25 April ANZAC Women

 

ANZAC Women

With today’s pandemic situation, we are seeing many similarities to WWI (ending in 1919), the 1920 pandemic, the Great Depression and WWII predicaments that also affected the entire planet.

We are additionally discovering that along with our militarys, there are many others that deserve our thanks and appreciation.  So __ with that in mind, I chose, along with Garrulous Gwendoline’s encouragement, to salute the nurses that risked their lives working beside the ANZAC troops that are to be honored this 25 April.

 

Miss Phyllis M. Boissier 

(pictured bottom right in the above image)

Elected Matron of Manly Cottage Hospital in 1912, Boissier then joined the World War I effort. She signed up with the Australian Army Nursing Service and traveled to Egypt in 1914. She was awarded the Royal Red Cross for her war service at Gezirah, where she tended to the wounded soldiers from Gallipoli. She became Matron of the hospital at Dieppe, France in 1917.

In 1918 she accepted the role of Matron at the RPAH. During her years as Matron, Miss Boissier contended with overcrowding in the wards.  She also dealt with complications related to a new onsite building project which caused increased expenditures exacerbated by the Great Depression.   An outbreak of pneumonic flu challenged Miss Bossier, as almost one hundred nurses became sick and were unfit to work.

Pearl Elizabeth Corkhill

Pearl Corkhill

Australian nurse Pearl Elizabeth Corkhill earned a prestigious Military Medal for her bravery as she tended to injured patients during a heavy air raid by German forces. She was serving at a casualty clearing station not far from the front line in Abbeville, France when it came under attack on 23 August, 1918.

During the bombing, Corkhill remained calm and continued to tend to her wounded patients, despite the danger.

Louise Mack

(10 October 1870 – 23 November 1935)

Marie Louise Hamilton Mack was an Australian poet, journalist and novelist. During the First World War, she reported from the front line for London’s Daily Mail and Evening News. She later wrote an autobiography titled A Woman’s Experiences in the Great War and was the author of 16 novels and a book of poetry.

New Zealand nurse, E.S. Barker, Malta 1915

Esther Barker – 

New Zealand’s Ms. Barker and 2 friends were caught in France when war broke out and they sewed shirts for the troops.  During the Gallipoli campaign, “The Trio” as the three artists called themselves, joined up as British Red Cross voluntary aides and sailed for Malta with about 200 other women.

WRN Enid Bell

Enid Bell –

Ms. Bell, a New Zealand nurse Enid Bell was the first ever member of the Women’s Royal Naval Service.  Enid Bell trained as an ambulance driver, and went to France with the British Red Cross in April 1917

Elizabeth Kenny

(20 September 1880 – 30 November 1952)

Elizabeth Kenny was an unaccredited Australian nurse, who developed a controversial new approach to polio treatment while caring for ill soldiers during the First World War.  Her muscle rehabilitation principles became the foundation of physiotherapy.

Working in Australia as an unaccredited bush nurse, Kenny was later accepted to serve during WWI.

She was assigned to dangerous missions on “dark ships”, transport that ran with all lights off between Australia and England. She made 16 round trips and one around the world and was officially promoted to the rank of Sister..

Katie Louisa Ardill

(3 August 1886 – 3 January 1955)

Katie Louisa Ardill was among the first female doctors to join the British Expeditionary Forces in 1915 after her application to serve with the Australian Expeditionary Forces was rejected because she was a woman. At that time, the Australian government prohibited women from service, compelling them to join overseas units instead.

She served as a doctor, treating wounded soldiers for four years in Britain, France and Egypt during the First World War and was promoted to the rank of Captain.

Major Alice Ross-King 

Major Alice Ross-King

(5 August 1887 – 17 August 1968)

Alice Ross-King was one of four nurses awarded a Military Medal for their selfless actions at a casualty clearing station close to the trenches during an air raid in France on 22 July 1917.

Ross-King rescued patients in tents shattered by bombs, either carrying them to safety or putting tables over their beds to protect them. She and three other nurses, Dorothy Cawood, Mary Jane Derrer, and Clare Deacon, were recognized for their courageous actions.

When WWII broke out, Alice re-enlisted with the Australian Army Women’s Medical Services and was heavily involved in raising funds for the Red Cross.

Lest we forget.

################################################################################################################

Military Humor – 

desert humor

 

 

 

 

 

 

################################################################################################################

Quarantine Humor –

 

 

 

 

 

 

################################################################################################################

Farewell Salutes – 

Trevor Beech – Manawatu, NZ; RNZ Navy # 4345, WWII, radar

Allan Godbaz – Auckland, NZ; RNZ Air Force # 4311330

Ian Gordon – Richmond, AUS; RA Air Force, Air Commodore (Ret.)

Gordon Habgood – NZ; RNZ Air Force, Squadron leader

Roger Midgley – Gandarra, AUS; RA Navy #R63489

John Parkes – Pukeohe, NZ; RNZ Army # 16417

Dorothy (Ford) Pollard – Rotorua, NZ; WRNZ Air Force # 4374, WWII

Reece Stratford – Nelson, NZ; 2NZEF # 273145, WWII, 23rd Battalion

Barry Tebbs – Hamilton, NZ; RNZ Air Force LAC # 344661

Michael Wright – Canberra, AUS; RA Navy, Commander (Ret.)

###############################################################################################################