Female Relatives Badge : Mrs Caroline McGillivray

Female Relative's badge with a blue enamelled oval around the voided letters 'AIF'. The oval contains the words 'ISSUED BY DEPT OF DEFENCE TO WOMEN OF AUSTRALIA'. An enamelled scroll beneath this contains the words 'FOR DUTY DONE'. The badge is surmounted by a King's Crown. Stamped on the reverse is the serial number '54191' and the maker's details 'STOKE & SONS MELB STG SIL'. The bars from top to bottom are impressed with the numbers '17182', '17184', 17183' and '19201'.

The Female Relative's Badge was issued to the wife and/or mother, or the nearest female relative of soldiers, nurses and masseurs who had left Australia for active service in Australian units abroad during the First World War. Bar(s) was suspended below the badge was issued for each additional son or daughter serving. This badge was issued to Mrs Caroline McGillivray who had six sons serve during the First World War. Five sons served with the AIF and one son, who is not represented on this badge, served with the New Zealand Expeditionary Force (NZEF): 8190 Corporal Archibald McGillivray born in 1896, who enlisted on 30 August 1915 and served with 5 Field Bakery and returned to Australia on 11 June 1919; 104 Private William McGillivray was born in 1890, enlisted on 5 September 1914 and after serving at Gallipoli with 8 Light Horse Regiment, transferred to 5 Field Bakery and returned to Australia on 8 June 1919; 247 Private James McGillivray was born in 1892, enlisted on 18 August 1914. He went missing at Gallipoli on 25 April 1915 and was later noted as killed in action, his name being commemorated on the Lone Pine Memorial; 616 Private John McGillivray was born in 1897, enlisted on 24 February 1915 and initially served at Gallipoli with 23 Battalion, before transferring to 8 Light Horse Regiment. After Gallipoli he transferred to 5 Field Bakery. He returned to Australia on 5 June 1919; 4016 Gunner Alfred McGillivray born in 1899, enlisted on 4 May 1917 initially in 4 Light Horse Regiment. He transferred to 3 Divisional Artillery Column in 1918. He returned to Australia on 12 June 1919; 24825A Private Andrew McGillivray born in 1895, enlisted in the New Zealand Army on 25 May 1916. He saw service on the Western Front in 2 New Zealand Trenching Battalion and was wounded at Messines. He returned to Australia on 19 December 1918 after being classed medically unfit from his wounds and having been gassed. Tragically, Caroline did not see her five surviving sons return from the war. She contracted influenza and died on 5 February 1919. She was laid to rest in the Fawkner Cemetery in Melbourne.