Nurse Amy Alice Simpson (Mrs Richard George Cordingley)
Address : care of Mrs Walker, Paterson Street, Preston
Next of kin : Sister in law, Mrs G. Simpson, Geelong Hospital. Parents Robert and Mary Lily Simpson (nee Sutton)
Amy Simpson was just the second woman on our Darebin In Memoriam roll and for all practical purposes, a fluke discovery when another project to match up names on the South Preston State School Honour Board with their military history revealed an “A. Simpson” on the Roll; this some years later identified as Amy and the only woman on the school Board.
On later investigation, it was discovered that just the last page of 67 in her National Archive file gives a hint of her demise with notification that her husband, Mr Richard Cordingley was issued with a Memorial Scroll and Plaque.
She first enlisted on 15 August, 1915, giving her address as care of Mrs Walker, Patterson Street, Preston, although she seems to have been based in Geelong for some years. Amy was a sister of Lieutenant Colonel James William Simpson, one of the highest-ranking officers from the district to have been killed in action.
The Simpson family were based in Garnet Street, Preston for many years, their father Robert a wheelwright in Plenty Road and a prominent worker in the local temperance movement.
Prior to enlisting, she had worked at Geelong Hospital for some years. A brief snippet in the Geelong Advertiser following the award of the Military Cross to her brother James suggested he was “a son of Mr. R. Simpson, formerly of Geelong … he followed teaching pursuits in Geelong“.
Her early history in the military nursing services is a little clouded. After enlisting in August 1915 and serving at the 5 Australian General Hospital in St. Kilda Road until April, 1916, and then at Caulfield Military Hospital from December, 1916. The Death Notice overleaf reveals she was still at 11 AGH when her brother, Lieutenant-Colonel James Simpson was killed in France, the notice appearing on 5 February, 1917.
She re-enlisted on 21 February, 1917 to serve outside of Australia. Her military career was somewhat different than that of most the other local nurses that enlisted in that she appears to have exclusively served on the hospital ship Kanowna from 21 March, 1917 and spent most of the next eighteen months serving on the hospital ship ferrying wounded and sick servicemen back to Australia (the image featured shows the cloth badge worn by nurses serving on the Kanowna.
(On its first voyage back to Australia, HMAHS Kanowna originally carried 12 medical officers and nine nurses; after re-fitting in August, 1917, the nursing configuration was changed to a matron, eight sisters and twelve nurses – the number of medical officers was not revealed).
On what appears to have been her seventh trip back home, Nurse Simpson was disembarked at Gibraltar with influenza and pneumonia. She was repatriated back to England and discharged. After spending six weeks in hospital, she was considered fit to travel, embarking January, 1919 for her final return to Australia. She was confined to hospital in Melbourne until late in 1919, her condition described as “breathless on exertion, easily tired, unlikely to improve“. .
Having married in 1920 and now Mrs Richard George Cordingley, Amy died in a private hospital in Camperdown on 22 October, 1922 at 33 years. Although it was acknowledged that her demise was as a result of war service, her death came too late to be recorded on the AWM Honour Roll with a cut-off of 31 March, 1921, the date of the official disbandment of the First A.I.F.
Born Preston, Church of England, Amy Alice Cordingley nee Simpson is interred in the Eastern Cemetery, Geelong.
Amy’s bereaved husband Richard enlisted in December, 1914 as a 25-year-old blacksmith and carrier from Neerim South and served as 3664, Driver, 2 Field Artillery Battery. He embarked in February, 1915 but returned from Egypt almost immediately and discharged as medically unfit with severe back pain – it is not clear whether it was through medical treatment that the couple met.
Richard re-married in 1926 to Mabel Stockwell, nee Sharrock in 1926 and died in Geelong West on 18 January, 1955 at 65 years of age; Mabel pre-deceased him on 11 June of the previous year, also in Geelong West.
Amy’s elder brother Lieutenant-Colonel James William Albert Simpson enlisted in November, 1914 at Albury where he had been Resident Master of the Grammar School for several years. With 12 years experience in the Citizen’s Forces, he was awarded the rank of Second Lieutenant and promoted to Captain before he embarked with the 13th Infantry in December.
After serving at Gallipoli, Simpson was invalided to Australia suffering from gastritis and a serious bout of neurasthenia, a now obscure term then meaning “psychological disorder characterized by chronic fatigue and weakness, loss of memory …”, usually referred to today as Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.
He arrived home in November and despite the recommendation of 12 months rest, he was declared fit for service in February and re-embarked from Sydney in May 1916 as a Major and was taken on strength as Commander of the 36th Battalion in September. He was killed in action at Armentieres, France on 27 January, 1917, aged 33 years. The Mrs G. Simpson noted at Geelong Hospital as next of kin on Amy’s Attestation was James’ wife Grace, also a nurse at the hospital.
The youngest sibling of the family embarked as 2893, Private Edgar Robert Simpson on 10 September, 1915 with 5 Infantry Battalion and returned March, 1918 suffering from a heart irregularity. Both of the brothers appeared on the South Preston school Board.
CORDINGLEY (nee Simpson)-On the 29th October, 1922, at private hospital, Camperdown, Amy Alice (Pop) the dearly loved wife of Richard George Cordingley of Derrinallum and formerly of Geelong, and loved only daughter of Robert James and the late Mary Simpson (of Geelong) and loving sister of Edgar Simpson, age 33 years. (Interred privately, Eastern Cemetery, Geelong, on 30 October)
DEATHS – SIMPSON – Killed in action of 21st January, Lieut-Col. Jas, Simpson, M.C., C.O. 26 Battalion; beloved older brother of Sister Amy, No. 11 A.G.H., Caulfield and Gunner Edward, on active service, France.
