BROWN, Emily Maud
| Service Number: | Staff Nurse |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 18 May 1915 |
| Last Rank: | Staff Nurse |
| Last Unit: | 3rd Australian General Hospital - WW1 |
| Born: | Brighton, Victoria, Australia, 1888 |
| Home Town: | Brighton East, Bayside, Victoria |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Nurse |
| Died: | At Home, 230 North Road, Brighton, Victoria, Australia, 25 August 1955, cause of death not yet discovered |
| Cemetery: |
Springvale Botanical Cemetery, Melbourne Pittosporum, Wall 2A, Niche 641 Church of England |
| Memorials: |
World War 1 Service
| 18 May 1915: | Involvement 3rd Australian General Hospital - WW1, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '23' embarkation_place: Melbourne embarkation_ship: RMS Mooltan embarkation_ship_number: '' public_note: '' | |
|---|---|---|
| 18 May 1915: | Embarked 3rd Australian General Hospital - WW1, RMS Mooltan, Melbourne | |
| 18 May 1915: | Enlisted Australian Army Nursing Service (WW1), Staff Nurse, Staff Nurse, 3rd Australian General Hospital - WW1 |
Emily's war experiences
Staff Nurse Emily Browne departed Australia on the 18th May 1915 with the 3rd Australian General Hospital aboard the Mooltan. They were heading to set up hospital in France. During the trip the nursing staff ran training courses for the orderlies and other hospital staff. They arrived in Plymouth England on 27th June 1915. On the 1st July 1915 they were informed that the 3AGH would be going to Lemnos in the Aegean Sea near Gallipolis as the hospitals in Egypt were three days sailing from the battlefield and a hospital was needed much closer. The nurses travelled to Alexandria Egypt on the Themistocles and Huntgreen arriving on the 30th July and 1st August. On the 2nd August 1915 the nurses boarded the Dunluce Castle and reached Mudros, Lemnos on the 5th August ahead of the rest of the hospital. They were transferred to the Simla which was anchored in the harbour until their tents were erected. On the evening of the 8th August 1915 the first nurses were landed accompanied by a piper and marched to their new tents. The hospital opened before breakfast the following day. With the winding down of the fighting at Gallipolis Emily left Mudros on the 27th January 1916 and travelled to Alexandria and then onto Abbassia Egypt. On the 8th August 1916 Emily transferred to the 1st AGH in Ismailia Egypt. On the 25th September 1916 Emily boarded the HMT Karoola in Alexandria Egypt and travelled to Brighton England arriving 5th October 1916 where she rejoined the 3rd AGH. The 3rd AGH left for France aboard the DMS Southhampton on the 11th April 1917 and set up in Abbeville France. Emily transferred to the 2nd AGH in Wimereux France on the 26th June 1917. It was here that she was promoted from Staff Nurse to Sister on the 1st September 1917. Unfortunately she was admitted to the hospital sick on 14th December 1917. On the 5th February 1918 she was transferred to hospital in England aboard the HS Jan Dreydel. Emily was finally discharged on the 29th April 1918. As she had been diagnosed a Diptheria Carrier she remained in England working at the 2AAH and 3AAH before working at the AIF Hospital in London. Emily Left London on the 25th December 1918 as part of the nursing staff aboard the Takada and arrived in Australia 11th February 1919. She was finally discharged from the AANS on the 5th April 1919 but continued to care for her boys at Caulfield Repatriation Hospital.
Emily married AR Roberts DCM and they had two sons. The oldest boy was born with severe disabilities but was nursed in the family home until his death at age 18.
Emily remained lifelong friends with many of the nurses she served with.
Submitted 16 February 2016 by Faithe Jones
Biography contributed by Faithe Jones
Daughter of William John BROWN and Emily Charlotte nee BENNETT.
Emily trianed for 3 years at the Homeopathic Hospital in Victoria.
Staff Nurse Emily Browne departed Australia on the 18th May 1915 with the 3rd Australian General Hospital aboard the Mooltan. They were heading to set up hospital in France. During the trip the nursing staff ran training courses for the orderlies and other hospital staff. They arrived in Plymouth England on 27th June 1915. On the 1st July 1915 they were informed that the 3AGH would be going to Lemnos in the Aegean Sea near Gallipolis as the hospitals in Egypt were three days sailing from the battlefield and a hospital was needed much closer. The nurses travelled to Alexandria Egypt on the Themistocles and Huntgreen arriving on the 30th July and 1st August. On the 2nd August 1915 the nurses boarded the Dunluce Castle and reached Mudros, Lemnos on the 5th August ahead of the rest of the hospital. They were transferred to the Simla which was anchored in the harbour until their tents were erected. On the evening of the 8th August 1915 the first nurses were landed accompanied by a piper and marched to their new tents. The hospital opened before breakfast the following day. With the winding down of the fighting at Gallipolis Emily left Mudros on the 27th January 1916 and travelled to Alexandria and then onto Abbassia Egypt. On the 8th August 1916 Emily transferred to the 1st AGH in Ismailia Egypt. On the 25th September 1916 Emily boarded the HMT Karoola in Alexandria Egypt and travelled to Brighton England arriving 5th October 1916 where she rejoined the 3rd AGH. The 3rd AGH left for France aboard the DMS Southhampton on the 11th April 1917 and set up in Abbeville France. Emily transferred to the 2nd AGH in Wimereux France on the 26th June 1917. It was here that she was promoted from Staff Nurse to Sister on the 1st September 1917. Unfortunately she was admitted to the hospital sick on 14th December 1917. On the 5th February 1918 she was transferred to hospital in England aboard the HS Jan Dreydel. Emily was finally discharged on the 29th April 1918. As she had been diagnosed a Diptheria Carrier she remained in England working at the 2AAH and 3AAH before working at the AIF Hospital in London. Emily Left London on the 25th December 1918 as part of the nursing staff aboard the Takada and arrived in Australia 11th February 1919. She was finally discharged from the AANS on the 5th April 1919 but continued to care for her boys at Caulfield Repatriation Hospital.
Emily married Albert Ricahrd Roberts DCM and they had two sons. The oldest boy was born with severe disabilities but was nursed in the family home until his death at age 18.
Emily remained lifelong friends with many of the nurses she served with.
Courtesy of Bronwyn Roberts
Click images to start slideshow.