Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Rebecca (Beckie) was born in the far north of South Australia and had a fairly hard early few years. As a young girl her mother died and being the eldest surviving daughter probably assumed many domestic duties for the family.

As a child the family moved around quite a bit. They lived at Quorn, Oodnadatta, Orroroo, Port Wakefield, Adelaide and Gladstone to name a few. Beckie's father, John McClintock, worked for the railways which would probably be why they moved around so much. Shortly before the death of her mother, Mary, the family settled at Broken Hill. Where John followed his old trade he learnt back home in Ireland as a cabinet maker.

At some point Rebecca came into contact with Rev John Flynn (founder of the RFDS) and he encouraged her to study nursing. So she did under the instruction of the well-known Sister Bett. For many years she assisted Sister Bett with patients in Northern South Australia in places such as Oodnadatta and Beltana.

Eventually she received a job at the Broken Hill Hospital where she worked for several years until her enlistment. She enlisted at Keswick on the 27th Feb 1918 and after a bout of influenza she left for the theatres of War. She nursed in hospitals and hospital ships throughout India and the Middle East.

Upon her return she became Matron at the Booleroo Centre Hospital where she met Thomas Francis Orrock, a local farmer, whom would become her husband on the 15th August 1922 in Chalmers Church, Adelaide.

After her marriage she didn't do as much nursing as she took up the duties required of a farmers wife.

She had 3 Children, Ronald (deceased; a member of the RAF in WW2), Joan and Roma who continue to live in the area.