Birth

Enlistment Information

Military Service

Embarkation Information

Military Awards

Death

Biographical Notes

Genealogical notes by Ian Blackmore supplied in 2014 note:

“Emma Jane Blackmore was born on 26 March 1873. She trained at the Timaru Hospital, and after some years as a staff nurse, and later as Sister Blackmore, she took up private nursing. She was a popular figure in the town as she cycled about on her well-polished bicycle, with its cord basket on the handlebar, her veil flying behind her, and her sister's knot at the side of her chin. At the outbreak of World War I, she and three other New Zealand Nursing Sisters volunteered for overseas service. At this stage, the New Zealand Government was not accepting nurses, so they cabled the British Government and were accepted right away. They were sent to Egypt where they were stationed at the citadel, Cairo. Eventually they were sent to Mudros Island where they nursed the first cases from the Dardanelles [Gallipoli]. In Egypt Auntie Emma married Bert Evans, a Tommy Sergeant-Major. He had been all his life (from 13 years of age when he was accepted as a drummer) in the English Army. He was Kitchener's personal bugler at Khartoum. Later he was in several campaigns, but on his marriage he left the army and settled with Auntie Emma in Christchurch. Emma Jane died 14th January 1936".

Military Service records note that Emma (service no. 37/1755) served as a Staff Nurse in Egypt with Queen Alexandra’s Imperial Military Nursing Services from 1915 until discharge in April 1916. At some point she appears to have been transferred into service with New Zealand forces. Birth, death, and marriage records register Emma’s marriage to Bert Evans in New Zealand in 1916, presumably after her return from the front.

Emma’s military file reveal that she was discharged from service at her own request, as a result of ill health. It also shows that after the war she applied for the Silver War badge, was issued in the United Kingdom and the British Empire to Imperial service personnel who had been honourably discharged due to wounds or sickness from military service. Despite New Zealand authorities forwarding the application, and seeming to be supportive of her, she was painfully upset to have her application denied - due to not technically meeting the criteria as her discharge had been at her own request.

Emma died in January 1936, and is buried in Sydenham Cemetery, Christchurch with her husband Bert who died in 1922.

Sources

Genealogical notes supplied by E F Ian Blackmore in correspondence to Tony Rippin on 22 April 2014 (see Mail ID# 149102); Web submission by Kayleen Bruce, 12 November 2020; NZ Defence Force Personnel Records

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Related Documents

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Researched and Written by

Tony Rippin, South Canterbury Museum

Currently Assigned to

Not assigned.