Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Resided 38 Kilgown Street,  Geelong, Vic.
Enlisted 22 January 1915 in Egypt at Mena House, Cairo
Embarked Bombay 22 August 1917
Disembarked Baora 30 August 1917
Posted No 3 B.G. Co Basrah  31 August 1917
​Transferred to UK for duty 17 November 1918 per 'Egra' for India
Posted to War Hosptial 29 January 1919
'She has filled her post as Ward Sister in a most capable manner being energetic and tactful with her staff and patients.  She is quite suitable for army employment.'
​Demobilized 25 April 1920
Embarked for Australia 
Married name RUSSELL

Doris Marion GREEN was born on the 26th of June 1889 in Colac, Vic (reg. 20340) – the daughter of Ernest Reginald GREEN and Elizabeth Jessie RAE, who married in Vic on the 25/5/1882. Ernest, a former Manager of the Colac branch of the Colonial Bank of Australasia, died of typhoid fever on the 8/4/1890, aged 32.
Elizabeth re-married to Alexander READ on the 27/1/1892 at St Paul’s Church, Geelong [his 2nd marriage also (7 children), he died 31/7/1909 – Grazier of Lawaluk, Mount Mercer] – living “Fernleigh” Chilwell, Geelong 1914 / 38 Kilgour St, Geelong 1916 / 37 Westgarth St, East Malvern 1924 – Elizabeth died on the 16/11/1947 at Westgarth St.

Sibling: *Alan Stanley b.27/9/1883 Colonial Bank of Australasia, Colac – WW1: Gnr 908, 4th Bty, 2nd FAB – served Gallipoli (broken ear drum) – RTA 8/10/15 – marr Amy Marion MacCallum – Planter of Rabaul, d.1/7/1942 at sea from the Montevideo Maru.
Half Siblings: *Alexander George Frederick READ b.1894 Geelong – WW1: Pte 2745, 46th Bn – living Qld 1939 – d.27/6/1964 Qld;
Luo Ivy b.1896 Geelong - d.14/7/1979.

Doris was educated at a Private School in St Kilda – leaving at the age of 16, she then lived with her parents in Ballarat.
She trained in nursing at Geelong Hospital for 3 years; passing her Royal Victorian Trained Nurses Association (R.V.T.N.A.) exam at the end of 1913. She then resigned and moved to Melbourne where she nursed at Dr Frederick Bird’s Private Hospital in Spring Street.

WW1 Service:
When war broke out Dr Bird offered his services to the Australian Government and was accepted as an honorary surgeon to the expeditionary force. As part of his surgical team, he took four of his nurses with him at his own expense. Joining Doris were Minnie McNab (Matron), Muriel Robertson and Adelaide Hartrick, Adelaide and Doris then remained together throughout the war. The team sailed as part of the First Australian and New Zealand Convoy, embarking in Melbourne on the flagship Orvieto on the 22/10/1914.
On arrival in Egypt Doris and the team were stationed at Mena House, and on the 22/1/1915 together with her 3 nursing companions she joined the Queen Alexandra’s Imperial Military Nursing Service Reserve (QAIMNSR), and was posted to the Military Hospital, Citadel.

In February her engagement was announced to Dr Lind – Captain Edmund Frank Lind was the MO attached to the 5th Battalion HQ, and had also been on board the Orvieto [however, no marriage took
place, and he became engaged again in 1918 to Sister Beulah McMinn (AANS), whom he married in 1920]

Still serving with Dr Bird’s team, Doris boarded the HMHS Sicilia on the 8/4/1915 which sailed for Lemnos Island on the 12th – AANS nurse Elsie Gibson who was also on board at the time, noted in her diary that “we call them the Lady Birds.”
During the Landing of troops on the Gallipoli Peninsula on the 25th of April, the Sicilia catered to the casualties of the British 29th Division at Cape Helles. Dr Bird later commented on that day: “There were 300 beds on the Sicilia – and in a space of less than three hours 1300 very bad cases were put on board, most of them being accommodated on the decks and elsewhere. For 52 hours at a stretch the whole staff continued operating on the cases, and at the end of that time, though their heads and hands were all right, their feet were so swollen that it was impossible to continue.”

Doris also served on the Hospital Ship Grantully Castle, and was Mentioned in Despatches for her service on hospital ships. [London Gazette 21/6/1916]
She served in Salonika and India in 1916, 1917
Serving at the Station Hospital, Wellington, India, when she renewed her contract on the 16/5/1917
Embarked Bombay 22/8/1917 – disembarking Basra 30/8/17 (Mesopotamia)
Posted to No. 3 British General Hospital, Basra 31/8/1917
Admitted Hospital 6/9/1917 to 19/9/1917
Proceeded up river on temp duty 12/3/1918 – 2/5/1918
Proceeded to India on Leave 1/7/1918 – rejoined 3 BGH 30/8/1918
Promoted to Sister 1/8/1918

Matron’s Confidential Report, 3 BGH, Basra, 14/11/1918:
“Sister Doris Marion Green, Q.A.I.M.N.S.R. has worked under me for fifteen months & during that period has been promoted to the rank of Sister.
She is a very good ward Sister & and capable nurse.
Her administrative capacity, discipline of patients & training of orderlies are excellent. Her general conduct is good.”

