Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Daughter of William TIMMINS, & Elizabeth Garner TIMMINS.

Born:  Helena M TIMMINS, 29/09/1886, Moree, NSW (NSW Birth Reg No:  22518/1886).

Death:  Helena TIMMINS, 07/09/1979, Brisbane, QLD (QLD Death Reg No:  1979/ 98942).

Interment of Helenor TIMMINS; Memorial Location:  Columbarium 12/Section 25, at Mt Thompson Memorial Gardens - Cemetery & Crematorium - Holland Park West, Qld, Australia.

Information Referenced:  NSW Justice - NSW Registry of Births, Deaths & Marriages - Family History Search - Birth of Helena M Timmins; Queensland Government - Department of Justice & Attorney-General - Queensland Registry of Births, Deaths & Marriages - Family History Research Service - Death of Helena Timmins; Resting Place @ Heaven Address - Mt Thompson Memorial Gardens - Helenor Timmins.

Helena May TIMMINS (known as 'Ilma') was born on the 29th of September 1886 at Midkin Station near Moree, New South Wales, Australia. She was the sixth child and fifth daughter of William Timmins and Elizabeth Garner Ingham.

Nursing Career
Ilma's name is listed on the Royal Prince Alfred (RPA) Hospital Honour Roll. She commenced working at the RPA in May of 1911. Her work was consistently recorded as good despite her eyesight which the matron noted was poor. She contracted Chicken Pox in 1912. She left to go to Egypt nursing on June 6th, 1915.

War Service
1915
Ilma Timmins joined the Australian Imperial forces as a Trained Nurse and was with the Unit known as the Australian Army Nursing Service (AANS). She was aged 28 years 9 months on enlistment. On the 3rd of June 1915, she passed the medical exam. She was described as being 5 feet 6 and a half inches tall, fair complexion, grey eyes, and brown hair.

On the 16th of June 1915, Staff Nurse, Ilma Timmins embarked from Sydney, Australia per HMAT A63 Karoola and upon arrival in Egypt was stationed at Heliopolis, a district of Cairo. She reported to duty with the 1st Australian General Hospital on the 18th of July 1915.

Fortunately for her descendants, Ilma wrote home quite regularly and snippets from her letters were often printed in the Moree Gwydir Examiner and General Advertiser, which gave detailed observations of her nursing work and personal experiences during World War 1. To read these letters, please click on the links section on her profile page.

On the 15th of October 1915, Ilma was interviewed at the Moree Gwydir Examiner and General Advertiser office during a visit home after she had returned to Australia on the Euripides helping to nurse wounded troops returning to Australia. On the 27th of October, she has again left Australia, returning to Egypt and her duties at the 1st Australian General Hospital in Heliopolis.

During 1916 Ilma was stationed at the following places:-

January - Heliopolis Egypt; February - Admitted to the hospital twice with Influenza at Heliopolis Egypt; April - Marseilles France, Wimmereux France; May - Rouen France, Abbeville France; June - Boulogne, France.

On the 27th of June 1916 excerpts from a letter written to her mother were published in her local hometown paper describing her journey to Boulogne, France.

In February 1917 Ilma was in Rouen France until she received leave to England on the 9th of July. She returned to Rouen on the 20th of July and on the 25th of October she was transferred to 3rd Australian Auxiliary Hospital in Dartford, England.

On the 21st of May 1918, Ilma Timmins was promoted to Sister.

Sister Timmins was detached from attached duty with the 3rd Australian Auxiliary Hospital on the 7th of February 1919 and transferred to the Australian Imperial Force HQ in London (transport duty). She returned to Australia per “Lancashire” as part of the nursing staff on board. She disembarked in Australia on the 23rd of April and was discharged from service on the 3rd of September 1919.

Medals Awarded

Sister Ilma Timmins was awarded the 1914/1915 Star, British War Medal, and the Victory Medal.

Life After the War
In October 1925 a property at 87 Bowden Street, Ryde, New South Wales, Australia shows that a transfer of title was made from Mrs. Humphreys to Miss Ilma May Timmins and her younger sister Alexandrina Timmins, both nursing sisters. In 1928 this property was listed as the '''Alpha Private Hospital''' in the Sands' Directory. Ilma and Alexandrina owned this property until 1933. It continued to operate as a private hospital under a new name 'Linwood Private Hospital'.

Ilma and Alexandrina's mother Elizabeth Garner (Ingham) Timmins passed away in the Alpha Private Hospital on the 7th of September 1928. The informant on her death certificate was recorded as Alexandrina Timmins.
 
Marriage
Helena May (Ilma) Timmins never married.

Death and Burial
Ilma passed away on the 7th of September 1979 at the Carrington Convalescent Hospital, Clayfield, Queensland, Australia. She was 92 years old. The informant was her nephew, Leslie Laurence Timmins. She was cremated at the Mt Thompson Crematorium, Holland Park, Queensland, Australia on the 12th of September 1979 and her ashes have been placed in the wall at Columbarium 12, Section 25 of the cemetery. 

Source Material

[1] NSW Birth Certificate Helena May TIMMINS 22518/1886
[2] Royal Prince Alfred Hospital Honour Roll, https://www.slhd.nsw.gov.au/rpa/museum/history_wwi_honour.html#_Ilma_MayTimmins,_Nurse Accessed 17 May 2020
[3] Service Record of Ilma Timmins, B2455, National Archives of Australia.
[4] https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/R1911589?image=1
[5] Trove Newspapers
[6] https://www.ryde.nsw.gov.au/files/assets/haveyoursay/documents/environment-and-planning/87-bowden/3-054e-bowden-st-87-ryde-ha-red.pdf?streamfile=true
[7] NSW Death Certificate Elizabeth Garner Timmins 1928/014295
[8] Qld Death Certificate Helena TIMMINS 98942/1979