Category Archives: World War One

In Memory of John Russell Figgis. 1892 – 1939 RIP.

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Anzac Day is an opportunity to reflect on the violence and futility of wars, and the waste of human lives that result from war. We do not seem to learn from history. The following brief investigation into the impact that Gallipoli had on my family demonstrates our desire for peace. Gallipoli was a tragedy. It originated with a plan devised by Sir Winston Churchill. His objective was to seize Turkey, thus weakening the German Allied forces and securing the Suez Canal. The AIF … Continue reading

Queensland Nurse – Agnes Katharina Isambert

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By Marg Doherty I enjoy researching women, but I get frustrated when I see only birth information for women and no more. This is one reason why I research WW1 nurses from Queensland. When I was asked to write this blog, I thought I would write about a nurse whom I had not fully researched. For this reason, I selected Agnes Katharina Isambert and I have found a fascinating story. Agnes was born in Queensland and had a difficult childhood, … Continue reading

Questions for Uncle George

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I have heard stories about you all my life.  I would see our family name on the Toowoomba Mother’s Memorial and ask, “Who was GH Maag?”   The answer was always the same.  “That’s Uncle George.”  As a family, however, we knew little more than that you fought in WW1 and the family story that your life had been saved during fierce fighting in The Great War because a bullet had struck a cigarette case in your breast pocket instead of … Continue reading

Violet Jane Stirling (1886 –1964) – A First World War Nurse

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This is my first blog for GSQ and I thought I would share my passion for family history and combine it with my research on Queensland First World War nurse.  This is the story of Violet Stirling who joined the Australian Army Nursing Service (AANS) and was a nurse with the AIF Violet Jane (Jean) Stirling was the eldest child of James Thomas Stirling and Annie Porter. She was born in North Branch on the Darling Downs on 24 June … Continue reading

The Value of a Photo

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Last week I found a photo of my grandfather taken when he was 25 years old. I came upon him suddenly after an afternoon of searching. I felt a shock of instant connection as I saw family resemblances and recognised my uncles and my mother in his features. Even though he was not looking directly at the camera I could see a far away dreamy look, even a sadness, that startled me. It was a look that I instantly recognised. … Continue reading