FRANCIS, Ida Grace
| Service Number: | Staff Nurse |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 25 February 1916 |
| Last Rank: | Not yet discovered |
| Last Unit: | Australian Army Nursing Service (WW1) |
| Born: | Bega, New South Wales, Australia, 1891 |
| Home Town: | Not yet discovered |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Nurse |
| Died: | Chelmer, Queensland, Australia, 28 September 1959, cause of death not yet discovered |
| Cemetery: |
Mount Thompson Memorial Gardens & Crematorium, Queensland Columbarium 2, Section 2 |
| Memorials: | Queensland Australian Army Nursing Service Roll of Honour, Theebine Rifle Club & District HR |
World War 1 Service
| 25 Feb 1916: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Staff Nurse, Australian Army Nursing Service (WW1) | |
|---|---|---|
| 29 Dec 1916: | Involvement Australian Army Nursing Service (WW1), --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '23' embarkation_place: Sydney embarkation_ship: HMAT Themistocles embarkation_ship_number: A32 public_note: '' | |
| 29 Dec 1916: | Embarked Australian Army Nursing Service (WW1), HMAT Themistocles, Sydney | |
| 6 Apr 1919: | Discharged Australian Army Nursing Service (WW1), Staff Nurse, Australian Army Nursing Service (WW1), Appointment terminated 1st Military District |
Help us honour Ida Grace Francis's service by contributing information, stories, and images so that they can be preserved for future generations.
Add my storyBiography contributed by Sandra Barry
Ida was the daughter of Evan Francis and Sarah Grace Francis nee Spence.
Biography contributed by Bruce Burkhardt
From a family of seven daughters all but one were trained nurses and these three served overseas.
Ida Grace Francis MBE
Ruth Sylvia Francis
Sarah S Francis
They are 2nd cousins twice removed to this researcher.
Grace was selected together with Sister Catherine Boyd by Rev John Flynn to establish a hospital at Birdsville in outback Queensland.
The town got its hospital in 1923 when Grace and Catherine arrived having travelled 1800 km in 16 days to start their mission. They delivered the first baby, Lyle Morton on 21 May 1924. Lyle would later marry an AIM Sister from the Birdsville Hospital, as did his son.
On June 8th, 1950 Grace was awarded the Order of the British Empire - Member (Civil) in recognition of her service to nursing.
Sources:
Original Diary of Sister Grace Francis. Pioneer Nursing Sister at Birdsville, 1924-1926 (published, copy held by me)
http://www.southaustralianhistory.com.au/angels1.htm
Flynn's Outback Angels, Casting the Mantle by Ivan Rudolph
Click images to start slideshow.