Mary Jane (Derrer) Gallagher MM (1892 - 1986)

Ancestors

Contents 1 Biography 2 QLD BDM Records 3 Burial 4 Cemetery Record 5 Military Service 6 Early Training As Nurse & Military Medal Award 7 Military Medal Award 8 Sources

Biography

Mary was born on 3 February 1892 in Mackay, Queensland, Australia. She was the daughter of Godfried aka Gottfried Derrer and Josefa aka Sophie Wannmeister.^[1]

She received her training as a nurse at the Mackay Hospital from March, 1910, to March, 1911, and subsequently was registered as a member of the A.T.N.A.^[2]

On 12 June 1915, aged 24 years and 1 month, Mary Jane enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force (AIF) as a Staff Nurse with the Australian Army Nursing Service (AANS). ^[3]She passed through the Military Hospital at Kangaroo Point. ^[4] At the time she was described as being 5'8" tall, weighing 140 pounds, and having dark complexion, brown eyes and dark hair. Her religion was listed as Roman Catholic. ^[5]

She embarked with reinforcements for the 2nd Casualty Clearing Station (2nd CCS) at Sydney on 14th July 1915 aboard HMAT Orsova A67. ^[6] Upon arrival in Egypt she joined the 2nd CCS, then treating Australian soldiers wounded at Gallipoli. In 1916, with the AIF moving to the Western Front in France, the 2nd CCS deployed to Trois Arbres, France.

On 22 July 1917 the hospital was bombed by the Germans, with four men being killed and a further fifteen wounded. Mary was one of three of the unit's nurses to be awarded the Military Medal (MM) as a result of their gallant actions during and following the bombing – and one of just seven AANS nurses to receive the MM during the war. ^[7][8]

She returned to Australia 17th October 1917 and discharged on 28 December 1917. ^[3]

She was awarded the Military Medal on 24 January 1918. ^{[9] [10] [11]}

Mary re-enlisted in the AIF on 2 November 1918, and made one further voyage to the war zones, embarking at Sydney on 9 November 1918 aboard HMAT Wiltshire A18 for India. She served at Bombay, Lahore and then Gharial at Welsh and British Hospitals. On 9 November 1919 she was returned to Bombay for return to Australia via Singapore aboard the S.S. Kashgar. She re-embarked in Singapore on 10 December 1919 aboard the Charon, bound for Fremantle, Western Australia, and subsequently on 5 January 1920 aboard the Aenaes bound for Queensland, Australia. She was discharged on 27 January 1920.^[12]

Following the war, Mary was awarded the 1914-1915 Star, British War Medal and the Victory Medal.

She married Doctor Michael Joseph Gallagher on 2 June 1922 in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. Michael had served in France in WW1 in the Australian Army Medical Corps (AAMC) from 17 May 1915 to 17 May 1917. ^[13]

In August 1924 they were living at Sydney Street, Mackay, Queensland, Australia. Michael continued to practice medicine in Mackay, Queensland, Australia.

Husband Michael enlisted again in the AAMC in WW2 and was again assigned rank of Captain, serving from 1936 until about 1950 when he was discharged.

In later life (from at least November 1969) she lived at 76 Buena Vista Avenue, Coorparoo, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. Mary suffered from severe arthritis of her hips, knees and spine.

She passed away on 19 January 1986 at the Lillian Cooper Nursing Home, in Kangaroo Point, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. ^[14]

She was buried on 21 January 1986 at Nudgee Cemetery, Nudgee, Brisbane City, Queensland, Australia. ^{[15] [16]}

QLD BDM Records

Mary Jane Derrer Event date: 03/02/1892 Event type: Birth registration QLD Birth Registration details: 1892/C/7934 Mother: Sophie Wennmister Father/parent: Gottfried Derrer

Mary Jane Derrer Event date: 02/06/1922 Event type: Marriage registration QLD Marriage Registration details: 1922/B/30123 Spouse: Michael Joseph Gallagher

Mary Jane Gallagher Event date: 19/01/1986 Event type: Death registration Date of birth: 1893 QLD Death Registration details: 1986/878 Mother: Sophie Wannamacher Father/parent: Godfrey Derrer

Burial

Mary Jane Derrer Gallagher Birth : 3 Feb 1892, Mackay City, Mackay Region, Queensland, Australia Death : 19 Jan 1986 (aged 93), Brisbane City, Queensland, Australia Burial : Nudgee Cemetery, Nudgee, Brisbane City, Queensland, Australia Plot : H-01-13 Memorial ID : 183380175 Mother: Sophie Wannamacher Father/parent: Godfrey Derrer Gravesite Details Buried 01/21/1986 https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/183380175/mary-jane-gallagher

Cemetery Record

Register Number : 839 Facility : Nudgee Cemetery Surname : Gallagher First Name : Mary Middle Name : Jane Date of Birth : Date of Death : 21/06/1986 Date of Service : 21/01/1986 Location : H-01-13 http://vmsos.catholic.net.au:8008/mapguide/nudgee/public/

Military Service

Item details for: B2455, DERRER M J Title : Derrer Mary Jane : SERN Sister : POB Mackay QLD : POE N/A : NOK S Waters Anna Contents date range : 1914 - 1920 Series number : B2455 Control symbol : DERRER M J Citation : NAA: B2455, DERRER M J Item ID : 3502074 Location : Canberra Access status : Open Date of decision : 12 Apr 2001 Physical format : PAPER FILES AND DOCUMENTS (allocated at series level) Records authority class number : 3891 Date registered : 08 Apr 1999 https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/Interface/DetailsReports/ItemDetail.aspx?Barcode=3502074&isAv=N

