Post-war correspondence with Lord Birdwood : Part 2
As part of a wider project to digitise First World War collections, the Memorial is seeking contact with relatives of the persons listed below in connection with the large correspondence within the Field Marshal William Riddell Birdwood collection 3DRL/3376.
This blog relates to Australian civilians who lived in Victoria, who wrote to Birdwood regarding his visits to Australia in the 1920s. If you have any further information about these people, or their descendants, the Memorial would love to talk to you. Please contact Stephanie Hume via PubandDig@awm.gov.au
Other blogs relating to Birdwood correspondence can be found here:
- Australian military Birdwood connections
- Unidentified Birdwood connections
- Australian Birdwood connections
- Non-Australian ex-military Birdwood connections
- Non-Australian military Birdwood connections
- Non-Australian civilian Birdwood connections
Jessie Barclay
Mrs Barclay (1848-1922), previously Mrs Andrews, wrote to Birdwood from the boarding house ‘Osborne’ which she ran in Frankston, Victoria. Her son Hugh William Theodore Andrews (1507) died of wounds in 1917, was unmarried. She also had three daughters from her first marriage to Hugh Miller Andrews who died in 1879. She later married Thomas Barclay. NB: Contact has now been made with this family. Thank you.
Catherine Anna Bell Buckingham
In Catherine Buckingham’s letter to Birdwood, she mentions that her son had been killed and her daughter had married an Anzac. Not only had her son, John William Buckingham been killed (in 1917), but also her husband William John Buckingham was also killed in action at Cape Helles a year before their son enlisted. At the time, Mrs Buckingham also had two daughters Ethel May (who married John George Ardley, 6th Battalion), and Ivy Elizabeth. She also three other sons, Jack, Charles Robert Reid (VX104846 who was married to Rosina) and William (known as Bill) who was only a baby when his father was killed. Catherine Buckingham passed away in Sydney in 1958. NB: Contact has now been made with this family. Thank you
Lieutenant General Sir Carl Herman Jess CB CMG CBE DSO
Lt Col Jess (1884-1948) was an Australian Army officer during both the First and Second World Wars. Born in Bendigo, he joined the First Victorian Volunteer Cadets in 1899. Jess was at Gallipoli for the whole of that campaign, becoming brigade major of the 2nd Brigade. By the end of the war, he had been promoted to colonel. After the war, he replaced Monash as the Director General of Repatriation, then Birdwood as General Officer Commanding AIF. With his wife Marjorie Mary (née McGibbon), his first son, Carl McGibbon Jess was born while he attending the Staff College at Camberley in 1920-1921. The family then returned to Australia in 1921, where they had a second son, John David Jess and daughter, Betty Marjorie Jess. Carl (VX48792), who was engaged to Betty Wallace, was killed in Tobruk in 1941. John, who was a Federal Liberal party MP for the seat of La Trobe from 1960 to 1972, was married to Helen. He passed away in 2003. Betty married Donald Jeffery MacLachlan in 1947 and passed away in 2012. Visit the profile for Carl Jess in the Memorial collection.
Salome Elizabeth Jones
Mrs Jones wrote to Birdwood in July 1920 from her home in Shaftesbury Street Essendon. From one of Victoria’s pioneering families, her father, George Thwaites arrived in Victoria with his parents in 1842. Her husband Arthur’s father, Samuel Jones, was a builder and developer who contributed to the early development of St Kilda. Of her five children, Llewellyn Rowland Jones MM (141) and Raymond Leslie Jones (79) were both killed during the First World War. A daughter Dorothy Mabel died in 1931, while another son, Reginald Walter MC MM (80) survived the war and married Kathleen (Kitty) Norma (or Norah) Kenney. Kathleen passed away in 1920 after giving birth to two surviving sons. Reginald then re-married Sylvia (née Potton) with whom he had at least four more children: Grace, Llewellyn (VX22635), Sylvia and Arthur. Salome Jones passed away in July 1938 aged 80.
Ellen Somes (Nellie) King
Nellie King’s letter to Birdwood from her home in Swanpool Avenue, Chelsea, displayed her ongoing grief at the loss of her only son Kenneth Phillip Trim King (902), killed in action in 1916. A number of Kenneth’s cousins also served in the First World War – some under his mother’s maiden name of Strickland. After working the orchards of East Doncaster, and the death of their son, Nellie moved to Chelsea with her husband Samuel Trim King and their daughter Francis Ethel Alice King (known as Faye). Nellie passed away in September 1926 age 69 and Faye remained unmarried, living with her father until his death in 1951.
Sir John Greig Latham GCMG PC KC
Sir John Latham (1877-1964) was a politician, diplomat and chief justice. An honorary lieutenant commander during the First World War, he travelled to London in 1917 with Billy Hughes and other politicians, and after the war, served at the Versailles Peace Conference. He later became a central figure in Federal politics – rising to be deputy prime minister in the Lyons ministry. He was chief justice of the High Court from 1935 to 1952, while holding many other prominent positions. He passed away in 1964, predeceased by his wife Ella, daughter Winifred and son Richard who failed to return from a mission while serving with the RAF in 1943. He was survived by his son Lieutenant Colonel Peter Greig Latham.
