From the first Gallipoli landings on 25 April 1915 nurses cared for hundreds of casualties in the hospital and transport ships anchored off shore. Despite the contact threat of Turkish shelling or torpedoes the exhausted nurses cleaned, bandaged , warmed and comforted their patients, many of whom had terrible wounds or were suffering from effects of gangrene and disease. Wards on the lower deck were crowded and poorly ventilated and seasickness struck down nurses and patients alike.
Military nurses had to be unmarried. They were mostly aged 25-40 and were all well-educated having trained for at least three years to become a qualified nurse. Nurses were often supported by their families as their pay was so small.
The Australian Army Nursing Service (AANS) was formed in July 1903 as part of the Australian Army Medical Corps. More than 2000 of its members serviced overseas during the First World War. Australian nurses also worked with other organisations such as the Queen Alexandra’s Imperial Military Nursing Service, the Red Cross, or privately funded facilities.
Nurses worked in hospitals, on hospital ships and trains, or in casualty clearing stations closer to the front line. They served in locations from Britain to India including France and Belgium the Mediterranean and the Middle East. In early 1916 AANS were given officer status and badges of rank.
They were only paid half of what their male equivalents received. 25 died during their service.
Source: Siers, Robyn, 2013, Devotion, Stories of Australia’s Wartime Nurses, The Australian War Memorial.
Group of officers, nurses and men of the 3rd Australian Casualty Clearing Station 1919. The Australian War Memorial
Group of officers, nurses and men of the 3rd Australian Casualty Clearing Station 1919. The Australian War Memorial
