Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Susannah Armstrong’s long experience as a nurse, particularly her three years serving in the South Africa War (the Boer War) and her proficiency arising from her time as a nurse in typhoid wards, gave her skills that were vitally necessary to contribute to, and transfer onto other members of the medical team who kept severely wounded soldiers alive during repatriation from far flung operational zones to the superior medical facilities in Australia. World War 1 lasted between August 1914 and November 1918. While it was Australia’s third war in support of the Empire since Federation it was our first experience of symmetrical industrial age warfare and the casualties produced through mass usage of shells and bullets were enormous and horrific. Of the 416,809 Australians who enlisted over 61,512 were killed and over 156,000 were wounded. While Susannah Armstrong did not spend the whole duration of the war in service, she aided in the care of soldiers being taken back from war during the critical first few hospital ship trips. Given the experiences of the South African War, where more Australians died from diarrhoea than from being killed by Boer combatants, Sister Armstrong’s typhoid nursing background was particularly important. Without antibiotics the care of casualties was particularly difficult in World War 1 and, while it is important to recognise that nurses play a key part in all wars, the need for rigorous wound care and cleanliness to prevent the establishment of incurable infections made skilled nursing even more important for men whose bodies had been torn open by enemy fire and had little hope if infection breached their shattered skins. Susannah Armstrong enlisted on the 12th of June 1915 and served as a nurse on a hospital ship from then until late 1916, at which point she separated from service, probably because of her age (Australian War Memorial, 2014).

Susannah Armstrong was born in Wicklow, Ireland (Australian War Memorial, 2014). She moved to Brisbane in Australia in 1888 where she trained as a nurse and in 1898, shortly before the Boer war, she moved to Perth. She worked as a nurse for most of her life. During the Boer war she worked as an army nurse, and was one of 14 chosen from West Australia (The Daily News, 1900), most likely because of her previous experience in the Typhoid unit (Australian War Memorial, 2014). As typhoid was one of the major dangers for soldiers in the Boer war, her experience was very helpful to the army. Nurses at the time could not work if they were married so, although Susannah Armstrong was married at some time, it is probable that she was widowed before or soon after she immigrated to Australia. Before her enlistment she worked in a hospital in Perth (Grave Secrets, 2013).

Susannah Armstong enlisted for the First World War on June the 12th, 1915 (Australian War Memorial, 2014). She embarked only ten days later, implying that the Army was desperate for nurses and she was needed desperately (Australian Imperial Force Nominal Roll, 2014). She embarked on the HMAT Orsova A67 with the other members of the company for Australia’s “Number 2 hospital ship” the HMAT A61 Kanowna (Australian Imperial Force Nominal Roll, 2014). This company transferred together to that hospital ship. She served on the hospital ship for most of her service during the war. The first voyage of the Kanowna took on patients at Suez in October 1915 and transported them back to Perth, Adelaide, Melbourne and Sydney (Discovering ANZACS, 2013). The second and third voyages of the Kanowna repeated this route, and Sister Armstrong was present for all of them. The fourth voyage travelled to England via Egypt. The ship was transporting five German sailors back to Germany, as they were too injured to ever be able to fight again (Discovering ANZACS, 2013). It is likely that Sister Armstrong disembarked in Germany, as there are photographs of her there, and also while there are records of her leaving to Egypt on the Kanowna, there are also records of her being back in Australia three weeks later (National Archives of Australia, 2014). This most likely means that she left on the Kanowna, but after disembarking in Egypt travelled back to Australia. This is also around the time her appointment was terminated with the army. She did not spend long in service, as she was sent home in the September of 1916 (National Archives of Australia, 2014). The reason that her appointment in the army was terminated is unknown, but it is most likely because she became too old.

After the war Susannah Armstrong continued being a matron at the same hospital she had been at before the war in Perth. During a trip to England she was noticed by the Queen, (At the time the Queen was Mary of Teck) as she noticed sister Armstrong was wearing her colours from her time in the service (Grave Secrets, 2013). She lived most of the rest of her life in Perth, and later died there, on the 2 August 1939, at the age of 70 (Grave Secrets, 2013). She is buried at the Karrakatta cemetery and crematorium in Perth (Grave Secrets, 2013).

Came to Australia in 1888
Resided first in Queensland where she trained at the Brisbane Hospital for 5 years and then moved to Western Australia
Trained nurse from Dr Harre's Typhoid Unit at the Brisbane General Hospital
Embarked on the SS 'Salamis' at Albany on 21st March 1900
Married Michael DAVERN

NOTICED BY QUEEN.
Army Nurse's Distinction.

THE distinction of being addressed by Queen Mary at the Buckingham Palace Garden Party this year belongs to Mrs. S. Davern, formerly Matron S. Armstrong, of St. Helen's Hospital, Perth, who arrived by the Orion yesterday after a six months' trip abroad. Mrs. Davern served as a military nurse both in the South African and Great Wars, and happened to be wearing her colours at the garden party. These were noticed by the Queen, who immediately approached her, asked her where she had come from and what her service had been. "I think it must have been Queen Victoria's colours that attracted her attention," she remarked. 

Apart from calling at British ports while on transport work in the Great War, Mrs. Davern had not been back to her homeland since she emigrated to Australia from Ireland 50 years ago. On this occasion she therefore took the opportunity to visit all the scenes of her girlhood, including Belfast, Dublin, County Wicklow and Killarney. She also toured in Germany, about which she spoke enthusiastically. "No matter what people say about Germany," she said,"it is a wonderful country to visit. The industry of the people is remarkable and there is not a square foot of their country that is not producing something." Mrs. Davern saw Miss Josie Curtis, the well-known West Australian singer, on many occasions in London. For four and a half years, she said, Miss Curtis had been appearing with an opera company, but was now launching out on her own. She had recently received broadcasting engagements in London.

The West Australia Wednesday 13 October 1937 page 5

DEATH OF A WAR NURSE.

Having served her country in two wars. Mrs. Susannah Davern, better known as Sister Armstrong, of Hay-street, West Perth, died yesterday, at the age of 79 years. Born in County Wicklow, Ireland, the late Mrs. Davern came to Australia in 1888. After living in Queensland for ten years, she came to Western Australia, and very soon afterwards volunteered for service in the South African War in her capacity as a nurse. She also served with the Australian Army Nursing Service in the Great War, and on returning from the front was appointed inspectress for the patriotic committee which was assisting the work of repatriation. Her husband, the late Mr. Michael Davern, died many years ago. Her remains will be interred at the Church of England portion of the Karrakatta Cemetery tomorrow morning.

The West Australian Thursday 03 August 1939 page 5