Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Matron E. R. Uren, who has been awarded the Royal Red Cross Medal for services at Salonika, has for some years conducted the Narma Nursing Home, South-terrace. She has been connected with the Australian Army Nursing Service Reserve since it was formed in 1904,and in 1915 was appointed principal matron for the 4th (South Australian) Military District. Holding that position until 1917, she embarked with the A.I.F. for India, but was recalled to join the nursing staff organised in Sydney for service at Salonika. With about 300 other nurses she travelled from Sydney to Adelaide, and embarked, being in charge of No. 3 unit of 91 nurses. A fourth unit of nurses was dispatched later, chiefly as reinforcements. Those Australian nurses staffed four Imperial General Canvas Tent Hospitals, each containing 1,560 beds, at Salonika, Sister Uren being matron-in-charge of the 60th General Hospital for 13 months. Then, owing to urgent private business, she was granted leave, and returned to Adelaide on October 6 last. When the armistice was signed Matron Uren was placed on there serve again. She considers herself fortunate in having gone through the campaign without falling ill as at Salonika there was much sickness among the nursing staff, owing to malaria and dysentery. On her way to Salonika the matron and the other Australian nurses volunteered for hospital service at Alexandria during the three weeks that the transport was held up at Port Said, and their services were appreciated.

Chronicle Saturday 11 January 1919 page 31

Sister E. Uren, of the Narma Hospital, South terrace, Adelaide, has just received an unusual decoration. She holds the grade of Honorary Serving Sister to the Grand Prior of the Order of the Hospital of St John of Jerusalem in England. The token of the order is of black enamel, with a silver band and white cross, and has a black ribbon. Sister Uren first served as a military sister in 1901, when the Commonwealth Army Nursing Society was formed. She left for active service in the Great War in May 1917, when she was appointed matron of the 60th General Hospital at Salonika. Sister Uren was trained at the Adelaide Hospital, and afterwards went to Glasgow, where she obtained the highest possible certificates in her profession. She has also received the Royal Red Cross, which is a reward for having tended sick and wounded soldiers and sailors with conspicuous devotion.

The Register Wednesday 07 September 1921 page 8

Sister Ethel Uren, who now lives at Stirling, was in charge of the detachment of nurses at Salonika. Soon after they arrived the town was swept by fire, food ships were torpedoed, and there was shortage of supplies. Another night, when there was an air raid, the nurses refused to go into the dug-outs, but waited outside in the open and watched, solemnly holding enamel wash-basins on their heads as protection. A piece of shrapnel fell a few feet from them, and Sister Uren promptly seized it and burnt her fingers. But she brought it home as a souvenir.

​News Monday 25 April 1938 page 6

Birthday For Matron Uren

Matron Ethel Uren one of South Australia's best-known and loved World War I sisters, she
holds both the Royal Red Cross and the Order of St. John of Jerusalem-had a delightful
surprise party on her birthday.Thirty old friends wished her many happy returns, at the
home of her sisters. Sisters Kate and M. Uren, St. Peters. Tea was served outdoors, where Matron Uren cut her birthday cake. Congratulatory speeches were made by
her niece, Sister E. R. Uren, World War II nurse, and others and Mrs. Edward Reeves
recited. Melbourne visitors at the party included former Army sisters Mrs.Alan Walker,
Mrs. Cliff Taylor and Miss Hook. Several serving members of the Australian Army Nursing
Service were among those present.

News Thursday 19 September 1946 page 7

UREN.-On October 2, at her residence,"Gnarwyn," Mount Lofty, Matron Ethelda Runnalls Uren, beloved sister of Frank (W.A.), Reg (Vic.), Mill and Kate. Late 1st A.I.F.

News Thursday 02 October 1947 page 8

Death Of Miss Ethel Uren

The death occurred yesterday morning at her home at Mt. Lofty of Miss Ethel Uren, who was well known in nursing and medical circles in South Australia. Miss Uren had a distinguished career in nursing, from which she retired about 20 years ago. She trained at the Royal Adelaide Hospital and at Glasgow Maternity Hospital, and was matron for many years of Narma Private Hospital in South terrace, which she established. During the 1914-1918 war she was acting principal matron of the 4th Military District for two years, and in 1917 was one of three matrons who accompanied the largest group of trained nurses, numbering 300, which embarked from Australia for active service. She was in charge of a composite unit, representative of every State, which was attached to the 60th General Hospital at Salonika, with, 1560 beds under canvas. She was awarded the RCC and the Order of St. John of Jerusalem.

The Advertiser Friday 03 October 1947 page 10
Photograph - The Chronicle Saturday 19 May 1917 page 25

From In Memory Of

In Memory Of Sister Ethelda Runnalls Uren, of Adelaide, SA, who served in the Australian Army Nursing Service (AANS) during WW1.

Sister Uren joined the AANS in 1904 after it was established in 1902 as reserve force of civilian nurses.
Sister Uren became Acting Principal Matron on the 18th of July 1915, and reverted to the role of Matron on the 22nd of May 1917 prior to embarking from Australia aboard RMS Mooltan on the 9th of June 1917. Sister Uren served at Salonika and was awarded the Royal Red Cross for her service with the British Forces in Salonika.

She was responsible for a 90-strong nursing staff and the overall care of more than 1,560 patients. Conditions in the Mediterranean were harsh. In the hot summer months, malaria was a constant problem and the disease struck down nurses and patient alike. Winter was terribly cold and the nurses wore several layers of clothing to keep warm whilst working in the canvas tent hospitals.

