Tag: A.I.F

Casualty Biographies, CWGC, Nursing, Uncategorized

Staff Nurse Louisa Bicknell ‘As brave as any fighting soldier’

Louisa Bicknell was the first Australian nurse to die whilst on active service in Egypt. ‘Louie’ as she was known, was born at Elmore in 1879 to Eliza Bicknell of Abbotsford, Victoria.  She departed from Sydney on HMAT Kyrarra A55 on the 13th of April, 1915 for Egypt and was posted to the No. 1 Australian General Hospital at Heliopolis.  Within a few weeks of her arrival … Continue reading Staff Nurse Louisa Bicknell ‘As brave as any fighting soldier’

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Graffiti, Nursing

Sister M.T. Martin and her visit to the Great Pyramid

Sister Mary Theresa Martin (1881 – 1929), an Australian Nurse who served with the 2nd Australian General Hospital in Cairo, Egypt. She sailed from Sydney on the 28th November 1914 on the Kyarra, a steel cargo passenger and luxury liner requisitioned and converted into a hospital ship (HMAT A.55 Kyarra) for the purpose of transporting Australian medical units to Egypt. Mary Martin’s life was probably no different from … Continue reading Sister M.T. Martin and her visit to the Great Pyramid

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Ephemera, souvenirs

To sew or not to sew? that is the question …Sewing Soldiers and Historical Textiles

The pocket sewing kit originated in the middle of the 18th century. The ‘housewife’ holdall or pouch was an essential component of a soldiers equipment. It contained all that he would require to carry out repairs to his clothing when necessary. Inside, it would contain a range of items such as a thimble, needles, balls of darning wool to repair socks, darning thread to repair his … Continue reading To sew or not to sew? that is the question …Sewing Soldiers and Historical Textiles

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Casualty Biographies

‘The Last Journey of a Gallant Soldier’ Brigadier Arthur Harry Langham Godfrey DSO, MC, ED (El Alamein War Cemetery)

Whilst browsing the Australian War Memorial I came across a striking image – a photograph entitled ‘The last journey of a Gallant Soldier’ showing the body of Brigadier Arthur Harry Langham Godfrey en route to the cemetery at El Alamein in November 1942. The body of Brigadier Godfrey en route to the cemetery at El Alamein (Image Source: The Australian War Memorial, 050013 refers)  Godfrey was remembered as ‘happy … Continue reading ‘The Last Journey of a Gallant Soldier’ Brigadier Arthur Harry Langham Godfrey DSO, MC, ED (El Alamein War Cemetery)

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