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Australia

Daughter of Henry P ANDREWS and Florence Ada nee PIDDINGTON
Of 29 Elizabeth Street, Sydney, NSW
Occupation prior to enlistment Nurse at Public Health Dept. Coast Hospital, Sydney
Embarked 15 September 1917 from Sydney per 'Ayrshire'
Served in Egypt
Resigned appointment 08 March 1919 in Cairo, Egypt
Jessie married 9 March 1919 at St George's Cathedral, Jerusalem.
Her husband was Gerald Gustave Masson who was a Captain in the 9th Light Horse. He was born in South Australia.

Jessie and Gerald lived in Palestine for many years. Gerald was Chief Agricultural Minister working for the Palestine Civil Service.
Gerald died in Victoria in 1963, cremated 02 October 1963 at Springvale Botanical Cemetery and cremated remains were collected.
Jessie died Southhampton, England 27 November 1964.

​A military wedding of special interest took place at St. George's Cathedral, Jerusalem, on March 8, when Jessie Mary Busby, A.A.N.S., late of the Coast Hospital, Sydney, only daughter of Mrs. F. A. Andrews, was married to Gerald Gustav, late of the 9th Light Horse Regiment, at Present with the Occupied Enemy Territory Administration, only son of Mrs. and Mr. E. S. Masson, Adelaide, South Australia. The service was fully choral. The bride, who looked charming in mess uniform, carried a bouquet of stars of Bethlehem, the gift of the American Red Cross, and. was given away by Sister H. Taylor Williams, A.A.N.S., and attended by Sister L. J. Kelman, while Captain W. E.Evans, M.B.E., supported the bridegroom. The ceremony was performed by Captain Chaplain 0. W. Birch, M.C., S.C.F., assisted by the bishop's chaplain. A reception was held afterwards at the residence of 'the bis-hop's chaplain. Among the guests were the Chief Administrator of Occupied Enemy Territory, Major-General Sir A. W. Money,K.C.B., C.S.I., Brigadier-General R. Storrs, Mrs. and Major G. R. Tadman, Mrs. and Captain 0. Bonett, Miss Cullot, and Miss Woods,from the American Red Cross, Major H.Simmons, Major A. W. Bourke, Major R. R.Fowler, and the officers of Occupied Enemy Territory Administration, and the officers of the Military Governor's staff, Jerusalem. The happy couple left by motor for Jaffa. Their present address is Jerusalem.

Sydney Morning Herald Saturday 03 May 1919 page 9

1919 A.I.F. Romance Celebrated in Palestine

By J. A. Hetherington, Special Representative of "The News" withthe A.I.F. JERUSALEM. March 10 .ON March 8, 1919, Capt. Gerald Masson, of the 9th Light Horse, and Sister Jessie Andrews, an Australian war nurse, of Sydney. entertained friends at a party in the dining room of a Jerusalem hotel before their wedding next day. The Massons on Friday entertained a number of Australian nurses on leave in Jerusalem at a party at their home. They later visited the hotel, which!is now an Australian Soldiers Club and invited the Australians there to have a drink in celebration of their twenty-first wedding anniversary. Capt. Masson was a farmer at Tailem Bend before he enlisted in the great war. He is now Chief Agricultural Officer in the Palestine Department of Agriculture. His wife came to Palestine as a war nurse in 1917, and the Massons have remained in Palestine ever since, with the exception of two visits to Australia. Capt. Masson told me that it seems, like being home to hear Australian voices again in Jerusalem after 20 years. "When I look at the present race of diggers I see no difference between them and the First A.I.F." he added.

The News Monday 11 March 1940 page 6

Sister Jessie Andrews, who went to Palestine in 1917 as a member of the A.A.N.S., was married at St. George's Cathedral, Jerusalem, on March 8, 1919, to Captain Gerald Masson, 9th A.L.H., who had been a farmer at Tailem Bend, S.A., before he enlisted in the 1st A.I.F. Mrs. Masson returned to Australia at the end of 1941 and her husband who, after the last war became chief agricultural officer in the Palestine Department of Agriculture, arrived at the end of 1943.
Their eldest daughter, who has just become engaged was born at Mount Carmel one of the first British children born in Palestine after the occupation. A special despatch was sent to the British Foreign Office to make sure that her birth with four others, was not recorded as Turkish.

