Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Charlotte Matilda BERRIE was born on the 14th of April 1885 at the family home, ‘Berrie Villa’, One-mile, Qld – the daughter of Peter McGregor BERRIE and Agnes Matilda O’LOCHLEN / O’LOGHLEN, who married on the 30/8/1882 in Qld.  Peter, an Engineer/Miner, was charged with desertion of his 4 children in the Townsville Orphanage in 1895.  He was living in Cairns in 1903, Bamford in 1908, and died at his son-in-law’s Qld home on the 6/2/1915.

Siblings:
1. Ellen/Helen McGregor b.1883 – d.7/10/1959 Qld (UM).  2. Gladys Magdalene b.1887 – married Archibald B. MacGREGOR 1915 Sydney – died 30/3/1979 at North Manly, NSW.  3. Oric Evylin (Evelyn) b.1889 – married Albert Martin Antonio PARES in 1911 Qld  – died 1915.

Religion: Church of England
Charlotte was living with her father at Bamford, Qld in 1908 (inland from Cairns).
She trained in nursing at the Brisbane General Hospital for 3 years, passing her final exam in November 1912, and remaining on staff throughout 1913.  In December 1913 she applied for the positions of Staff Nurse at Lismore District Hospital, NSW, and as a Sister at the Cairns District Hospital.  She was offered and accepted the position at Cairns, from which she resigned in April 1914.  She was a resident of St George’s Nurses’ Home, Milton, (Brisbane) Qld in 1915.

WW1 Service Record:
In 1915, following a request from the British War Office for Australian nurses to join Queen Alexandra’s Imperial Military Nursing Reserve (QAIMNSR), Charlotte was accepted into the contingent of 36 nurses being sent by the Commonwealth Government in May.  She listed her sister Gladys as her next-of-kin.  Together with the Queensland nurses, she embarked in Sydney on the 15th of May on the RMS Mooltan.  Intended originally for England they were instead disembarked in Egypt on the 15/6/1915.  [Whether she served only in Egypt until the end of 1916, or was also serving on the Dunluce Castle for some of this time has not been ascertained.]

But having arrived at Millbank, England on the 5/12/1916, she then left again on the 6/12/1916 to embark on the HS Dunluce Castle.  She went back to the Queen Alexandra Hospital, Grosvenor Rd, Millbank for temporary duty 18/12/1916 until rejoining the Dunluce Castle on the 17/1/1917.  The hospital ship was ferrying patients from France to England until the 11/2/1917 at which time they sailed for Egypt.  Arriving at Alexandria 25/2/1917, they remained in the harbour for many months.  Charlotte was eventually sent ashore with 3 other nurses on the 8/4/1917 for temporary duty with the 19th General Hospital, Alexandria.  The Dunluce Castle remained in the harbour until July, at which time it departed with a new batch of nurses, so Charlotte remained at the 19th GH.

She was transferred to the 70th General Hospital, Cairo on the 13/9/1917, and appointed Acting Sister on the 15/12/1917.  Placed on sick list 14/1/1918, then on sick leave from the 1/2/1918 to 14/2/1918.  Joined the 78th General Hospital, Belah on the 18/6/1918.  Admitted to the American Red Cross Hospital, Jerusalem on the 2/1/1919 whilst on local leave from the 78th General Hospital.

Charlotte died of Pneumonia on the 8th of January 1919 at the American Red Cross Hospital, Jerusalem, Palestine, aged 33, and is buried in the Jerusalem War Cemetery (Grave Q107)

Report of Captain R.L Wilson, R.A.M.C.:
“I was called in to see Sister Berrie, C. at the Fast Hotel Jerusalem about 2200 o’clock on 1st Jany 1919. Her temperature was 103°, Pulse 100, Resp. 28 and shallow. Patient had slight cough with rusty sputum and showed every sign of early Pneumonia. On 2nd inst. I notified 34CCH, Jerusalem and asked Major Biggs to see patient with me after which we had patient conveyed to the American Red Cross Hospital, Jerusalem, where she was admitted about 1200 o’clock. …………...
Copy of Physical Examination: –
Patient was found to be poorly nourished and under weight. General condition only fair, colour slightly cyanotic, pulse regular but rather poor in quality. Rate 100, Temp 100. Physical examination of the chest……….
Treatment: Patient was placed in large well ventilated room under the care of her friend Sister Barrett and assisted by Sister Stokes both of the 78th General Hospital, Belah. Windows were kept open, liquid nourishment and stimulants given according to indications.
Jany 5th 1919 – Seven cyanosis occurred and patient responded to heart stimulants …….
Jany 6th – Cyanosis recurred and oxygen was administered at intervals supplemented with …….., but with little benefit. Heart weakness steadily progressed during the night of Jany 7th and death occurred at 9 AM Jany 8th.
Dr Marden of American Red Cross Hospital Jerusalem had patient under his own personal supervision. ………
Sister Berrie had been on night duty at 78th General Hospital and had several Pneumonia cases there and in all probability this fact may have aggravated the condition.”

