Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

AWM Biography/Summary

Pearl Elizabeth Corkhill was born in 1887 at Tilba Tilba, New South Wales, and undertook nursing training at 'Burilda' private hospital in Summer Hill, NSW between 1910 and 1914. She enlisted as a staff nurse in the Australian Army Nursing Service on 12 June 1915. Corkhill served initially at 1 Australian General Hospital in Egypt before transferring to France in 1916. She was attached to a number of hospitals during her service, including 3 Australian General Hospital, 2 Australian General Hospital at Le Havre and 1 Australian Auxiliary Hospital at Harefield in England. She was also posted a number of times to 38 (British) Casualty Clearing Station on the Western Front. It was while she was serving with this unit, on night duty, in the week of 27 July 1917, that she was awarded the Military Medal for great coolness and presence of mind during a heavy German air raid on the Station. The citation for the award reads, 'For courage and devotion to duty on the occasion of an enemy air-raid. She continued to attend to the wounded without any regard to her own safety, though enemy aircraft were overhead. Her example was of the greatest value in allaying the alarm of the patients.' Corkhill was only notified in July 1918 that she had received the award. She wrote to her mother 'Today came word that I had been awarded the MM. Well the C.O. sent over a bottle of champagne and they all drank my health and now the medical officers are giving me a dinner in honour of the event. I can't see what I've done to deserve it but the part I don't like is having to face old George [King George VI] and Mary to get the medal.' Pearl Corkhill was promoted to Sister on 1 October 1918 and returned to Australia on 25 January 1919, without visiting Buckingham Palace to receive her award. The medal was finally posted to her in 1923.

Medals: Military Medal, 1914-15 Star, British War Medal, Victory Medal

"...Staff Sister Pearl E. Corkhill MM, Australian Army Nursing Service (AANS), of Tilba Tilba, NSW. Awarded the Military Medal, 28 August 1918, aged 31. Corkhill had been transferred to No. 38 Casualty Clearing Station in France, which twice suffered heavy German air raids during the week of 27 July 1918. One bomb wrecked the sterilising room and others fell within the camp. Corkhill was on night duty at the time. She was one of the few nursing sisters to receive the Military Medal. Sister Corkhill's medals are in the collection of the Australian War Memorial." - SOURCE (www.awm.gov.au)

"BRAVE NURSE HONOURED. NURSE PEARL ELIZABETH CORKHILL Awarded Military Medal.

Our cable messages published on Monday announced that during an enemy air raid she attended wounded soldiers, regardless of her own safety, though the enemy wore overhead. Her example was of the greatest value in allaying the patients' alarm. Nurse Corkhill is the youngest daughter of Mr. and Mrs. W. H. Corkhlll, of Tilba Tilba, of which district she is a native. After a course of training at Burilda Hospital, she volunteered for active service, and sailed with No. 1 Australian General Hospital. For some time she was in Egypt, and was afterwards stationed at Rouen, in France. She is now at one of the casualty clearing stations." - from The Sydney Morning Herald 03 Sep 1918 (nla.gov.au)