Sydney Morning Herald Saturday 10 June 1944 page 9

The summary below was completed by Cathy Sedgwick (OAM) – Facebook “WW1 Australian War Graves in UK & Ireland”
 

Jessie Mary Busby Andrews was born on 13th January, 1893 in Goulburn, NSW to parents Henry Percy & Florence Ada  Andrews (nee Piddington).

She was a 24 year old Nurse from Sydney, New South Wales when she enlisted with the Australian Army Nursing Service on 27th August, 1917.

Jessie Mary Busby Andrews’ demobilisation form stated her permanent address was B.M.G. Buildings, 32 Elizabeth Street, Sydney. She had previously worked as a Staff Nurse at Public Health Department, Coast Hospital, Sydney.

On 15th September, 1917 Staff Nurse Jessie Mary Busby Andrews, Service number 1040, embarked from Sydney, New South Wales on HMAT Ayrshire (A33) on 15th September, 1917 & disembarked at Suez on 27th October, 1917.

She  joined 27th General Hospital, Abbassia, Egypt for duty on 28th October, 1917.

Staff Nurse Jessie Andrews was admitted to B.R.C. Convalescent Home at Alexandria on 25th March, 1918 & discharged to duty on 31st March, 1918.

On 22nd June, 1918 Staff Nurse Andrews was transferred to 31st General Hospital, Abbassia for duty.

She was admitted to 31st General Hospital, Abbassia on 31st August, 1918 & discharged from Hospital on 6th September, 1918.

Staff Nurse Jessie Andrews was admitted sick again to 31st General Hospital, Abbassia on 10th December, 1918. She was discharged on 15th December, 1918.

On 17th December, 1918 Staff Nurse Jessie Andrews was admitted sick again to 31st General Hospital, Abbassia. She was discharged on 27th December, 1918 & transferred to 27th General Hospital on 28th December, 1918.

Staff Nurse Jessie Mary Busby Andrews resigned from Australian Imperial Force after World War 1 & her appointment in the A.I.F. was terminated on 8th March, 1919. She was discharged at Cairo, Egypt on that date due to her marriage.

Staff Nurse Jessie Mary Busby Andrews was entitled to British War Medal & the Victory Medal.

On 8th March, 1919 Jessie Mary Busby Andrews married Gerald Gustav Masson at St. George’s Cathedral, Jerusalem. (Gerald Gustav Masson was born 4th April, 1888 at Nairne, South Australia. He was a 27 year old Farmer when he enlisted with the 3rd Light Horse Brigade, 9th Light Horse Regiment, Australian Imperial Force (A.I.F.) on 9th September, 1914 with a service number of 151. He was Mentioned in Despatches. Commissioned in the A.I.F. in Egypt on 9th March, 1918. Discharged in Egypt at own request from 13th January, 1919.)

Newspaper Notice - The Sydney Morning Herald, NSW – 3 May, 1919:

WEDDINGS

​A military wedding of special interest took place at St. George's Cathedral, Jerusalem, on March 8, when Jessie Mary Busby, A.A.N.S., late of the Coast Hospital, Sydney, only daughter of Mrs. F. A. Andrews, was married to Gerald Gustav, late of the 9th Light Horse Regiment, at Present with the Occupied Enemy Territory Administration, only son of Mrs. and Mr. E. S. Masson, Adelaide, South Australia. The service was fully choral. The bride, who looked charming in mess uniform, carried a bouquet of stars of Bethlehem, the gift of the American Red Cross, and was given away by Sister H. Taylor Williams, A.A.N.S., and attended by Sister L. J. Kelman, while Captain W. E. Evans, M.B.E., supported the bridegroom.  The ceremony was performed by Captain Chaplain O. W. Birch, M.C., S.C.F., assisted by the bishop's chaplain. A reception was held afterwards at the residence of the bishop's chaplain. Among the guests were the Chief Administrator of Occupied Enemy Territory, Major-General Sir A. W. Money, K.C.B., C.S.I., Brigadier-General R. Storrs, Mrs. and Major G. R. Tadman, Mrs. and Captain O. Benett, Miss Cullet, and Miss Woods, from the American Red Cross, Major H. Simmons, Major A. W. Bourke, Major R. R. Fowler, and the officers of Occupied Enemy Territory Administration, and the officers of the Military Governor's staff, Jerusalem. The happy couple left by motor for Jaffa. Their present address is Jerusalem.