Susan M Medley
Mrs Meadley (née Barnes) and her husband William had a son William Wallman Meadley (5635) who served with the 22nd Battalion. At the time she wrote to Birdwood, she was living at 53 Browning Street South Yarra. Not much else is known of the family, other than William (Wallman) was married to Mary and they lived in Ivanhoe. He passed away in April 1973. Their son Desmond Rancellor (RAAF 41551) married Mary Stanton Sharman in 1942.
Phillip Guy Page (Paige)
Phillip Page (1257) enlisted in 1914 and was part of the Landing with the 2nd Field Artillery Brigade. He later served with 14th FAB and during the Second World War, enlisted as a volunteer. Sometime after the war, he changed his name to Paige and worked as an accountant. He lived and had a practice at 165 Brighton Road, Elwood. He was born in Sheffield Park, Yorkshire, England in May 1892, one of at least three sons to William and Gwendoline Page. He was firstly married to Vera Ethorne Rintoul, with whom he had at least one daughter, Gloria Knollys Page (known as Gwen). He then married Grace Adelaide Stewart in 1932. There is evidence of children from this marriage (possible two children – one a son) which did not last, as Grace remarried in 1943. Gwen married Gordon Rumble and had at least two sons, Peter and Allan. She passed away in March 2014. Philip tried to enlist for service in the Second World War (VX16625), but may have been unsuccessful due to hearing loss from his First World War service. He then worked for the Civil Construction Corps before enlisting in the RAAF in November 1943. Philip died in May 1979 and is buried at Wesburn, Victoria.
Margaret Elizabeth Prendergast
Margaret Prendergast’s husband Joseph served in the First World War with 6th Battalion (6897a). In her letter to Birdwood, written from her home in Elgin Street, Carlton, she mentions a brother who received the Military Medal and was killed six months later, but it was not clear who this was – her maiden name was McDowall and her parents were William and Johanna (Annie or Anne). Joseph re-enlisted in the CMF soon after the war and remained serving until just before the Second World War broke out (196006). Margaret passed away in 1956. They do not appear to have had any children, though she may have had a number of siblings.
Sophia Everina Isabella Riordan
Mrs Riordan (née Macknight) was known by her middle name Eva. She was married to Victor Michael Riodan and was the mother of Lance Corporal Keith Riordan (13079) and Lieutenant Hugh Hamilton Riordan MacKnight (4248 and later V19414). Hugh had changed his family name by deed poll in 1915. Keith was married to Nancy Amy Perkins in 1910 and died in 1965. Hugh was firstly married Val Gillot in 1921, but she passed away two years later in 1923. He then married Margaret Wilson (maiden name unknown) in 1931. Eva passed away in November 1938.
Frederick Charles Russell
Private Russell (524) served with 22nd Battalion and wrote to Birdwood requesting him to autograph two photographs he had enclosed for him and his mate as a lasting reminder of their ‘beloved leader’. Private Russell was born in 1896 in country Victoria to Charles Joseph Russell and his wife, Joanne (née Greening) and died in 1978 in Heidelberg. An older brother died before Frederick was born, while his sister, Catherine McLeod Russell (Kit) passed away in 1977 and his brother, Tullibardine Stewart Russell died in 1984. Private Russell appears to have married Catherine Mary (maiden name unknown) somewhere between 1928 and 1934. They do not appear to have had children.
Joan Torrance
Joan Torrance (1867-1943) was a poet and editor who was also known as Joan Kerr. She was born in Scotland and died in Abbotsford, Victoria in 1943. One of her books of poems was Twixt heather and wattle. She also wrote the lyrics for the patriotic song Sons of the southern sea. Married to Harold Bertrand Kerr, she had one son Charles Tennyson Kerr (1892-1963) who served with the New Zealand army in the First World War (12/1449). After being wounded, he later tried to enlist in the AIF in mid-1918. He named his wife Gladys as next of kin. Joan also had a daughter Jessie Helen Anges Kerr (1890-1970), who married William Inglis Morison.
Rebecca Alison Vaughan and Alfred Purdie Vaughan
Mrs Vaughan (née Shierlaw) was known by her middle name Alison. Her husband Alfred Purdie Vaughan was a medical doctor in Box Hill, Victoria. He passed away in 1923, and Alison in 1937. They do not appear to have had any children.
Annie Isabel Wallis
Annie Wallis (1860-1922) had possibly up to ten children with her husband George Wallis. Four of her sons served in the First World War. After her sons Lycester Gordon Armstrong (2029) and Thomas James (933) were killed, and another son George Beresford (1607) had returned home badly wounded, she requested that her remaining wounded son Alfred John (539) be discharged and sent home. This was granted. She went to great lengths to find what happened to Lycester who was missing in action at Lone Pine. Both Annie and her husband are buried in the Burwood Cemetery, Victoria. NB: Contact has now been made with this family. Thank you
Sidney H Watson
This letter by Sidney (could also be Sydney) Watson, was written to Birdwood in his capacity as General Secretary for the Prahran branch of the Australian Natives’ Association, Victoria. It has been difficult to track down further information to identify him.
Harriet Jane Whyte
Mrs Whyte (known as Jean), wrote to Birdwood from her home at 50 Reed Street, Albert Park. With her husband Thomas Edward Whyte, she had at four sons, Thomas Edward Luxon, Neil Duncan, William and Jack, and a daughter Dorothy. Thomas junior (908), a jeweller, served with the 3rd Light Horse Field Ambulance during the First World War. Neil, who passed away in 1931, served with the RAN, possibly after the First World War. Harriet Jane Whyte passed away in 1947.