Cora Beattie Anderson

Born 4 Mar 1881 - Died 24 Sept 1962

Service number: WWI 22/1 AWMM
WWI 22/12 AWMM
Also known as: Roberton AWMM
Armed force / branch: Army AWMM
NZ Army Nursing Service
Public - Lorraine M - Researcher - 6 November 2016 - Military Record
Last rank: Inter War Matron/Military AWMM
War: World War I, 1914-1918 AWMM

Cora Beattie Anderson — Notable Events in Nursing History - The First Fifty Nurses sent with the New Zealand Expeditionary Forces [April 1915]. Archives New Zealand R13235489. Image has no known copyright restrictions. No Known Copyright Restrictions

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Biographical information

Cora Beattie Anderson was born in Auckland on 4 March 1881, the daughter of William Anderson and Annie Anderson (née Buchanan). She trained as a nurse at Thames Hospital, qualifying as a registered nurse in 1909. At the age of 21 she survived the wreck of the Elingamite after the vessel struck the Three Kings Islands in November 1902, an experience that attracted national attention.

On 6 April 1915 Anderson enlisted in the New Zealand Army Nursing Service and, two days later, embarked aboard the Rotorua as one of the first fifty New Zealand nurses sent overseas with the New Zealand Expeditionary Force. She initially served at No. 1 New Zealand General Hospital in Cairo, where she cared for large numbers of soldiers evacuated from Gallipoli suffering from wounds, dysentery and enteric fever. Writing to her brother, she described the relentless workload: "We are right in the thick of things, wounded and sick coming in faster than we can take them ... we feel that we are doing what we came for and are all putting every available ounce of ourselves into work."

Her leadership and administrative ability saw her promoted to Sister and later Matron. Between 1917 and 1919 she served as Matron of the New Zealand Convalescent Hospital at Hornchurch, England, helping oversee the care and rehabilitation of recovering New Zealand soldiers. During more than four years of wartime service she spent the majority of her time overseas in Egypt and England.

Anderson's distinguished service was recognised through appointment as an Associate Royal Red Cross (1917), the Royal Red Cross (First Class) (1919), and by being Mentioned in Despatches on two occasions. She also received the 1914-15 Star, British War Medal and Victory Medal.

In 1919 she married Sergeant Eric Butterfield Roberton, whom she had met during the war. The couple later farmed in Taranaki before retiring to Auckland. Anderson remained active in the nursing community and served as President of the New Zealand Returned Army Nursing Sisters Association (Auckland Branch) from 1954 to 1955. She died on 24 September 1962 and her ashes were interred at Purewa Cemetery, Auckland.

Auckland War Memorial Museum Tāmaki Paenga Hira holds a significant collection relating to Anderson's life and military service, including her medals, nursing insignia, wartime diary, photographs, and personal effects. Cora Anderson’s story is also documented in Elizabeth’s search for Cora Beattie Anderson, written by Ella Johnson of Auckland War Memorial Museum Tāmaki Paenga Hira. The article traces the rediscovery of three of Anderson’s nursing books in Australia and their return to the Thames Treasury. Her experiences were represented in the Museum's Scars on the Heart exhibition through a quotation describing the arrival of wounded and sick soldiers at No. 1 New Zealand General Hospital in Cairo. AWMM

Sources

External links: Births, Deaths and Marriages (New Zealand) Historical Records online
https://www.bdmhistoricalrecords.dia.govt.nz
Sources Used
Purewa Cemetery and Crematorium records
http://www.purewa.co.nz/search.asp
Sources Used
New Zealand Military Nursing: New Zealand Army Nursing Service - Royal New Zealand Nursing Corps.
http://web.archive.org/web/20220126041404/https://www.nzans.org/index.htm
Further Reference
Military Personnel File
https://collections.archives.govt.nz/web/arena/search/#/entity/aims-archive/R24095771
Further Reference
LOCAL NURSES WHO SERVED OVERSEAS IN WORLD WAR I
http://www.thetreasury.org.nz/warnurses.htm
Further Reference
Other Military Personnel File
https://collections.archives.govt.nz/web/arena/search/#/entity/aims-archive/R22269993
Further Reference
Other Military Personnel File
https://collections.archives.govt.nz/web/arena/search/#/entity/aims-archive/R20543654
Further Reference
Johnson, Ella. Elizabeth's search for Cora Beattie Anderson. Auckland War Memorial Museum - Tāmaki Paenga Hira. First published: 10 April 2017.
http://www.aucklandmuseum.com/war-memorial/online-cenotaph/features/matron-cora-beattie-anderson
Further Reference
References: McDonald, W. (2013). Honours and Awards to the New Zealand Expeditionary Force in the Great War, 1914-1918. (3rd ed.). Hamilton, N.Z.: Richard Stowers.
New Zealand Army Expeditionary Force. (1914-1919). Nominal Rolls of New Zealand Expeditionary Force, Volume I. Wellington, N.Z.: Govt. Printer.
Vol1: 13
The New Zealand Herald
Death Notice: New Zealand Herald, 14 July 1976
Service Women Project: Sponsorship to research this record was kindly provided by the Auckland Returned Services Association, Returned Servicewomen's Branch; Marjorie Traill, Dorothy Grant, Daphne Shaw and Margaret Woollett.
Mackrell, B. (n.d.). Papers. Auckland War Memorial Museum. MS 2003/107.
McNabb, S. (2015). 100 years New Zealand military nursing : New Zealand Army nursing service : Royal New Zealand Nursing Corps, 1915-2015. Hawke's Bay, N.Z.: Sherayl McNabb.
Colin M. Gordon Album (1915-1918). Auckland War Memorial Museum - Tāmaki Paenga Hira PH-ALB-376.
Unknown, photographer (1915-1916). [Agnes (Peggy) Williams photograph album]. Auckland War Memorial Museum - Tāmaki Paenga Hira PH-2017-2-3.
Tolerton, J. (2017). Make her praises heard afar : New Zealand women overseas in World War One. Wellington, New Zealand : Booklovers Books.
Rogers, A. (2003). While You're Away: New Zealand Nurses at War 1899-1948. Auckland, N.Z.: Auckland University Press.
Remuera Heritage Cora Beattie Anderson
http://www.remueraheritage.co.nz/people/ww1-cora-beattie-ande
Public - Sue - Researcher - 24 January 2017 - Published sources,; Kai Tiaki : the journal of the nurses of New Zealand; Brent Mackrell Papers; Archives New Zealand. Military personnel file. H Maclean. The war effort of New Zealand. In New Zealand in the First World War 1914-1918.Page 89-90. Auckland, Whitcombe & Tombs, 1923. Supplement to the London Gazette 21 June 1916 Page 6184) DESPATCH No. IV. Army Headquarters, Force in Egypt. Cairo, 16th March, 1916.

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Cora Beattie Anderson