Guest Josephine Posted 1 May , 2006 Share Posted 1 May , 2006 I am wanting to find out more information on a woman named Miss Mary Elizabeth Chomley, who the Honourable Secretary of the Prisoner of War Dept - which was a part of the Aust. Red Cross. She was born in Melbourne in 1872, died in 1960, and she held the position in this dept. from 1916-1919. I have been unable to find any extensive personal info on her. I have found papers at the AWM which are detailed, but offer no insight into her life. Any suggestions? Have searched for an obituary with no luck either. She seemed like such an important person during the war for prisoners of war, that I am surprised at the lack of info. Cheers, Jo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eceabat Posted 1 May , 2006 Share Posted 1 May , 2006 Hi Jo, can't agree more about the importance of Miss Chomley, she was the patron saint of Australian POWs in WW1. I have done a lot of research on the Australians who were POWs in Turkey during the war, and it was the Red Cross office run by Miss Chomley that was responsible for many of them surviving. Unfortunately, I am in Turkey and many of my papers are still in Oz. In the 1990s I contacted some of Miss Chomely's family, I think they were in Melbourne or Tasmania. I do recall that one of her nieces said that Miss Chomley was rather a daunting woman, very strong willed and determined. Formidable was a word that was used about her I recall. Miss Chomely also lodged all of the records of her office with the AWM in 1925, there are many letters to POWs in Turkey and Germany there, along with documents on sending parcels and assistance, recipts for material, all sorts of goodies, as you have probably found. This collection also contains letters from the POWs, many of which thank her and the Red Cross Bureau of POWs for their work. I am sorry that I can not instantly remember more about this remarkable woman but as I said, most of my papers are still back in Australia. Cheers Bill Sellars Eceabat, Turkey Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frev Posted 1 May , 2006 Share Posted 1 May , 2006 Hi Josephine Do you have this bit of info on her. http://www.womenaustralia.info/biogs/IMP0133b.htm Cheers, Frev Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sue Light Posted 1 May , 2006 Share Posted 1 May , 2006 You've probably got this picture as well, but so that everyone can see Miss Chomley for themselves: Sue Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marina Posted 1 May , 2006 Share Posted 1 May , 2006 Formidable, yes, but there is humour in those eyes! Marina Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frev Posted 5 May , 2006 Share Posted 5 May , 2006 Hi again Jo Your query about Miss Chomley intrigued me - so while I was at the library today - I went on a bit of a search. A quick scan (no index) of the History of the Australian Red Cross 1914 -1991 "Look what you started Henry!" turned up no mention. The Australian Dictionary of Biography only listed her father & her uncle. Anyway, I also checked out the BD&M registers - and I've put together a little bit of background on her family at least. With a bit of luck some of this info may help to lead on to more detail of her actual life: CHOMLEY, Mary Elizabeth Maude It has been noted on the ‘womenaustralia’ website that Mary was born in 1872, however the Vic Birth Reg Index lists her birth as being registered in 1871 in Malvern (reg. no. 24361). The same website lists her death as 18 July 1960 – but the Victorian Probate Index lists it as 21/7/1960, it also lists Mary as a resident of Toorak, which is where her death was also registered. (reg. no. 9579) Mary, the first-born girl was named after her paternal grandmother. Her parents Arthur Wolfe CHOMLEY & Juliana Charlotte HOGG married in Victoria in 1867 and they had seven other children, including two sons who died in infancy: 1. Arthur Edward b.&d.1868 Malvern (19 days old) 2. Frederick Griffith b.1870 Prahran 3. Edith Gwendoline b.1873 Malvern, married Reginald Septimus BOYD in 1900 4. William Burgh b.1875 Malvern, died 4/8/1960, age 85 5. Eileen Frances b.c1880, died 1962, age 82 (unmarried) 6. Stawell Arthur b.&d.1881 St Kilda (4 months old) 7. Aubrey Joan b.c1884, died 1977, age 93 (unmarried) Arthur Wolfe CHOMLEY had been born in Wicklow, Ireland 4/5/1837, and after the death of his father Francis, his mother (Mary Elizabeth nee Griffiths) emigrated to Australia with her 7 sons, arriving in 1849. Arthur, a Judge, at one time presided over the County and Supreme Courts of Victoria. In 1889, he had the homestead ‘Dromkeen’ built at Riddle’s Creek. It was so named, to maintain a connection with his mother’s family home in Tipperary. This grand old homestead is now a museum that houses the ‘Dromkeen Collection of Australian Children’s Literature’. It was at Riddle’s Creek that Mary’s mother Juliana died 14/8/1896, at the age of 47. Her father Arthur died at his home in Bruce St, Toorak 25/11/1914, age 77. Arthur’sBrothers (Mary’s uncles) included: Hussey Malone CHOMLEY (1832 – 1906) – who was the Chief Commissioner of Police Mar 1881 – Jun 1902 Two of his grandsons fought in WW1 (sons of Alex Francis & Jessie CHOMLEY) 1. Lieut. Alec Leslie Rutherford CHOMLEY (6327), 3rd Div Artillery, 9/7/15 – 23/3/19 2. Rupert Rutherford CHOMLEY, AFC, 2/12/15 - Henry Baker CHOMLEY (d.1903) – he was the father of the writer C.H. CHOMLEY (Charles Henry 1868-1942) George Hanna CHOMLEY Sources: Victorian BD&M Registers Australian Dictionary of Biography Various websites Cheers, Frev Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Tony M Posted 30 July , 2006 Share Posted 30 July , 2006 I am wanting to find out more information on a woman named Miss Mary Elizabeth Chomley, who the Honourable Secretary of the Prisoner of War Dept - which was a part of the Aust. Red Cross. She was born in Melbourne in 1872, died in 1960, and she held the position in this dept. from 1916-1919. I have been unable to find any extensive personal info on her. I have found papers at the AWM which are detailed, but offer no insight into her life. Any suggestions? Have searched for an obituary with no luck either. She seemed like such an important person during the war for prisoners of war, that I am surprised at the lack of info. Cheers, Jo Miss Mary Elizabeth Chomley was the dau of Arthur Wolfe Chomley and Julianna Charlotte Hogg. The Australian Dictionary of Biography (on-line version) has information on her parents. All the Chomleys referred to in the ADB are related to her. