Bertha Grace Nurse
Born 1871 - Died 20 Dec 1960
- Service number
- WWI 22/1 AWMM
- Also known as
- —
- Armed force / branch
- Army AWMM
- NZ Army Nursing ServicesPublic - Lorraine M - Researcher - 6 December 2016 - Military record
- Last rank
- Inter War Matron/Military AWMM New Zealand Army Nursing Service AWMM
- War
- World War I, 1914-1918 AWMM
About
- Title
- —
- Forenames
- Bertha Grace AWMM
- Surname
- Nurse AWMM
- Ingoa
- —
- Also known as
- —
- Service number
- WWI 22/1 AWMM
- Gender
- Female AWMM
- Iwi / Hapū / Waka / Rohe
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- Religion
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Images
Documents
About birth
- Birth
- 1871 Public Source
- Date of birth
- 1871Public - Lorraine M - Researcher - 6 December 2016 - Miltiary record & Research
- Place of birth
- Southland, NZPublic - Lorraine M - Researcher - 6 December 2016 - Miltiary record & Research
- Birth notes
- Daughter of William Hugh NURSE & Alice Louisa nee' PRICEPublic - Lorraine M - Researcher - 6 December 2016 - Miltiary record & Research
- Address before enlistment
- Unknown AWMM Invercargill, New Zealand AWMM
- Post war occupation
- Hospital, Masterton/Civilian AWMM
- 1918-1919 - at Trentham Hospital; 1920 Rotorua King George; 1923 Gisborne HospitalPublic - Lorraine M - Researcher - 6 December 2016 - Miltiary record & Research
- Next of kin
- Mrs Eustace Russell, care of Russell and Sons, Barristers, Invercargill, New Zealand AWMM
- Relationship status
- Pre 08 Apr 1915 AWMM Single AWMM
Wars and conflicts
- War
- World War I, 1914-1918 AWMM
- Campaign
- Samoa AWMM
- 1914-1916 AWMM Egypt AWMM
- Armed force / branch
- Army AWMM
- NZ Army Nursing ServicesPublic - Lorraine M - Researcher - 6 December 2016 - Military record
- Service number
- WWI 22/1 AWMM
- Military service
- Matron of Brockenhurst Military Hospital AWMM
- Matron of the Pont de Koubbeh Hospital Egypt AWMM
- Maunganui, returned to NZ on duty (in charge) as Matron AWMM
- 1914-1920Public - Lorraine M - Researcher - 6 December 2016 - Military record
- Promotions/ Postings/ Transfers
- —
Military decorations
- Medals and Awards
- Royal Red Cross (RRC) AWMM
- Mentioned in Despatches (MiD) AWMM
Mentioned in Despatches by Lieut-Gen Sir J G Maxwell 3rd Supp London Gazette 20.6.1916 p#05 AWMM - Brought to notice of the Secretary of State for War (S.) AWMM
Bought to the notice of The Secretary of State for War for valuable nursing services rendered in connection with the war ~ extract from communiqué of 19th August 1919. AWMM - 1914-1915 Star
British War Medal
Victory Medal
Royal Red Cross (RRC) 1916
Mentioned in Despatches (MiD) 1916
Secretary of State of War Certificate (SSW) 1919Public - Lorraine M - Researcher - 6 December 2016 - Military record
Training and Enlistment
- Military training
- 1904 B Nurse passed the State Examination of Nurses having done her training in WellingtonPublic - Lorraine M - Researcher - 6 December 2016 - Military record
- Branch Trade Proficiency
- —
- Enlistment
- WW1
- 11 Aug 1914 at Wellington (with the NZ Medical Corps # 3/73 for services at Apia)Public - Lorraine M - Researcher - 6 December 2016 - Military record
- Age on enlistment
- 43 yrsPublic - Lorraine M - Researcher - 6 December 2016 - Military record
- Occupation before enlistment
- Nurse at Wellington HospitalPublic - Lorraine M - Researcher - 6 December 2016 - Miltiary record & Research
Embarkations
- Embarkation details
- WW1 08 Apr 1915-18 May 1915 AWMM
Rotorua 8 April 1915 AWMM Vessel was Rotorua AWMM Assistant Matron/Military AWMM New Zealand Army Nursing Service Corps AWMM New Zealand Expeditionary Force AWMM - 12 Aug 1914 embarked on the 'Monowai' for SamoaPublic - Lorraine M - Researcher - 6 December 2016 - Research
- WW1 08 Apr 1915-18 May 1915 AWMM
Prisoner of war
- Capture details
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- Days interned
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- Liberation date
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- POW liberation details
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- Liberation Repatriation
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- POW serial number
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Medical history
- Medical notes
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Last known rank
- Last rank
- Inter War 1 Feb 1920 AWMM Matron/Military AWMM
New Zealand Army Nursing Service AWMM - Last rank
- —
Biographical information
- Bertha Grace Nurse was born in Invercargill and trained as a nurse in New Zealand. Before World War I she worked at Wellington Hospital.
