Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

NURSES FOR THE FRONT
It was remarked that Sister Sleightholm, and Nurses Mansfield and White, who had received their whole training at the Launceston hospital, had left for the seat of war in South Africa

A LAUNCESTON NURSE
AT THE NAADWPOORT HOSPITAL.
A letter, dated May 19, has been received from Miss Ruth Sleightholm, who was trained at the Launceston General Hospital, and who gave up her position as matron of the Charters Towers Hospital to go to South Africa. She is one of the Red Cross sisters at the Maauwpoort Military Hospital, wnich, she states is composed of tents, in which there are 800 patients. She writes: 'Typhoid is very prevalent. Day by day fresh cases come in, and as soon as the patients are convalescent they are lent to Cape town, to get strong, and from there they are sent home. Work is awfully heavy, and I wonder how I will settle down to ordinary existence after the exciting life here. I had two Victorian men in my tent, and when one left this morning he said, with tears in his eye- : ' My word, sister, you will often be spoken of in Australia for the way you looted after us men, I am sending you a paper with a sketch of the field hospital in. All the tents, you see are full of patients. There is some talk of our being moved up country, but no certainty. The quarter-master is very kind, and it is a good thing in the army to be friends with that officer. We had sorne Scotch sisters here for a month waiting until their own hospital was ready at a place higher up.
One ef them took ill when only out a month, and died. Everything that could be done was done, but in vain.
At the funeral all the sisters followed in uniform, and the officers, the B.A.M.C., and thr Highlanders in kilts, marched on either side of the coffin, which was on a gun carriage covered with the Union Jack.
There were crowds all along the line, and every one saluted the coffin, while at the grave the bugler sounded the ' Last Call.'
Two of my men died tonight ; that makes seven deaths today. But there is no doubt we Red Cross Sisters have saved many a lifethrough the nursing. It is terribly cold, and I am on night duty, but only for two more nights now. It is funny to See the nurses flitting from one tent to another in a mackintosh with a lantern in hand, especially on a wet night — rather a change from the old Launceston General Hospital. Still, with all it's trouble and turmoil, I am glad I came, for one gains much experiences at this sort of work.'

Daily Telegraph (Launceston) Saturday 30 June 1900 page 6

​A LAUNCESTON NURSE IN SOUTH AFRICA.
Writing from No. 6 hospital, Naanwpoort, on July 27, Sister Sleightholm says that they were experiencing a most bitter winter, frosts and rain in plenty and awfully keen winds. Most of the hospitals, and the majority of the Sisters, have bean sent for ward to Johannesburg, where there are over 1500 cases of enteric. With the thousands the towns of South Africa, which are all insanitary, of course there is bound to be an outbreak of fever. Three of our English sisters have been down with it but I am thankful to say they all recovered. The Tommies are very grateful for any attention they get ; one of them on leaving the hospital today told me he had never received so much kindness since he joined the service 14 years ago.
About a fortnight ago one of the majors was out with some of his men buck -shooting, and they found two— what had been bodies. They recognised they must have been Tasmania's from their buttons, and they buried them where they were. Poor chaps, you know it was in January they were fighting round here. I think it is one of the worst horrors of war being left un-found. I had a day off about a month ago and went to Colesbeig, There I saw the graves of two of the first N.S.W. contingent and put a bunch of grasses on them, as I couldn't get any flowers.'

Daily Telegraph Monday 03 September 1900 page 3

McGREGOR-ROBERTSON - SLEIGHTHOLM.
On February 5 1901, at Kimberley, South Africa, James, youngest son of the late Major Robert Ashington McGregor-Robertson, R.A., of Pitlochry, Perthshire, Scotland, to Ruth, fifth daughter of Robert Sleightholm, of Hampden, Launceston, Tasmania.

Obituary
During last month the death occurred in New South Wales of Mrs. Ruth McGregor-Robertson, who was well known to many old Queensland residents, having been resident in this State at the time of the Boer War. "Sister Ruth," as she was known among her friends, was subject to attacks of asthma, hence when she was desirous of going as a nursing sister to South Africa she received no assistance from the medical officers. At her own expense, however, she left Sydney on one of the troopships, and on arrival in Capetown she met Sir Thomas Fitzgerald, in whose hospital in Melbourne she had practised her profession. Through Sir Thomas's help she was enable to go to the front to tend the sick and wounded troops.
After the Boer War she was married to Major James McGregor-Robertson, formerly of Scotland, and with him settled in New South Wales, where her husband predeceased her during the late war. The late Mrs. McGregor- Robertson was a sister and aunt respectively of Mrs. F. W. Reisz and Dr. L. Ruth Reisz, and she is survived by one daughter, Miss Helen Desiree McGregor-Robertson.

The Brisbane Courier Friday 03 August 1928 page 24