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sue Light Posted 30 July , 2006 Share Posted 30 July , 2006 Isn't this one of those infuriating threads, when so much has been offered, with no apparent response from the person who asked the question. After all the great stuff that frev came up with I hope he got at least an off list thankyou. Sue Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bryn Posted 30 July , 2006 Share Posted 30 July , 2006 Sue, I hope so too, but thought I should let you know that 'Frev' is a she. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frev Posted 31 July , 2006 Share Posted 31 July , 2006 Thanks for that Bryn - perhaps I should start signing as Mrs Frev! No Sue, I haven't heard from Jo - but heh that's OK - not only do I now know more about Miss Chomley (& her family) - but so does everyone else that reads this thread - and they also get to see your great photo of her. She'll be remembered. Cheers, Frev Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest redkell Posted 31 July , 2006 Share Posted 31 July , 2006 Patience, Ladies. Josephine joined-up in January and didn't ask the question until May, so at that rate she should bring us up to date next month. Just in case tonight is the the night....... Jo, to find some more pieces of your jigsaw you could run through some of the references for Sir Norman and Lady Brookes and the daughter of Alfred Deakin all of whom were involved in the Red Cross with Miss Chomley. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sue Light Posted 31 July , 2006 Share Posted 31 July , 2006 No Sue, I haven't heard from Jo - but heh that's OK - not only do I now know more about Miss Chomley (& her family) - but so does everyone else that reads this thread - and they also get to see your great photo of her. Ooops... sorry Mrs. Frev - I obviously get so obsessed with this forum being such a male envioronment that I don't recognise a woman when one appears! And 'thankyous' are my hobby horse - I think it's rather noble of you to see the wider picture! Sue Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eceabat Posted 31 July , 2006 Share Posted 31 July , 2006 For all those romantics out there, a short story. Thomas White, a pilot with the Australian Half Flight who was captured in Mesopotamia in 1915 and who was the only Australian to escape from Turkey, visited the offices of the Australian Red Cross in London after the Armistice. There he met Vera Deakin and true love bloomed, the couple going on to be married. White later became the minister for aviation in the pre-Second World War conservative government but resigned as no one would listen to his calls for rearmament. He later went on to be the Australian High Commissioner in London and even returned to Turkey to try and trace part of the route of his escape. Cheers Bill Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frev Posted 1 August , 2006 Share Posted 1 August , 2006 For all those romantics out there, a short story. Thomas White, a pilot with the Australian Half Flight who was captured in Mesopotamia in 1915 and who was the only Australian to escape from Turkey, visited the offices of the Australian Red Cross in London after the Armistice. There he met Vera Deakin and true love bloomed, the couple going on to be married. And to expand on Bill's romance - in the words of Vera & Thomas' daughter, Judith Harley: "As the senior Australian officer in camp [POW, Turkey], he also corresponded with Vera Deakin, a young Australian who was running the Red Cross's Wounded and Missing Inquiry Bureau in London, providing her with information about the welfare of other Australian prisoners. When he arrived in London after escaping from Turkey, he sought her out. They met at the Temple Church and shook hands over the tomb of a Knight Templar. Two weeks later they were engaged." And yes - it lasted (hopefully happily) until his death in 1957. Cheers, Frev. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Josephine Posted 13 August , 2006 Share Posted 13 August , 2006 Please accept my apologies for not thanking all those who contributed to my original posting. I do not log on regularly, and I wish to relieve any infuriation I may have generated for not being more prompt in replying. Never been on a forum before, let alone a history one so I should have been more courteous. I appreciate all the knowledge that was posted in reply to my query, and its refreshing to know that Miss Chomley is known, and known well by others. cheers. jo. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frev Posted 31 October , 2007 Share Posted 31 October , 2007 Stumbled over our Miss Chomley & family yesterday while ferreting through the St Kilda Cemetery. Amongst others, she is buried with her father & her grandmother in the Baptist section [correction: C of E section] of the cemetery. Her story grows a little more............... (and yes - I did pay a visit to Albert Jacka while I was there) Cheers, Frev Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob B Posted 31 October , 2007 Share Posted 31 October , 2007 What a wonderful thread and what information came up, fantastic and well done to all of you. Cheers, Rob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aaron Pegram Posted 31 October , 2007 Share Posted 31 October , 2007 It would be very interesting to see whether any former POW or their families attended Ms Chomley's funeral. Cheers, Aaron. