condensed discuss document expanded export feedback print share remove reset document_white enquire_white export_white report_white

Cenotaph record

Irene Catherine Ancell

-
  • Service number
    WWI 22/405 AWMM
  • Also known as
    Ellis AWMM
  • Armed force / branch
    • Army AWMM
    • NZ Army Nursing Service Corps, 20th Reinforcements Public - Lorraine M - Researcher - 25 April 2016 - Military Record
  • Last rank
  • War
    World War I, 1914-1918 AWMM
Lay a poppy
Showing a group portrait of 16 New Zealand nurses aboard the deck of the troopship R.M.S. 'Athenic', with one male army officer, and a small boy (in front row). As part of a fifth contingent of nursing staff, 25 nurses travelled on both the 'Athenic' and 'Opawa' to England, in 1916. Included in that contingent were Sisters Alice Haywood, E.F.Martin, E.Barnes, F.Hart, L.K.Scanlon, B.Watters, N.Mandeno, E.A.Parkinson, R.C.Makeig, N.Slater, E.E.Beattie, M.McGee, J.N.McGhie, A.C. McKerchar, S.G.Barr, I.C.Ancell, E.M.Fitzgerald, E.Beer, N.M.Jensen. [Note: it is not known which of these may be in this image]. The 'Athenic' disembarked from Wellington, New Zealand on 30th December, 1916, carrying the troops of the 2nd Draft, 20th Reinforcements, New Zealand Expeditionary Force. Sir George Grey Special Collections, Auckland Libraries, 7-A15887. Image has no known copyright restrictions.

Showing a group portrait of 16 New Zealand nurses aboard the deck of the troopship R.M.S. 'Athenic', …

Identity

About

Contribute ›
  • Title
  • Forenames
    Irene Catherine AWMM
  • Surname
    Ancell AWMM
  • Ingoa
  • Also known as
    Ellis AWMM
  • Service number
    WWI 22/405 AWMM
  • Gender
    Female AWMM
  • Iwi / Hapū / Waka / Rohe
  • Religion
    Church of England Public - Lorraine M - Researcher - 25 April 2016 - Military Record

Civilian life

About birth

Contribute ›
  • Birth
    13 August 1890 Public Source
  • Date of birth
    13 August 1890 Public - Lorraine M - Researcher - 25 April 2016 - Military record
  • Place of birth
    Dunedin, Otago, NZ Public - Lorraine M - Researcher - 25 April 2016 - Research
  • Birth notes
    Daughter of Thomas Charles William Ancell and Constance Thurman Prosser Public - Lorraine M - Researcher - 25 April 2016 - Military record & Research
  • Address before enlistment
    4 Springfield Terrace, Kelburn, Wellington Public - Lorraine M - Researcher - 25 April 2016 - Military record
  • Post war occupation
  • Next of kin on embarkation
    • Mrs C.T. Ancell (mother), 4 Springfield Terrace, Kelburn, Wellington, New Zealand AWMM
    • 26 Oct 1918: Discharged at own request to the address of Mr P J Ellis (husband) of Wadestown, England Public - Lorraine M - Researcher - 25 April 2016 - Military record & Research
    • Correction: address of Mr P J Ellis (husband) of Wadestown, Wellington, NZ Public - Lorraine M - Researcher - 26 April 2016 - Military Record of Major Philip John ELLIS
  • Relationship status
    single
    1918 married Phillip John ELLIS in Brighton, England Public - Lorraine M - Researcher - 25 April 2016 - Military record & Research

Service

Wars and conflicts

Contribute ›
  • War
    World War I, 1914-1918 AWMM
  • Campaign
    • 1914-1919 Western Front AWMM
    • 1914-1916 Egypt AWMM
    • England & France Public - Lorraine M - Researcher - 25 April 2016 - Military Record
  • Armed force / branch
    • Army AWMM
    • NZ Army Nursing Service Corps, 20th Reinforcements Public - Lorraine M - Researcher - 25 April 2016 - Military Record
  • Service number
    WWI 22/405 AWMM
  • Military service
    1916-1918 Public - Lorraine M - Researcher - 25 April 2016 - Military Record
  • Promotions/ Postings/ Transfers

Military decorations

Contribute ›
  • Medals and Awards
    British War Medal
    Victory Medal Public - Lorraine M - Researcher - 11 June 2016 - Military record

