Brisbane woman Karen Robinson reflects on uncle who fought in WWI and Saint Mary MacKillop

ANZAC James Cameron braved WWI with the church medals of his second cousin, Saint Mary MacKillop, close to his heart.

Saintly protection for troop

ANZAC James Cameron braved WWI with the church medals of his second cousin, Saint Mary MacKillop, close to his heart.

The New Zealander’s granddaughter Karen Robinson, of Sandgate, said her grandfather carried the medals in his top pocket during his entire service and felt they protected him as he completed dangerous tasks.

Karen Robinson's grandfather, James Cameron carried Mary Mackillop's church medals with him while serving in World War I. Photo by Sarah Keayes

“He always spoke to his daughters about Mary MacKillop and he told them the story of the medals and spoke about how she would come and stay (in New Zealand),” Ms Robinson said.

“It was his opinion that she would become a saint because she was such a wonderful person.”

Mr Cameron was a trooper with the Wellington Mounted Rifles Regiment and dispatched from NZ with the group in February, 1917.

Mr Cameron was given Saint Mary’s medals while visiting the convent of Saint Joseph during a stop over in Sydney.

Mr Cameron completed a signalling course after arriving in Egypt and went on to join the Sinai and Palestine campaign.

To commemorate 100 years since the Anzac landing at Gallipoli, and recognise the sacrifices of those men and women who have served out country since WWI, Quest Community Newspapers will publish one story each day online in the lead-up to Anzac Day.

“He had to lay telephone wires and one part of his diary actually states he had to lay a mile and a half of wiring in one night,” Ms Robinson said.

“Then he had to go man the phones for up to four days at a time with an average of two hours sleep. Because they were under attack they didn’t get relief.

Mary MacKillop, an Australian nun revered for her work with needy children as much as for her rebellious streak. Photo: Trustees of the Sisters of St Joseph.

“He did a lot semaphoring with the flags and that’s when he said he most felt the medals protected him, when he was at the flags and there were bullets flying past.”

Ms Robinson said her grandfather lived a full life before he died aged 86 in 1980.

“He never spoke about the war. The first realisation I had about his involvement in WWI was at his funeral when they played the last post and that really touched home,” she said.

She will remember her grandfather and his mates who served and died in WWI at the Sandgate RSL Sub-branch’s Anzac Day service.

Originally published as Brisbane woman Karen Robinson reflects on uncle who fought in WWI and Saint Mary MacKillop