Birth

Enlistment Information

Military Service

Embarkation Information

Military Awards

Death

Biographical Notes

Annie Moody, born on 29 May 1880 at Timaru, was the second daughter of William and Annie Cleland (née Stewart) Moody. William and Annie who were both born in Scotland, married in 1875 at Melbourne, Australia, and had settled in North Otago by 1877 when their first child was born. They were to have seven children, James and Jeanie dying in childhood. The first two were born at Oamaru, the rest at Timaru. William, a sheep farmer and land agent, had land at Kakanui, Pareora and Kingsdown. Annie, the third in the family, was named for her paternal grandmother. She was just coming up to eight years of age when her father died tragically, drowning in Pig Hunting Creek near Kingsdown, south of Timaru, on 9 May 1888. He was 50 years old, and his youngest child was not born until 1 January 1889. Mr Moody had been one of the most prominent settlers in the district, being a very active member of several local bodies and a most respected businessman in Timaru. He had a farm south of Timaru where the family resided. He had been to visit a new settler nearby. It was thought that he suffered a medical event and fell as he was crossing the Creek. Mrs Moody moved to Timaru after William’s death.

In September 1888, Annie and her two older siblings were admitted to Timaru Main School from Kingsdown (although there is no record there). In time the younger children went to Timaru Main after attending a private school or kindergarten. Annie was successful in the Trinity Presbyterian Church Sunday School examinations – the shorter catechism, scriptures, and essay, receiving a Middle Division 2nd prize and certificate in October 1892. In the same year she was awarded an attendance prize at Main School, her sister and brother also receiving prizes. Both Annie and her older sister Marjory went on to High School. Annie and her sister and their brother William all did well at the Timaru High School in 1895, Annie being awarded prizes for English and History. The next year she was rewarded for English (with history) and Latin. The contributions by the people of Timaru, both young and old, to the various war funds were many and of various kinds, not least the occasion of “The Children’s Concert in aid of the Sick and Wounded Fund,” on 21 March 1900. Miss A. Moody and others contributed other miscellaneous items, including a pretty tableau. In June, A. Moody gave a recitation at the Presbyterian Band of Hope meeting – Annie or younger sister Agnes?

Annie Moody went on to do her nursing training at Timaru Hospital and was registered in 1904. Miss Moody and Miss Keddie (who also served in World War I), of the Timaru Hospital staff, passed their final examination for registration under the Nurses Registration Act on 6 December 1904 and in January 1905 were appointed charge nurses, an increase in salary being recommended. Both had finished well up in the order of merit. They had received their instruction for practical, viva voce and written examinations at the Timaru Hospital. It was recommended that Nurse Moody be promoted to fill a vacancy at Timaru Hospital in November 1905. Sister Moody’s resignation from the employment of the South Canterbury Hospital Board was reported in late June 1906. Annie remained in Timaru. Perhaps she looked after her widowed mother, with whom she lived; she did engage in private nursing. At the annual rose show in December 1912, Miss A. Moody was placed third in the floral table decorations. In December 1913, Mr Robert Brown and family thanked Nurse Moody and others for “the unfailing attention during the late Mrs Brown’s short illness”. And Nurse Moody contributed material and safety pins for Mrs Unwin’s bandage guild in September 1915.

Come December 1915 and Nurse Moody left for Trentham. Annie underwent quite a detailed medical examination on 29 December 1915. She was 5 feet 3 inches tall, weighed 10 stone 7 lbs, and had a chest measurement of 32-36 inches. Her complexion was dark, her eyes blue, and her hair brown. Her sight measured 6/12 in both eyes with glasses, and nil without glasses. Her hearing, colour vision, heart and lungs were all normal, her teeth sufficient. She had never been ill, was free from inveterate or contagious skin disease, was vaccinated, and was in good bodily and mental health. Her slight defect – eyesight - was not sufficient to cause rejection. When she enlisted at Wellington on 17 January 1916, she was already serving with the Trentham Nursing Corps, employed as a Sister at Trentham Camp. Single and Presbyterian, she named her eldest brother as next-of-kin – John Moody, Te Weka Road, Timaru. As of 25 January 1916, Annie Moody was to have the rank of Staff Nurse with the New Zealand Army Nursing Service. Annie Moody was one of 53 nurses who were to proceed to the front in January 1916 to complete the contingent promised by New Zealand. The Hon. Minister of Public Health entertained the nursing staff of the hospital ship Maheno at afternoon tea in the Parliamentary dining room on 21 January. Her Excellency Lady Liverpool presented the badges of the Army Nursing Service to the nurses, and she and several dignitaries made kind speeches of farewell. And on 23 January the hospital ship Maheno, in her new livery – white walls with green band and large red crosses, sailed up Wellington Harbour ready for her second voyage. The travelling nurses were accommodated in A ward, a very nice airy ward on deck, the isolation ward and the sick officers’ ward. “They are to have all the necessary attendance and their wards kept in order. There is plenty of deck room and a good supply of deck chairs.” Among the Second Contingent of nurses who left in the Maheno was A. Moody.

