WEIGALL, Sylvia Mabel
| Service Numbers: | Not yet discovered |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 24 November 1914 |
| Last Rank: | Sister |
| Last Unit: | Australian Army Nursing Service (WW1) |
| Born: | Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, 12 August 1876 |
| Home Town: | Darling Point, Woollahra, New South Wales |
| Schooling: | Kambala Church of England Girls' School, Rose Bay, New South Wales, Australia |
| Occupation: | Nurse |
| Died: | Natural causes, Ryde, New South Wales, Australia, 1 August 1966, aged 89 years |
| Cemetery: |
South Head General Cemetery, Vaucluse, New South Wales Row 4 Section E 394 |
| Memorials: | Double Bay War Memorial |
World War 1 Service
| 24 Nov 1914: | Enlisted Australian Army Nursing Service (WW1), Staff Nurse, 2nd Australian General Hospital: AIF | |
|---|---|---|
| 28 Nov 1914: | Embarked 2nd Australian General Hospital: AIF, HMAT Kyarra, Sydney | |
| 28 Nov 1914: | Involvement 2nd Australian General Hospital: AIF, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '23' embarkation_place: Sydney embarkation_ship: HMAT Kyarra embarkation_ship_number: A55 public_note: '' | |
| 7 Jul 1915: | Embarked Australian Army Nursing Service (WW1), Staff Nurse, Australian Army Nursing Service (WW1), HT Ballarat, Suez for nursing transport duty to Australia - disembarking Sydney 11 August 1915. | |
| 30 Sep 1915: | Embarked Australian Army Nursing Service (WW1), Staff Nurse, Australian Army Nursing Service (WW1), HT Argyleshire, Sydney | |
| 1 Dec 1915: | Promoted Australian Army Nursing Service (WW1), Sister, Australian Army Nursing Service (WW1) | |
| 26 Mar 1916: | Embarked Australian Army Nursing Service (WW1), Sister, 2nd Australian General Hospital: AIF, HT Breamar Castle, Alexandria for Marseilles - disembarking 4 April 1916 | |
| 23 Sep 1919: | Embarked Australian Army Nursing Service (WW1), Sister, Australian Army Nursing Service (WW1), HT Ascanius, England for return to Australia - disembarking Sydney 10 November 1919 | |
| 9 Jan 1920: | Discharged Australian Army Nursing Service (WW1), Sister, Australian Army Nursing Service (WW1) |
Non Warlike Service
| 1 Jan 1957: | Honoured Member of the Order of the British Empire, For social welfare services in the State of New South Wales. |
|---|
Help us honour Sylvia Mabel Weigall's service by contributing information, stories, and images so that they can be preserved for future generations.
Add my storyBiography contributed by Michael Silver
Sylvia Mabyl Weigall was born on the 12 August, 1876 at the Sydney Grammar School where her father Albert Bythesea Weigall was headmaster for 45 years. Sylvia's mother was Ada Frances Raymond, granddaughter of James Raymond, the first Postmaster-General of New South Wales from 1833 to 1851.
Contrary to the general custom of the time, Albert Weigall insisted that his five daughters as well as his sons should have a career. Sylvia pursued a career in nursing - studying first in Melbourne, then in Sydney.
When WWI broke out, she volunteered for overseas service and sailed from Sydney for Egypt with the 2nd AGH in the 'Kyarra' on 28 November 1914. For the next four years, she worked in Egypt, just behind the front lines in France, and in hospital ships.
Shortly after the war, she married Cedric Chase, an architect who was born in 1894 at Carlton, Victoria. He had enlisted in 1915, serving at Gallipoli and in France. They were married on 7 November 1923 at All Saints, Woollahra. They soon after moved to France, where the couple lived until Cedric's untimely death on 6 November 1931 at Antibes, Alpes-Maritimes, France - he was just 37. He was privately interred in the English Church Cemetery, Cap d’Antiles, Antiles, France.
At the age of 55, Sylvia came home to widowhood and voluntary social work. She became an author of children's books and was heavily involved with Sydney Grammar School, having a House at the Edgecliffe Preparatory School named after her - 'Chase' - such was the esteem that the school had for her.
In 1937 when the first Police Boys Club was established in Woolloomooloo, the Police Commissioner of the time asked Sylvia Chase to look after its library. Since there was no library, she bought the first books with her own money and continued to build the library from her own resources. For more than 22 years, she was at the Club most nights, handing out books, soft drinks and biscuits. She gave her time, energy and understanding freely to the boys, listening to their problems and also to parents who sought her advice and help.
When World War II came, she wrote regularly and sent parcels to 170 of “her boys” who were on active service in the Middle East and New Guinea.
Helping young people seemed natural to her. Affectionately called ‘Lady’ Chase, no matter how strongly she protested, she was made a Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire in the 1957 New Year Honours for her work with the Police Boys Clubs.
Sylvia Mabel Chase MBE died in 1966 at Ryde, New South Wales just a few days prior to her 90th birthday.
Credits:
https://www.geni.com/people/Sylvia-Chase-MBE/6000000046764933120
https://www.pcycnsw.org.au/history
Click images to start slideshow.