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Gympie Times and Mary River Mining Gazette (Qld), Sat 18 Apr 1885 (p.2):
BIRTHS
BERRIE – On the 14th inst., at her residence Berrie Villa, One-mile, the wife of Peter McGregor Berrie, of a daughter.

The Telegraph (Brisbane, Qld), Wed 6 Nov 1912 (p.2):
NURSES’ EXAMINATION
Three Years’ Course
The results of the examinations for nurses at the General Hospital, which have just been issued, show that the 17 candidates who competed, were successful in completing their three years’ course, and now are entitled to the certificate. The results were as follow: –
Pass, …………..; C. Berrie, 77; ………………..

Cairns Post (Qld), Wed 3 Dec 1913 (p.8):
HOSPITAL COMMITTEE
A special meeting of the Hospital Committee was held on Tuesday night, ………………….
Regarding the appointment of a Sister, the secretary stated that no further applications had come to hand since the two received at the last general meeting. It was decided to wire Miss Charlotte Berry, Brisbane, offering her the position.

Cairns Post (Qld), Sat 18 Apr 1914 (p.4):
CAIRNS HOSPITAL COMMITTEE
The resignation of Sister Berrie was accepted, and the filling of the vacancy was left in the hands of the Surgeon and Matron.

The Age (Melb, Vic), Thur 20 May 1915 (p.7):
THE EXPEDITIONARY FORCES – NURSES FOR THE FRONT
A further large complement of nurses is leaving Australia for service in the Australian hospitals at the front. They will be accompanied as far as their destination by a party of staff nurses, recruited in Australia for service with the R.A.M.C. ……………….
R.A.M.C. NURSES
The following nurses are leaving to join the R.A.M.C.: – Queensland – Nurses M. Chapman, M. McGrath, S. Beaver, D. Raff, A. Corfield, D. Sexton, B. Geary, C. Berrie.

Cairns Post (Qld), Tue 23 Jan 1917 (p.6):
CAIRNS DISTRICT HOSPITAL
Reference is due to the Nurses who having served in the Cairns Hospital are now serving in wider fields at the War. As far as can be ascertained the following represent the Cairns Hospital: …. and C. Berrie.

Cairns Post (Qld), Thur 13 Feb 1919 (p.4):
Death of Nurse Berry
The sad news has been received in Cairns of the death of Nurse Charlotte (“Chas”) Berry in England. Nurse Berry was well known in the hinterland of Cairns, and was connected with the local hospital when the Huns started out to enslave the world. She offered her services at the outbreak of war, was accepted, and tended the wounded in Egypt and France, only to return to England and succumb to influenza. Nurse Berry had a kind and lovable disposition, and endeared herself to all whom she came in contact.

Sydney Mail (NSW), Wed 10 Sept 1919 (p.23):
An Australian Nurse’s Grave on the Mount of Olives
[photo]
http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/159655304

The Sydney Morning Herald (NSW), Thur 25 Jun 1925 (p.10):
WOMEN’S MEMORIAL – Service at the Town Hall
LORD FORSTER’S ADDRESS
The only service held in Sydney to commemorate the women who gave their lives in the war, took place in the vestibule of the Town Hall yesterday.
It was reminiscent of war days, Draped flags on the tables, men and women in uniform, with the strains of the Funeral March and the Last Post reverberating throught the hall. ………..
The names of the Australian women included in the honour roll were:- ………
Sisters and Staff Nurses: Charlotte Berrie, ………
http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/16211116

Dungog Chronicle: Durham and Gloucester Advertiser (NSW), Tue 30 Jun 1936 (p.3):
JERUSALEM
On this early Easter morning we visited the War Cemetery at the northern end of the Mount of Olives of the men who fell in the Palestine campaign. There are 2,180 soldiers and airmen of the United Kingdom lying there, 143 soldiers from Australia, and 34 from New Zealand, and we read the name of one brave woman in those white ranks – Nurse Charlotte Berrie of Sydney. The gardeners were already there taking care of the flowers that die so quickly in the fierce heat. ……………

Notes:
Various pages in her Service Record show her joining the QAIMNSR and embarkation as 5/4/1915 – however, she is listed in the AWM file 27 373/12 as embarking 15/5/1915 on the Mooltan – also in the list issued in the Newspaper – and her service record shows her disembarking in Egypt 15/6/1915 which matches with the Mooltan. Her B.103 Casualty Form does show she was mobilized 15/5/1915 and she also renewed her 1 year contract on the 15/5/1916.

Sister of Mrs. Gladys M. Macgrega, of 12, Brightmore St., Neutral Bay, Sydney, New South Wales.

Charlotte (Chassie or Chas) was one of four daughters to Peter McGregor Berrie and Agnes Matilda O’Loghlin.

Her sisters were:

Ellen/Helen McGregor Berrie b 1883 d 7/10/1959

Gladys Magdelene b 1887 married Archibald B. (Toby) McGregor 1915, d 30/3/1979 Beecroft, Sydney NSW ( no children but adopted Oric’s sons after her death)

Oric Evylin (Evelyn) b 1889- married Albert Martin Antonio Pares 1911. Had 2 sons Albert Raymond (Ray) b ? and Luis (Lou) Berrie b 20/8/1914