In August 1914, Nurse was appointed Matron and placed in charge of the group of New Zealand nurses selected at short notice to accompany the New Zealand Expeditionary Force Advance Party to German Samoa. The original nursing contingent comprised Nurse, Evelyn Brooke, Vida MacLean, Fanny Wilson, Louise Brandon and Louise McNie; Ida Grace Willis joined them in Fiji. Nurse travelled aboard Monowai with MacLean and McNie.
Following the New Zealand occupation of German Samoa, the nurses worked at the hospital in Apia, taking over from the German nursing staff. As Sister-in-Charge, Nurse was responsible for the work of the New Zealand nurses during their time in Samoa.
Nurse served in Samoa from August 1914 until March 1915. After returning briefly to New Zealand, she embarked for Egypt in April 1915 and continued nursing overseas. During 1915 and 1916 she held senior nursing responsibilities and served as a Matron in New Zealand military hospitals in Egypt. She was later attached to No. 1 New Zealand General Hospital at Brockenhurst, England. By early 1917 she had completed more than two years of continuous overseas service and was granted six months’ leave.
For her wartime nursing, Nurse was awarded the Royal Red Cross, First Class. She was the first New Zealand nurse during World War I to receive the Royal Red Cross, First Class. She was also Mentioned in Despatches.
Nurse returned to New Zealand in 1917 and continued working in military hospitals. In August she was appointed Matron of Trentham Military Hospital. In 1919 she transferred to King George V Military Hospital at Rotorua, where she continued as Matron.
In 1920 Nurse left military nursing to take up the position of Matron of Masterton Civil Hospital. Correspondence from King George V Military Hospital records her departure from Rotorua to take up the Masterton appointment.
Bertha Grace Nurse died on 20 December 1960. AWMM - Her sister was Frances Louiza NURSE (NZANS # 22/365)
Her brother was Charles Edward NURSE (of Waipiro Bay) - SA War: Cpl # 676, 3rd Contingent & Sgt # 11/1841 WMRPublic - Lorraine M - Researcher - 6 December 2016 - Research
- Bertha Grace Nurse was born in Invercargill and trained as a nurse in New Zealand. Before World War I she worked at Wellington Hospital.
About death
- Death
- 20 Dec 1960 AWMM
Age 89 AWMM - Date of death
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- Age at death
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- Place of death
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- Cause of death
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- Death notes
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- Cemetery
- Ruru Lawn Cemetery, off Ruru Road, Christchurch, New Zealand AWMM Bl 1C Pl 176NWC AWMM
- Cemetery name
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- Grave reference
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- Obituary
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- Memorial name
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- Memorial reference
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Memorial
- Memorial name
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Related objects
Sources
- External links
- Military personnel file
https://collections.archives.govt.nz/web/arena/search/#/entity/aims-archive/R21381236
Further Reference - Wikipedia Entry
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bertha_Grace_Nurse
Further Reference - Elborough, Sophie. New Zealand Nurses in Samoa. Auckland War Memorial Museum - Tāmaki Paenga Hira. First published: 5 April 2024.
https://www.aucklandmuseum.com/war-memorial/online-cenotaph/features/new-zealand-nurses-in-samoa
Further Reference
- Military personnel file
- 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: 545 - 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.
- 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.
- Beattie, P.J. & Pomeroy, M. (2013-2020). Onward : portraits of the New Zealand Expeditionary Force (vols 1-5). Auckland, New Zealand: Fair Dinkum Publications
Vol. 5: Includes portrait - Tolerton, J. (2017). Make her praises heard afar : New Zealand women overseas in World War One. Wellington, New Zealand : Booklovers Books.
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