Early Training As Nurse & Military Medal Award

The Brisbane Courier (Qld. : 1864 - 1933), Tue 2 Oct 1917, Page 7 PERSONAL NOTES. Staff Nurse Mary Jane Derrer, who has been awarded the Military Medal, received her training at the Mackay Hospital from March, 1910, to March, 1911, and subsequently was registered as a member of the A.T.N.A. She passed through the Military Hospital at Kangaroo Point, and left Australia in 1915 with reinforcements for the Australian General Hospital. Nurse Derrer's next of kin is her sister, Mrs. J. R. Waters, Post Office, Homebush, Mackay. Another sister, Nurse Rosina Derrer, has also left Queensland for the Front.

Military Medal Award

Commonwealth of Australia Gazette (National : 1901 - 1973), Thu 24 Jan 1918 [Issue No.9], Page 79, Government Gazette Proclamations and Legislation Department of Defence, Melbourne, 19th January, 1918. THE following extracts from London Gazettes are published for information. G. F. PEARCE, Minister of State for Defence. [Second Supplement, No. 29460, dated Wednesday, 2nd February, 1916, to the " London Gazette" of Tuesday, the 1st February, 1916.] War Office, 2nd February, 1916. HIS MAJESTY THE KING- has been graciously pleased to approve of the undermentioned rewards for Distinguished Service in the Field:— HIS MAJESTY THE KING has been graciously pleased to award the Military Medal for bravery in the Field to the undermentioned Ladies, Non-Commissioned Officers, and Men:— Nursing Sister Dorothy Gwendoline Cawood, A.A.N.S. Nursing Sister Clare Deacon, A.A.N.S. Staff Nurse Mary Jane Derrer, A.A.N.S. Nursing Sister Alice Ross-King, A.A.N.S. etc ...

The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1957), Tue 4 Dec 1917, Page 5 HONOURS FOR AUSTRALIANS. The latest issues of the "London Gazette" announce the following decorations for members of the Australian Imperial Forces : BAR TO MILITARY CROSS. Lt. L. T. Gwyther, Field Artillery; Lt. A. H. Humphrey, Field Artillery ; Lt. P. M. Martyn, Pioneers. MILITARY MEDAL.- Sister Dorothy Cawood, Aust. A.N.S. ; Sister Clare Deacon, Aust, A.N.S. ;Nurse Mary Jane Derrer, Aust, A.N.S. ; Sister Alice Ross-King, Aust. A.N.S. ; …

The Farmer and Settler (Sydney, NSW : 1906 - 1955), Fri 1 Feb 1918, Page 2 HEROIC AU8TRALIANS, Many More Military Medals. It is officially announced that the following members of the A.I.F. have been awarded a bar to the Military Medal they already possess: L. Cpl. C. W. Wignell; Ptes. G, L, Hampton and A. Kobiuson. Military Medals have how been awarded to 5389 Australians, of whom the names of the following are given in the latest number of the Commonwealth 'Gazette' : AUSTRALIAN ARMY NURSING SERVICE, Staff-Nurse Mary Jane Derrer; Nursing Sisters Dorothy Gwendoline Cawood, Clare Deacea, Alice Ross-King.

Sources

1. ↑ QLD Birth Registration details: 1892/C/7934
2. ↑ The Brisbane Courier (Qld. : 1864 - 1933), Tue 2 Oct 1917, Page 7
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1} Australian War Memorial nominal roll: Staff Nurse Mary Jane Derrer; accessed 30 Apr 2022
4. ↑ The Brisbane Courier (Qld. : 1864 - 1933), Tue 2 Oct 1917, Page 7
5. ↑ Military Service Record : https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/Interface/DetailsReports/ItemDetail.aspx?Barcode=3502074&isAv=N
6. ↑ Australian War Memorial embarkation roll: Staff Nurse Mary Jane Derrer; accessed 30 Apr 2022
7. ↑ Australian War Memorial honours and awards (recommendation): Staff Nurse Mary Jane Derrer; accessed 30 Apr 2022
8. ↑ Australian War Memorial honours and awards: Staff Nurse Mary Jane Derrer; accessed 30 Apr 2022
9. ↑ Commonwealth of Australia Gazette (National : 1901 - 1973), Thu 24 Jan 1918 [Issue No.9], Page 79, Government Gazette Proclamations and Legislation, Department of Defence, Melbourne, 19th January, 1918.
10. ↑ The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1957), Tue 4 Dec 1917, Page 5
11. ↑ The Farmer and Settler (Sydney, NSW : 1906 - 1955), Fri 1 Feb 1918, Page 2
12. ↑ Australian War Memorial embarkation roll: Staff Nurse Mary Jane Derrer; accessed 30 Apr 2022
13. ↑ QLD Marriage Registration details: 1922/B/30123
14. ↑ QLD Death Registration details: 1986/878
15. ↑ Find-a-grave : https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/183380175/mary-jane-gallagher
16. ↑ Cemetery Record : http://vmsos.catholic.net.au:8008/mapguide/nudgee/public/