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frev Posted 1 November , 2007 Share Posted 1 November , 2007 It would be very interesting to see whether any former POW or their families attended Ms Chomley's funeral. Hmmm.....Aaron......that it would. Okay - I've added her to my never-ending list - so next time I'm in the Newspaper section of the State Library, I'll have a look for an Obit. Cheers, Frev Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glyn Llanwarne Posted 1 November , 2007 Share Posted 1 November , 2007 Great thread and pictures Heather. Glyn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frev Posted 2 November , 2007 Share Posted 2 November , 2007 Ta Glyn - but it's actually the elusive Josephine's thread. Thought you might have been going to tell us that someone had given you one of the families medals to return......wouldn't that have been neat! Hmmm......wonder if our Miss Chomley ever got any sort of a medal for such valuable service. Have just re-read from the beginning, and realise now that Josephine has already searched for an Obit without any luck (still, you never know). Been thinking, that unless any POW's kept in contact with her after the war, there'd be little chance they would have heard about her death. And when you look at the little stone marking her resting place, with no mention of any war service, it's likely that not much fuss was made. Found another (less formal) photo of her at the AWM. And on seeing it, remembered it had been used in an AWM article in Wartime No. 21 - which sadly, doesn't really have anything to add to her story. Cheers, Frev Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterC99 Posted 1 January , 2008 Share Posted 1 January , 2008 ......wonder if our Miss Chomley ever got any sort of a medal for such valuable service. Cheers, Frev Frev, and others... Firsty, thanks for this interesting discussion re Mary Elizabeth Maud Chomley from the family. To answer Frev's question, yes, Mary was awarded the OBE for services on 15 March 1918. I only met her once about 1958 at a family gathering and she was rather formidable to a young teenager ... I felt I was dismissed after the first greeting ... a rather formidably lady.<smile>. She was baptised Mary Elizabeth after her grandmother, Mary Elizabeth Chomley, second wife of Rev Francis Chomley and sister of Sir Richard Griffith (of Irish Valuation fame) and also Maud after Rev. Francis' first wife, Magdelene (Maud) Hanna. Her father was Judge Arthur Wolfe (named after the Wolfes of co Kildare and also after Wolfe Tone), the fourth son of seven sons of Mary Elizabeth Chomley who arrived in Melbourne from Wicklow, Ireland in 1849. Her mother was Juliana Charlotte Hogg. MEM was the eldest daughter (and third child) of nine. She was born on 29 July 1871 at "the Springs", Malvern (may have been in Huntingtower Road) and died on 2 Jan 1960 at the house she inherited from her father in Bruce St., Toorak. The Chomley manuscript archives at the State Library of Victoria contain a number of family records and letters, notes, etc. of a more personal nature from MEM. They show a very independant woman with a keen sense of responsibility and interest in current affairs. She also was interested in our family history, using some of her time in England to do research. There are also a number of letters from people she had helped in her Red Cross role. regards Peter Chomley Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Rice Posted 1 January , 2008 Share Posted 1 January , 2008 Just came accross this thread to-day. I came to know of her reasonly while checking out some Light horse soldiers that were Prisoner of War. She must have been the angel of hope for all the soldiers. We often dwell on the male hero's of war and forget that there was ladies who gave their all in WW1 John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frev Posted 3 January , 2008 Share Posted 3 January , 2008 Hi Peter - and welcome to the forum. Thanks for the extra info on our Miss Chomley. I did discover the OBE when I re-read the 'womenaustralia' website - great to know she was recognised. Just wondering whether you've miscopied the date when you say that she died on the 2 Jan 1960 - as the Probate Index & her Grave Plaque both state that she died 21 July 1960. Sounds like the SLV papers are well worth a read - I'll have to bear that in mind. Just being a sticky beak now when I ask - would you be comfortable letting us know where you fit into the family? Sue - if you read this thread again - would you be able to let me know where you found the photo of Miss Chomley in uniform? Great to see this thread keeps returning Cheers, Frev Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sue Light Posted 3 January , 2008 Share Posted 3 January , 2008 Sue - if you read this thread again - would you be able to let me know where you found the photo of Miss Chomley in uniform? It comes from the Imperial War Museum's 'Women, War and Society' collection. A couple of years ago there was free online access to the Collection via Thomson Gale during 'Library Week' and it was an image I grabbed then on the basis that it might come in useful at sometime. Unfortunately I don't have the full reference for it - worth looking if the offer comes up again, which is probably will. Sue Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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