Fresh water was in short supply and food was often scarce as Allied supply boats came under constant attack from German submarines. Ethelda would regularly walk over five kilometres to a nearby Greek village just to buy a few eggs. But most worryingly of all were the enemy planes that flew over the hospitals. Salonika was bombed two or three times a week at first but this grew more infrequent as time passed.

Sister Ethelda Uren's sisters, Amelia and Catherine also served as nurses in AANS during WW1.
Years later, during WW2, their niece, Elizabeth, followed in their footsteps. Betty, as she was known, served as a Captain with the AANS, tending to the sick and wounded in the Middle East and New Guinea.
Matron Ethelda Runnalls Uren died at home "Gnarwyn" Mount Lofty, SA, on the 2nd of October 1947, aged 76 years. Burial: Payneham Cemetery, Adelaide, S.A.
Lest we forget.

Born  13 September 1871 in Adelaide, South Australia
(SA Birth Record 1842 - 1906 Book: 100 Page: 93 District: Ade.)

Father Jonathan UREN and Mother Elizabeth Runnalls  (nee TEMBY).

Siblings:
Twin sisters   (also served as nurses in AANS during WWI)
Sister Amelia (Mill) Uren  (b. 31 Jan 1881 in Glanville SA - d. ___)
Sister Catherine (Kate) Uren (b. 31 Jan 1881 in Glanville SA - d. ___)

Niece - Nursing Sister Captain Elizabeth Irene (Betty) Uren 
           (WWII Bougainville, 109 Casualty Clearing Station, Motupena Point)

Sister Ethelda Runnalls Uren, of Adelaide, SA, who served in the Australian Army Nursing Service (AANS) during the First World War.

Sister Uren joined the AANS in 1904 after it was established in 1902 as reserve force of civilian nurses.

Sister Uren became Acting Principal Matron on 18 July 1915, and reverted to the role of Matron on 22 May 1917,
prior to embarking from Australia aboard RMS Mooltan on 9 June 1917, bound for the Mediterranean.

In April 1917 an urgent request from the British Director General of Medical Services called for
four contingents of AANS nurses to be dispatched to Salonika to increase the hospital services there.

German submarines presented a constant threat in the Mediterranean and it was deemed safer to
send Australian nurses via Egypt than from England, as the route was more dangerous. 

Each unit was allocated one Matron, ten AANS Sisters and eighty Staff Nurses.
RMS Mooltan left Sydney in June 1917 with 215 nurses and was followed by HMAT Wiltshire in
August, carrying another 52.
These units contained AANS personnel from all states; however the first contingent consisted mainly
of nurses from the 3rd Military District (Victoria) led by Principal Matron Jessie McHardie White. She was
directly responsible for the care of these nurses, as well as the overall welfare and administrative control
of all nurses in Salonika.
The second contingent was mainly from the 2nd Military District (New South Wales), led by Matron
Beryl Campbell.
The third contingent was a composite of the remaining states and was led by
Matron Ethelda Runnalls Uren from 4th Military District (South Australia).

In 1917 a German-led force had captured Serbia two years earlier and the Allies were desperately trying to prevent them from advancing any further south. Some 600,000 Allied servicemen were stationed in the Greek port of Salonika and nurses, like Matron Ethelda, were urgently needed to treat those who were sick or wounded.

45-year-old Ethelda was highly trained in her profession. She had completed her three year minimum training at Adelaide Hospital and was working as the Acting Principal Matron for the entire South Australian state when she was posted overseas. All AANS nurses were granted the status of officers yet their pay was only equal to half what their male counterparts received.

Ethelda was appointed as Matron of the 60th General Hospital in Salonika.
She was responsible for a 90-strong nursing staff and the overall care of more than 1,560 patients. Conditions in the Mediterranean were harsh. In the hot summer months, malaria was a constant problem and the disease struck down nurses and patient alike. Winter was terribly cold and the nurses wore several layers of clothing to keep warm whilst working in the canvas tent hospitals.

Fresh water was in short supply and food was often scarce as Allied supply boats came under constant attack from German submarines. Ethelda would regularly walk over five kilometres to a nearby Greek village just to buy a few eggs. But most worryingly of all were the enemy planes that flew over the hospitals. Salonika was bombed two or three times a week at first but this grew more infrequent as time passed.

Ethelda’s younger sisters, twins Catherine and Amelia, were also nurses. Known as Kate and Mill, the twins were initially posted to the No 1 Australian Auxiliary Hospital at Harefield Park in London caring for troops who had been wounded on the Western Front. Kate and Mill remained together throughout the war, later working on a hospital ship transporting patients from England to Australia.

In spite of the hardships Ethelda faced in Salonika, she devoted herself to her staff and her patients.

In 1918 Matron Uren returned to Australia and was replaced by Matron Christense Sorensen.

The fourth contingent consisted of 61 nurses and was led by Matron Jessie Ross Gemmell.  
It left Australia later and arrived in Egypt on 6 October 1917 as General Allenby’s big offensive was
beginning in the Sinai Peninsula. 

On orders of the Director of Medical Services, Egyptian Expeditionary Force, they were distributed to
various British and Australian hospitals in Egypt.

After the successful outcome of the campaign the nurses were sent to Salonika and arrived there in
August 1918.

Sister Uren served at Salonika and was awarded the Royal Red Cross, for her valuable service with
the British Forces in Salonika.

1/1/1919      Awarded the ROYAL RED CROSS (1st Class)  -  promulgated in the London Gazette
                   for her valuable service.

Ethelda returned home two weeks prior to the declaration of Armistice in November 1918, and she was soon joined by Kate and Mill.

Sourced and submitted by Julianne T Ryan.  21/4/2015.  Lest we forget.