved with her mother and siblings to a homestead called “Athlone” in the Brisbane bayside suburb of Wynnum then later to Ernest Street South Brisbane.

Emily enlisted on the 8th January 1917 with the Australian Army Nursing Service (AANS) in Queensland. She enlisted in the AIIF on the 18th May 1917 aged 35 with the rank of Staff Nurse and with the Unit “Australian Nursing Service India”. The rank structure in the AANS consisted of Matron-in-Chief, Principal Matron, Matrons, Sister and Staff Nurses, with the latter two rank holders being addressed as Sister. To serve in the AANS nurses had to be aged between 21 and 45, be either unmarried or widowed, educated and have at least 3 years training at a duly recognised hospital. At their own expense they had to provide a canvas kit bag, a camp bed, a portable canvas bath, a small paraffin stove and their own uniform. The Rising Sun badge identified Australian servicemen and servicewomen as belonging to the Australian Army and while the servicemen wore bronze-coloured badges, the Australian Army Nursing Sisters wore a silver badge either at the centre front of the collar while on duty or on a tie while in service dress.

Emily’s younger brother John Anthony, known as Tony, enlisted in the AIF in early July 1916 and served with the 41st Battalion. He was awarded the Military Medal in February 1918. Emily’s younger sister Florence also enlisted as a nurse, in April 1917, and served with the 3rd Australian General Hospital at Lemnos, Egypt, France and later served at hospitals in England. Both Tony and Florence were returned to Australia.

Emily embarked for India from Sydney on the 26th May 1917 on the RMS Khiva. She disembarked at Bombay, India, on the 18th June and a week later was posted for duty at the 34th Welsh General hospital at Deolali 260 miles from Bombay. During WW1 it was used as a hospital for prisoners of war. It spread over a large area of 2.5klms long by a 1klm wide and housed over 2,000 beds. The nurses worked in extreme weather and cultural conditions caring for patients with malaria, smallpox, cholera and Spanish flu. Emily’s term of duty at Deolali ended 4 months later when she embarked from Bombay for Egypt on the HMS Nile on the 6th October 1918.

Upon her arrival at Port Said, Egypt, 10 days later Emily was posted for duty at the 31st General Hospital at Abbassia in Cairo. This was the same hospital that her sister Florence had nursed at for 8 months with the 3AGH from January-September 1917 under the leadership of Matron Grace Wilson. Emily spent 10 days in hospital for an undisclosed condition and returned to duty on the 8th November. She spent Christmas in Egypt and 2 days later embarked from Port Said for England on the RMS Kaisar-I-Hind, disembarking at Southampton on the 7th January 1919.

Emily was attached for duty to the 2nd Australian Auxiliary Hospital at Southall however, by the end of the month she was sent to the Southwell Gardens Hospital as a patient. This hospital was a convalescent hospital for nurses. After being discharged she was posted for duty at this same hospital where she remained till being returned to Australia on the 3rd March 1919 on the HMAT Euripides. She arrived in Melbourne on the 20th April and was discharged on the 31st May 1919.

At the age of 52 Emily married Richard John Hodgins in Brisbane on the 20th September 1934. He had served in WW1 with the 15th Infantry Battalion. Sadly, just 3 years after their marriage Richard died and was buried in Toowong Cemetery. Emily lived another 17 years before passing away on the 27th July 1955 aged 73.

Emily was one of the 560 AANS nurses who served in India between 1916 and 1919. Although recognised as “Honorary Officers”, they were not issued with badges of rank until 1916 and were never paid at the same rates as male Officers.

More than 3,000 Australian nurses served in the Australian Army Nursing Service during WW1 which was a huge number given that in 1914 there were only 4,200 trained general nurses registered with Australian nursing associations. Twenty-five Australian nurses died during WW1 and eight were awarded the Military Medal for bravery.

An honour board was erected in the Church of England St Luke’s War Chapel, Brisbane, and was unveiled on the 4th June 1917. It bears the names of 240 Queensland Nurses who served in WW1, 3 of whom made the supreme sacrifice. Emily’s name is one of those 240 names listed. This Honour Board is now located at the Queensland Military Historical Museum at 160 South Street, Lytton, Brisbane, QLD.

Emily Charlotte James-Wallace was awarded for service in WW1 the Australia Service Medal and the Australia Defence Medal.

Respectfully submitted by Sue Smith 7th October 2021.

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