Training and Enlistment

Contribute ›
  • Military training
    Gisborne Hospital Public - Lorraine M - Researcher - 25 April 2016 - Military Record
  • Branch Trade Proficiency
  • Enlistment
    • WW1 Unknown AWMM Nurse AWMM
    • 28 Dec 1916 at Wellington Public - Lorraine M - Researcher - 25 April 2016 - Military Record
  • Occupation before enlistment
    Staff Nurse Public - Lorraine M - Researcher - 25 April 2016 - Military record
  • Age on enlistment
    26yrs 3mths Public - Lorraine M - Researcher - 25 April 2016 - Military Record

Embarkations

Contribute ›

Prisoner of war

Contribute ›
  • Capture details
  • Days interned
  • Liberation date
  • Liberation Repatriation
  • POW liberation details
  • POW serial number

Medical history

Contribute ›
  • Medical notes

Last known rank

Contribute ›
  • Last rank
    Staff Nurse Public - Lorraine M - Researcher - 25 April 2016 - Military Record

Biographical information

Biographical information

Contribute ›
  • Trained in Gisborne, Registered Nurse, 1915

    Served in Egypt, England and France for 2 years

    Staff Nurse Ancell's brother, 2nd Lt Eric Ancell, was killed in France in 1916. AWMM

Death

About death

Contribute ›
  • Death
    16 August 1977 Public Source
  • Date of death
    16 August 1977 Public - Lorraine M - Researcher - 25 April 2016 - Northshore Cemetery Records, Auckland
  • Age at death
    87yrs Public - Lorraine M - Researcher - 25 April 2016 - Northshore Cemetery Records, Auckland
  • Place of death
    Northshore, Auckland, NZ Public - Lorraine M - Researcher - 25 April 2016 - Northshore Cemetery Records, Auckland
  • Cause of death
  • Death notes
  • Cemetery
  • Cemetery name
    Northshore Cemetery, Auckland Public - Lorraine M - Researcher - 25 April 2016 - Northshore Cemetery Records, Auckland
  • Grave reference
    Cremated Public - Lorraine M - Researcher - 25 April 2016 - Northshore Cemetery Records, Auckland
  • Obituary
  • Memorial name
  • Memorial reference

Memorials

Memorial

Contribute ›
  • Memorial name

Roll of Honour

Remember Irene Catherine Ancell by laying a poppy.

Leave a note

Leave a tribute or memory of Irene Catherine Ancell

Leave a note

Contribute ›
  • Hi my name is Zakia and im doing some research about Anzac Day and i did not realize how sad it is having war i would just like to say that Irene Catherine Ancell is one if the bravest woman ever going to war as a nurse knowing that its not just the soldiers that get killed but also the nurses. R.I.P Irene Catherine Ancell
    Public - Zakia - Researcher - 22 April 2015
    Report 

Sources

Sources

Contribute ›
  • External links
    Military personnel file
    https://collections.archives.govt.nz/en-NZ/web/arena/search#/entity/aims-archive/R22269856
    Further Reference
  • References
    • New Zealand Army Expeditionary Force. (1917). Nominal Rolls of New Zealand Expeditionary Force Volume II. Wellington, N.Z.: Govt. Printer. AWMM
      49: 21 AWMM
    • Service Women Project: Sponsorship to research this record was kindly provided by the Auckland Returned Services Association, Returned Servicewomen's Branch; Marjorie Traill, Dorothy Grant, Daphne Shaw and Margaret Woollett. AWMM
    • McNabb, S. (2015). 100 years New Zealand military nursing : New Zealand Army nursing service : Royal New Zealand Nursing Corps, 1915-2015. Hawke's Bay, N.Z.: Sherayl McNabb. AWMM

Contributors

Command item
Command item
Add new record Refresh
DateFirst namesLocationRelationshipContact
11 June 2016Lorraine MGisborne, NZResearcher
22 April 2015ZakiaNew ZealandResearcher

The development of the Online Cenotaph is an ongoing process; updates, new images and records are added weekly. In some cases, records have yet to be confirmed by Museum staff, and there could be mistakes or omissions in the information provided.

Creative Commons LicenseOnline Cenotaph Data by Auckland War Memorial Museum is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.