Nurse A. Moody embarked with Hospital Ship No. 1, “Maheno” (Second Charter), of the New Zealand Army Nursing Service Corps, but not on the ship’s staff, departing from Wellington on 25 January 1916 and disembarking at Suez, Egypt on 5 March. In the event, the New Zealand nurses went from Egypt to England by the hospital ship “Devanha”, embarking at Alexandria on 8 March 1916. An extract from a letter to Miss Maclean, dated 24 March 1916, gives the stations of the 50 Sisters who went as passengers in the Maheno. “We arrived at Southampton early in the morning of the 20th instant. It was very wet and cold. We were all very disappointed when we were informed that no arrangements had been made for us, and had to stay on the boat. Next day we were told to get ready by 2 p.m., and found we were all going to be separated. It was marvellous the way we reached our destinations, as we had no one to advise us after leaving Southampton.” Sister Moody was stationed at Beaufort War Hospital, Bristol. A July 1916 return of members of the New Zealand Army Nursing Service, though far from complete, lists several hundred nurses on service. Sister Moody was at the Beaufort War Hospital at Fishponds, Bristol, where she had been since 27 March 1916.

Detailed as Staff Nurse, she proceeded to France and joined No. 1 New Zealand Stationary Hospital at Amiens on 31 July 1916. As of 10 August 1916, there were more than 300 New Zealand trained nurses on military service, distributed over a number of hospitals in England, France and Egypt, and on hospital ships. Having joined No. 1 New Zealand Stationary Hospital again on 15 August 1916, she was detached temporarily from there to No. 38 Casualty Clearing Station in France on 14 October, rejoining No. 1 N.Z. Stationary Hospital on 11 November. She reported for duty and was taken on Strength at Brockenhurst on 1 February 1917. She was then temporarily detached to duty at 59th General Hospital in France on 20 May 1917, before returning to duty at the N.Z. Stationary Hospital in France on 1 June 1917. After being detached to St Omer Area in France on 1 August 1917, she rejoined her Unit at the Stationary Hospital on 5 October. In October 1917, Annie Moody was one of many who were to be Sisters, this promotion taking effect on 17 January 1918 under a provision of the N.Z.E.F. Nurse Moody was transferred from the New Zealand Stationary Hospital in France to duty at No. 1 New Zealand General Hospital at Brockenhurst on 1 December 1917, where she was still on strength at 17 October 1918.

All was much in order at her medical examination at Brockenhurst on 20 January 1919. She did have myopia but her sight was normal with correcting glasses. Sister A. Moody, 22/288, was named in the list as belonging to South Canterbury in the nominal roll of details returning to New Zealand about 15 April 1919 by Returning Draft 232 (“Willochra”). She had embarked at Southampton on 8 March for demobilization and was returning to her Timaru address. She was discharged on 31 May 1919 and awarded the British War Medal and the Victory Medal for her service in Egypt and France. That is, she was struck off the Strength of the N.Z.E.F. with effect from 31 May 1919 and placed on the Retired List of Officers. The New Zealand Gazette of 3 July 1919 recorded that 22/288 Staff Nurse A. Moody had been posted to the N.Z. Army Nursing Service Temporary Reserve List, effective from 17 January 1918. Sister A. Moody, a member of the N.Z. Army Nursing Service and Temporary Reserve, was transferred to the Reserve, effective from 13 September 1921. Miss A. Moody renewed her subscription to Kai Tiaki (journal of the nurses of New Zealand) in 1925 and again in 1926. The New Zealand Gazette of 16 August 1934 recorded that Miss A. Moody, Sister, had been posted to the Retired List with permission to retain rank and wear the prescribed uniform, effective from 23 April 1934.

On 7 December 1926, Annie Moody was knocked off her bicycle at the intersection of Church Street and LeCren Street, Timaru. There was no evidence of negligent driving on the part of the motorist who struck her. It was raining hard at the time, and “Miss Moody was cycling across the street with her head down.” Annie Cleland Moody died on 30 September 1927 at her Timaru residence where she lived with her daughter Annie. Letters of administration were granted to her daughter Annie in February 1930. Annie Cleland Moody was survived by not only her daughter Annie but also her sons John Moody and William Moody, both of Timaru, her daughters Marjory King and Agnes Knott, both of Timaru, all of them consenting to administration being granted to Annie. Application for administration had been necessitated by the fact that Annie Cleland Moody was a Trustee of the Will of her late husband, William Moody, and certain documents were registered in the Land Transfer Office.

