Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Heather Harvey Alma Cowcher was discharged from the AIF on 26/10/1916 having returned on H S Ascanius but remained on home service until 12/9/1919, according to her request for medals in 1924. Clarice Wintle has a Repat file that dates from 1917 (it's not digitised, of course) so it is possible that the photo could be circa 1917 onwards. However, I'm not sure if there were nurses posted at the camp while it still functioned as a military training camp? Wouldn't orderlies have been used instead of nurses? It's possible the photo was taken when Blackboy Hill was being used post war as an isolation hospital during the Spanish flu epidemic?

Miss Cowcher, who served as an army sister in the Great War and who has since been attached to military hospitals in the Eastern States and in Perth, has a heavy task ahead of her, particularly in the initial stages of the home when, in addition to getting the organisation into smooth-running order, she will have to train a staff whose personnel is constantly changing. With the exception of the quartermaster, two cooks and a yardman, her staff is comprised entirely of voluntary workers who work on a roster system, 21 being detailed for duty each day. Of these, 12 work from 7.0 am.until 2 p.m. and nine from 2 p.m. until 7.30 or later at night. At present Mrs.M. A. Denson, who is a trained nurse,is lending valuable assistance by givingfull-time honorary service for two weeks.

West Australian Friday 07 March 1941 page 4