Gerald Masson was appointed Inspector of Agriculture for the Palestine Government in 1920 & Inspector of Agriculture & Forests from 1924 to 1930. He was appointed Chief Agricultural Officer for the Palestine Government in 1930. He spent 23 years in Palestine.

Mrs J. M. B. Masson, aged 33, c/o Galbraith, Pembroke & Co. Ltd, London was a passenger on the Burma which departed from Liverpool, England on 12th November, 1926 bound for Rangoon. Also travelling with Mrs Masson were her 2 daughters – Miss J. J. Masson, aged 5 & Miss E. G. Masson, aged 2 & Miss J. Simpson, 34 year old Nurse. They all listed their country of intended future permanent residence as Palestine.

On 28th September, 1934 Mrs Jessie M. B. Masson, aged 41,  of 25 Queensborough Terrace, Bayswater, Housewife, & her 1 year old daughter Catherine M. Masson were passengers aboard the Bendigo which departed from the Port of London on bound for Australia. Mrs Masson listed her country of intended future permanent residence as Palestine.

The 1933 & 1934 Australian Electoral Rolls for North Sydney, subdivision of Crows Nest listed Jessie Mary Busby Masson, home duties, living at 9 Carlyle Street.

Jessie Masson, aged 43, of 25 Queensborough Terrace, London was a passenger on Narkunda which arrived in London on 20th March, 1936. Jessie was travelling from Port Said, Egypt with her 2 daughters – Geraldine, aged 11 & Margaret, aged 3 & also Annie MacLagon, aged 35, Nurse from Oakmede, Bettshill, Barnet, Herts. They all stated their country of last permanent residence was Palestine.

She returned to Australia in August 1941 & was residing at Mosman, NSW.

In December, 1941 Jessie Masson (nee Andrews), of 102 Raglan Street, Mosman, NSW, applied for Returned Sisters Badge. Jessie Masson stated in a Statutory Declaration that she had never received her discharged Returned Sisters Badge No. 267418. It was supposed to have been forwarded to her address in Jerusalem, Palestine where she resided until 29th July, 1941 but had never been in her possession. Base Records advised that the Returned Soldiers Badge No. 267418 was posted to Mrs J. M. B. Masson, c/- The Governorate, Haifa, Palestine in January, 1922 & they had no record of the badge having been returned unclaimed.

From the newspaper – The Advertiser, Adelaide, Sth Australia 28 December, 1944:

“I have just heard from our old friend Gerald Masson, formerly Chief Agricultural Officer in Palestine for many years. He tells me he has bought a small property on the North Shore line out of Sydney, where he will potter about – at Clissold Road, Wahroonga. Gerald’s eldest daughter was married in St. George’s Cathedral, Jerusalem, on December 20, where by the way, he and his wife were married 25 ½ years ago."

The 1949 & 1954 Australian Electoral Rolls for the district of Bradfield, subdivision of Gordon listed Gerald Gustav Masson, Public Servant & Jessie Mary Busby Masson, home duties, living at 10 Francis Street, Lindfield.

Gerald Gustav Masson died on 30th September, 1963, aged 75.

Jessie Mary Busby Masson (nee Andrews) died on 27th November, 1964. Her death was registered in the December quarter, 1964 in the district of Southampton, Hampshire, England.

Newspaper notice - The Sydney Morning Herald, NSW – 30 November, 1964:

DEATHS

MASSON, Jessie Mary (Brownie) Busby – November 27 (suddenly), at Southampton, England, late A.A.N.S., widow of Gerald Gustave Masson, formerly of Lindfield and Melbourne, beloved mother of Jean (Mrs Lloyd-Thomas), Geraldine (Mrs Twomey) and Robin (Mrs Richards), sister of the late Geoffrey and Robert Andrews and of Pat Andrews. Burial at the parish church, Sherfield English, Hampshire, England.

She was buried in St. Margaret of Antioch Churchyard, East Wellow, Hampshire, England & has a Private Headstone.

[There are no Commonwealth War Graves Commission Headstones located in St. Margaret of Antioch Churchyard, East Wellow, however a notable burial is located there – Florence Nightingale, who died in 1910, and well known as “The Lady with the Lamp” for her contributions resulting in creation of a highly regarded and respected nursing profession.]

(The above is a summary of my research. The full research can be found by following the link below)

https://ww1austburialsuk.weebly.com/east-wellow.html