by Paula Hayes
I was always a chubby sentimental child with an unnatural predispostion for nostalgia of a by gone era… and for poking around. A couple of years ago, I delved into the National Archives of Australia looking for my Great Uncle Clarence Nolan, a returned World War One veteran who sustained terrible leg injuries. I discovered a wonderful resource with pages and pages of original digital documents. The opening papers show a firm signature of a young man signing up and doing his bit for his country. It follows his journey across countries until he is caught in shell fallout in France and the ensuing sketchy correspondence of ‘We regret to inform you…’ letters the Army sent to his father Dan detailing his injuries and progress. His journey is text-book perfect, he was initially rejected on enlistment but then later found his way into the 10th Light Horse and travelled to Egypt. On his arrival, he was taking in by the artillery and became a gunner and then (no doubt due to his father’s trade of cab driver) he began driving horses, which was the main mode for transportation of supplies, troops and the injured leaving the limited protection of the trench and going out into exposed territory. It was a dangerous and courageous job.
So, my character Les McNamara is loosely based (as fine as weave of a spider web) on great Uncle Clary and his family the Nolans. They did live in Brown Street, East Perth. There was an Agnes character that did reside in my grandmother’s house in a spooky green room but whether she was talking to ghosts or herself I don’t know!!! There was a Mary Ellen who flits between looking serene and stern in her portrait but she did have a lot of kids and that’s reason enough for me. And poor Gladys did die as a six year old (I am sure you went straight to heaven!) The link to all these characters is my maternal grandmother Alice Veronica Prendergast (nee Nolan). She was a strong and special women and all who are part of her legacy would agree. She deserves her own book but that’s another story!
So that was my starting point but my researched continued!
READING LIST
1) Online
National Archives of Australia
recordsearch.naa.gov.au Digital copy of Clarence Nolan’s AIF papers pgs 1-42. Barcode 8002379
Australian War Memorial
awm.gov.au First World War Embarkation Rolls Nolan Clarence
awm.gov.au The Tenth Lighthorse Brigade
awm.gov.au The Fifty Fourth Battalion
awm.gov.au 1916: Australians in France
awm.gov.au/collection/records (aif-vol3-ch1.pdf.)
awm.gov.au.collection/records (aif-vol5-appl.pdf.)
static.awm.gov.au/images/collection/pdf/RCDIG1069541—1.PD. Chapter 11 -The Doubling of the AIF
Other Online Resources
