Jessie Tomlins: Australian Army nurse in WW1

[CarylW]

Very interesting PDF file - a thesis from someone studying for a Doctorate at the University of Sydney

Printed this out and read it late into the night

Jessie Tomlins, Australian Army Nurse in WW1.

http://deneb.library.usyd.edu.au:8080/bits...060902whole.pdf

Jessie Tomlins served, first as a Staff Nurse and later as a Sister, in the 14th Australian

General Hospital in Egypt during 1916. At the same time her brother, Fred Tomlins,

was already serving in the 1st Australian Light Horse Regiment and spent the entire four

years of World War 1 in Palestine and Egypt. At the end of 1916 their younger brother,

Will Tomlins, also joined the Army and became a member of the Anzac Mounted

Division. The letters, postcards and photographs that Jessie, Fred and Will sent home to

their mother and family, as well as Fred’s fourteen diaries, form the foundation of this

thesis.

This thesis provides a meaningful snapshot of one woman from rural Australia who

completed her nurse training during the war and then served her country during one of

the most brutal periods of humankind. Her own words clearly tell the story of her war

time experiences whilst, at the same time, conveying her expectations, prior to, during

and after, this event. The development of the Australian Army Nursing Service, as it

affected Jessie, over this period is also considered. It will be demonstrated that whilst

ordinary men, soldiers, were at the military front line so too were ordinary women,

nurses. The thesis will provide support for the contention that the contribution of

Australian nurses in World War One, especially that of the ordinary nurse caring for the

ordinary soldier, has been poorly recorded and as a result remains under-valued.

Caryl

[Ozzie]

Thanks Caryl.

Cheers

Kim

[frev]

Thanks also from me Caryl

I've saved it to file, and look forward to reading it.

Cheers, Frev

[Auimfo]

Thanks Caryl,

Should make some interesting reading.

Tim L.

[ceebee]

Caryl

Thanks for the link. I came across Jessie Tomlins in Margaret Barker's book "Nightingales in the Mud", so I look forward to reading more about her.

Chris