The Soldier's Details

This NCO served as a private with 11th Battalion with Regt. No. 1590 in WW1.  He was wounded at Gallipoli receiving a gunshot wound to his chest and lung.  He was then transferred to 51st Battalion fighting in France, then to 13th Machine Gun Company which later became 4th Machine Gun Battalion.

Like many WW1 veterans he stated he had no previous military service when his enlisted on 16th August 1940 with 2/4th MG Battalion.  He recorded his birth year as 1901 in place of 1897.  He had been prospecting in the Kalgoorlie region and it would seem his 1920 marriage to Eva Jackson had failed.  He initially diud not know her address for the enlistment paper.

They were officially divorced in 1951.

 

 

He was third of nine children born to parents Ambrose (Snr) McQuade and Mary Ann Martin who married York Sep 1892.

The family later moved to farm at Cookernup  (between Harvey and Waroona) where Ambrose (jnr) enlisted 11th Battalion WW1.  His brother William Thomas McQuade also enlisted in WW1.

 

 

Ambrose enlisted 18 Nov 1914.  5′ 10″ tall, Ambrose Serial Number 1590 was sent to Dardenelles with 11th Btn 3rd Reinforcements on 20 June 1915 to fight the Turks.  He was wounded 4 Jul 1915, receiving a GSW to chest (slight) and sent to 2nd Australian General Hospital Ghezireh.  (The staff of No. 2 A.G.H. were established at Mena House in January 1915 when, a few months later, casualties from Gallipoli made necessary the preparation of a second hospital at Ghezireh Palace. The two hospitals had a total of 1500 beds. In April 1916 No. 2 A.G.H. was transferred to France.)

Ambrose was transferred to 59th Btn 13th Machine Gun Battalion.

He was again wounded on 6 Dec 1916.

He was returned to Australia 18 Oct 1917.

 

 

In 1920 Amrose (Jnr) returned to Cookernup  and married Eva Jackson who was from the same area.  The couple had several children,  the first born in 1921was Joseph who died as an infant in 1922.  Jack was born in 1925 and Tom in 1928.  We believe there were at least one or two further children.

Ambrose’s (Jnr) father also Ambrose (Snr) was the 7th child of 8 children born to Peter McQuade and his wife Elizabeth Butterly.

The family arrived  in WA on board ‘Robert Small’ in 1853.  Peter McQuade took a position  in 1860 as a Pensioner Guard at York. He was the Barrack Sergeant in charge of the York Depot.  He received a small Land grant on his retirement in 1857 and continued living in York.    Peter McQuade died in York 1886.  His wife  Elizabeth McQuade died 1873.

Below:  Peter McQuade

 

 

Below:  Ambrose (jnr) in later life.

 

 

 

 

Below:  A younger Ambrose (Snr).

Below:  Ambrose (Snr).  He died in 1951.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Above:  McGrisken’s daughter dies from being accidently burnt

 

Above/Below:  Death of Ambrose Snr’s sister in. 1927.

 

 

 

 

Above:  Death of Ambrose Snr’s brother Charles Henry McQuade in 1939.

Below:  The Accidental death of Ambrose Snr’s brother William Thomas McQuade in 1954.