Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Born c1891 at Walkerville, South Australia
Daughter of Bernard McMANUS and Catherine/Katherine nee KIELY
NOK W F Farris
Of Willow Bend, Payneham, SA
Occupation prior to enlisting Nurse
Trained 3 years Adelaide Hospital
Enlisted 25 September 1914
Aged 23 years
Embarked from Australia 08 April 1915
Disembarked at Suez for duty 01 May 1915
Serving with unit
31 General Hospital Port Said 16 March 1916
36 Stationary Hospital 13 April 1917
Military Hospital Helouan 14 December 1918
'Miss Lilian Veronica McManus, Sister, QAIMNSR came here on the 07 December 1918. She has had charge of over a hundred convalescent patients and has maintained very good order in the wards. In this hospital Miss McManus has had no acute cases but I should think her quite capable of taking charge of such and for employment in a Military Hospital.'
Embarked for Australia per 'Kildonian Castle' 03 April 1919
Service terminated 05 May 1919
In 1920 address - 447 West 59th Street, New York City, USA
Did not marry
Died 03 December 1975
Aged 85 years
Buried West Terrace Cemetery Catholic Old Area B8 31

Lillian Veronica MCMANUS was the daughter of Bernard MCMANUS & Katherine KIELY on the 26th of February 1891 in the family home on Gilbert Road, Walkerville, SA.

Her father was born in 1840 in Ireland and was the son of Bernard MCMANUS. Bernard had arrived in South Australia on board the Sumner on the 23rd of August 1857, as a labourer.

Her mother was born in 1856 in Ireland and was the daughter of James KIELY. Katherine had arrived in South Australia on board the Rodney on the 2nd of December 1877 as a domestic servant, with her sister, Bridget.

Bernard & Katherine were married on the 21st of February 1884 in the Catholic Church, North Adelaide, SA.

Lillian was the youngest child born into this family of 9 children, 3 boys & 6 girls.

Her father had previously been married to Mary Ann O’BRIEN on the 14th of January 1867, but she died on the 10th of August 1882 in Gilbert-Town (Gilberton).

The McManus family lived on Gilbert Road, Walkerville “Dover House” and her father was a storeman attendant at the Adelaide Lunatic Asylum. He had gained employment there in 1866.

Lillian had just turned 3 years old when her mother died on the 12th of March 1894 in Walkerville.

Lillian and her siblings attended the Sisters of St Joseph Catholic School.

Her father resigned from the Adelaide Lunatic Asylum in June 1902 and at the time was earning 8/ per day. His retiring allowance was £328.

The following year he took over as the licensee of the Hampstead Hotel in Walkerville which he held for 4 years.

On leaving school Lillian became a trainee nurse in the Adelaide Hospital where she gained her Medical & Surgical Certificate and became a member of the Royal British Nurses Association.

She became a Staff Sister and was in charge of the male medical wards; which had 56 beds. She also worked in the surgical ward and the operating theatre and theatre wards.

She had completed 6 months in operating theatre, 9 months in the surgical ward and 10 months in the medical ward.

On the 22nd of September 1914 her brother; Harold James, enlisted into the AIF and was allotted the service number 1152. He was posted to the 1st Australian Stationary Hospital but was then discharged from the AIF 25 days later on the 17th of November.

At the age of 23, Lillian enlisted into the Australian Army Nursing Service on the 25th of September 1914 in Adelaide.

Lillian embarked from Adelaide on the 8th of April 1915 on board the P & O R.M.S Malwa with Nurses Conway & Wilkinson, disembarking at Suez, for duty, on the 1st of May 1915.

On their arrival the three nurses were picked up by Lieutenant Colonel Dr. Ramsay SMITH who took them in a motor, which belonged to a Prince, to see their new home in Heliopolis. It was a gorgeous home with glorious lightings and hangings.

About 23 nurses lived together, belonging to the 1st Australian Hospital and the Infection Disease Hospital, “Luna Park”, in which Miss Graham of Adelaide was matron in charge.

Lillian was posted to the 1st Australian Hospital in Cairo as a member of the Royal Army Medical Corps.

They had Egyptian servants and an English housekeeper.

The Egyptian servants waited on them at the table and were dressed in white robes with red belts, red felt slippers, and red felt caps.

A motor ambulance night and morning would take the nurses to and from the hospital.

She never saw her father again as he died on the 5th of January 1916 at her sister’s residence, Mrs Harris, in Victoria Street, Prospect.

By the 16th of March Lillian was serving with the 31st General Hospital in Port Said and by the 13th of April 1917 had been posted to the 36th Stationary Hospital at Mahemdia on the Sinai coast.

She had now joined the Queen Alexandra's Royal Army Nursing Corps. 

On the 7th of December 1918 she was posted to the Military Convalescent Hospital in Helouan, about 20 miles from Cairo.

On the 14th of December it was noted that she had charge of over a hundred convalescent patients and had maintained very good order in the wards. She had no acute cases but was believed to be quite capable of taking charge of such and very suitable for employment in a Military Hospital.

Lillian embarked for Australia on board the Kildonian Castle on the 3rd of April 1919 with returning soldiers and 7 other nursing sisters; L. C. Daw, M. L. Reid, A. E. M. Furniss, K. J. Bryant, L. S. Kildea, J. C. Kennedy and K. Conway.

On Wednesday morning, the 7th of May, the passengers on the Kildonian Castle were released from quarantine and arrived in Outer Harbour by the launch Vigilant at 10:30am for disembarkation.

The landing presented a problem to Lieut. McPhee (who represented the District Naval Officer, Capt. C. J. Clare, C.M.G.) and to the wharf manager.

There has not been such an array of shipping at the wharf since the outbreak of war, and the accommodation was scarcely adequate.

There were five vessels along side, one of them the big liner Orea, and the others the Ascanius, War Prince, War Viper, and the Grainton. The bow of the latter vessel, which was in front of No.1 shed, projected well beyond the end of the wharf.

The launch Vigilant had to be brought to the side of the Grainton and the soldiers and nurses passed across her to the wharf.

The District Military Band played on the wharf and the V.A.D. provided refreshments in the No. 1 shed, where the soldiers and nurses were welcomed briefly by Lieutenant Colonel Darvall (on behalf the State Commandant), and the Mayor of Port Adelaide (Mr. R.H. Smith).

Lillian was discharged on the 5th of May 1919.

On the 1st of March 1920 Lillian boarded the SS Niagara in Sydney, bound for the United States.

In 1920 her address was 447 West 59th Street, New York City, USA

Lillian later returned to South Australia.

Lillian died suddenly on the 3rd of December 1975 and was buried in the West Terrace Cemetery; Catholic Old Area, B8, Plot 31 with her parents and siblings.

Her name does not appear on the headstone