Annie remained at Timaru until at least 1935. By 1938 she was at Montecillo War Veterans’ Home in Dunedin. At the joint committee meeting of Dunedin Red Cross and St John in early August 1940, the matron of Montecillo Home reported thus: “A letter was received from Sister A. Moody tendering her resignation, as she felt unable to continue her duties as a member of the nursing staff at the Montecillo Home. She desired to express her gratitude to all members of the board for kindness and consideration shown to her during her term of office. On the motion of Mr Ferens, seconded by Miss Graham, the resignation was accepted with regret. On the motion of Miss Graham the secretary was instructed to convey to Sister Moody the executive’s deep appreciation of her faithful services and of her kindness and helpfulness to the soldier patients at all times.”

For whatever reason, Annie moved to the Auckland area in the early 1940s. All her surviving siblings remained at Timaru. Annie married widower Walter Arthur Turner in 1957. Mrs Annie Turner (née Moody) died on 8 September 1961 at Takapuna, Auckland, aged 81 years. Her next-of-kin at death was her husband – Mr W. Turner, 14 Aberdeen Road, Takapuna. She was buried in the Soldiers Section of Waikumete Cemetery, a services plaque marking her grave. Walter died in 1986. Annie Turner signed her Will after marrying Walter – on 12 December 1957. She appointed her nephew Wauchope MacKenzie, of Awaroa near Kohukohu, New Zealand, and her niece Marie Marjory McKechnie of Auckland as trustees and executors of her Will. Wauchope Leay MacKenzie was actually the husband of her niece Olive Hilda King. Olive and Marie were the two youngest of Annie’s sister, Marjory (Moody) King. Perhaps the fact that both lived in the north allowed them more contact with Annie than her other nephews and nieces. They had been present at her funeral. Only Annie’s sister Agnes outlived her. Annie bequeathed her private motor car and its accessories to her dear husband Walter Arthur Turner, and she made monetary bequests to Marie Marjory McKechnie and Wauchope MacKenzie. Wauchope MacKenzie served with the British Forces in World War Two and Annie’s nephews James Gordon King and William Moody King served with the New Zealand Forces.

The name of A, Turner (died 1961) Annie Moody’s name is inscribed on the honours board of the N.Z. Returned Army Nursing Sisters Association (Auck.) Inc., which hangs at the Onehunga R.S.A. A photo is attached to the Auckland Museum Cenotaph Database, as is a photo of the Staff of No. 1 New Zealand General Hospital, Brockenhurst, March 1917.

Sources

Auckland War Memorial Museum Cenotaph Database [09 January 2014]; NZ Defence Force Personnel Records (Archives NZ ref. AABK 18805 W5549 0082343) [16 September 2016], NZ Defence Force Personnel Records (Archives NZ ref. AABK 18805 W5948 0362878) [16 September 2016]; NZ BDM Indexes (Department of Internal Affairs) [28 July 2014]; School Admission records (South Canterbury Branch NZSG) [28 July 2014]; Timaru Herald, 10 & 11 May 1888, 18 October 1892, 20 December 1895, 18 December 1896, 18, 20 & 25 January 1905, 22 November 1905, 27 June 1906, 20 May 1911, 5 December 1912, 10 December 1913, 22 September 1915, 11 December 1915, 7 April 1919, 20 January 1927, South Canterbury Times, 22 December 1892, 22 March 1900, 15 June 1900, Grey River Argus, 24 January 1905, Star, 29 November 1915, Kai Taki: the journal of the nurses of New Zealand, 1 January 1916, 1 July 1916, 1 October 1916, 1 April 1919, 1 April 1925, 1 July 1926, New Zealand Times, 13 January 1916, Dominion, 13 October 1917, Evening Post, 4 April 1919, Press, 4 April 1919, Evening Star, 6 August 1940 (Papers Past) [28 July 2014; 19 September 2016; 15, 16 & 18 April 2017; 27 December 2017; 17 August 2022; 30 January 2024]; NZ Marriage registration index (BDM microfiche held by South Canterbury Branch NZSG) [28 July 2014]; NZ Electoral Rolls (ancestry.com.au) [28 July 2014; 03 February 2024]; Waikumete Cemetery burial records (Auckland City Council) [19 September 2016]; Waikumete Cemetery headstone transcription [17 September 2016]; Probate record (Archives NZ Collections – Record number 2760/1961) [30 January 2024]

External Links

• Auckland War Memorial Museum Cenotaph record
• Military personnel file

Related Documents

• MOODY Annie - newspaper clippings (pdf, 86.5 KB updated 15-Mar-2024)

Researched and Written by

Currently Assigned to

TS