Transferred to UK for duty 17/11/1918 per HT Egra for India

Letter written from Welders House Rest Home for Army Nurses:
To Miss Beecher, R.R.C., Matron in Chief
From A.L. Hartrick, Sister, Q.A.I.M.N.S.R. & D.M. Green, Sister, Q.A.I.M.N.S.R
Madam
We have the honour to inform you that we have been transferred from Mesopotamia to England. We are Australians and have no friends in England and we would prefer if possible not to take leave just now.
If it would be conveniently arranged it would make a great difference to us to be posted to the same hospital if possible in London.
At present we are waiting for our luggage which has been lost on the way over from Marseilles.
We have the honour to be Madam your obedient Servants. A.L. Hartrick, D.M. Green
Welders House, Gerrards Cross, 9/1/1919

Posted to Croydon War Hospital 16/1/1919 to the 17/5/1919 – “She has filled her post as ward Sister in a most capable manner being energetic and tactful with her staff and patients. She is quite suitable for army work.” [19/5/1919]

Transferred to the Royal Victoria Hospital, Netley 17/5/1919 – until repatriation
Doris and Adelaide returned to Australia together on the Ormonde, embarking on the 20/3/1920 – their service was terminated on the 25/4/1920.

From 1921 to 1926 Doris was nursing at Vimy House Private Hospital, Queen’s Rd, Melbourne, which was run by former QAIMNSR nurses Isabella Jobson and Leah Rosenthal.

Married John Hardress Cecil RUSSELL on the 19th of April 1927 at St Peter’s Church, Eastern Hill, Vic

Children: John Alan Cecil b.15/9/1928 at Finchley Private Hospital, East Malvern – married Patricia M.G. DOUGLAS 1955 – living Gembrook 2003 (4 daughters)

Living “Swallowfield”, Gembrook in 1928 until at least 1968 – Launching Place Rd, Gembrook 1972

On the 30th of May 1973 Doris was admitted to the Repatriation General Hospital, Heidelberg, and the following day a perforated duodenal ulcer was oversown. Post-operative her condition deteriorated and she died at 5 p.m. on the 20th of June. Following a service held at St Silas Church of England, Gembrook, on the 25th she was cremated at Springvale Cemetery. Her ashes were then collected and interred in the Gembrook Cemetery.

****************

RUSSELL, John Hardress Cecil
Born 1896 Wellington, NZ – son of George Cecil RUSSELL and Alice Jane Evelyn MILLS (of Swallowfield, Gembrook, Vic)
Farmer / Sawmiller 1931 / Farmer 1972
WW1: Gnr 4899, 12th FAB (47th Bty)
Enlisted 13/10/1915 Melb – Emb 7/3/1916 as a Pte with 15th Reinf of 6th Bn – disemb Egypt 10/4/16 – TOS 47th Bty, 12th FAB 17/4/16 Serapeum
Proc to France 2/6/16
WIA 3/6/1917 Belgium (GSW R/leg - amputated)
Discharged in England 3/4/1918 (place of residence, 10 Lyon Hill, Harrow-on-the-Hill)
Died 23/3/1979 Emerald

****************

Geelong Advertiser (Vic), Fri 28 Nov 1913 (p.3):
HOSPITAL STAFF
Sister Smyth has been promoted to the charge of Ward 1 at the Geelong Hospistal, vice Sister Peddle, resigned. Nurse Green having completed her course of training, severs her connection with the institution in a fortnight.

An account on board the Orvieto 1914: http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/129508323

The Ballarat Star (Vic), Sat 6 Feb 1915 (p.11):
SOCIAL NOTES
Miss Doris Green (Nurse Green) whose engagement is announced to Dr Lind, is at present in Egypt, waiting to go to the front as one of Dr Bird’s staff. Dr Lind is attached to the First Expeditionary Force, and went over in one of the troopships.

Riverine Herald (Echuca, Vic / Moama, NSW), Mon 17 May 1915 (p.3):
ANOTHER ECHUCA VOLUNTEER
LIEUTENANT GREEN
Second Lieutenant S. Rupert Green, son of Mr C.L. Green, P.M., Echuca, has enlisted, and is now in camp at Broadmeadows, where he is Sergeant-Major, 5th Battalion, 6th Reinforcements. Among his relatives at the Dardanelles are Private Alan Green, Nurse Doris Green (with Dr Bird’s private equipment), and Lieut-Colonel McNicoll.

The British Journal of Nursing, Jul 1, 1916:
MENTIONED IN DESPATCHES
General Sir John Maxwell, K.C.B., Commanding the Force in Egypt, included in his Despatches on the military operations in the Egyptian Command, for the information of the Secretary of State for War, published as a Supplement to the London Gazette of June 21st, a separate Despatch, containing the names of those he wishes to bring to favourable consideration on account of the services they have rendered.
ON HOSPITAL SHIPS
STAFF NURSES – QAIMNSR: ……Miss D.M. Green, Miss A.L. Hartrick,……Miss M.M. McNab, ………..Miss M.A. Robertson.

The Argus, Sat 7 May 1927:
MARRIAGES
RUSSELL – GREEN – On the 19th April, at St Peter’s Church, Eastern Hill, by the Right Rev. Bishop Green, LL.D., John Hardress Cecil, youngest son of Alice Jane Evelyn and the late George Cecil Russell, of Swallowfield, Gembrook, to Doris Marion, daughter of Elizabeth J. Read and the late Ernest Reginald Green, East Malvern.

The Argus, Wed 26 Sept 1928:
BIRTHS
RUSSELL – On the 15th September, at Finchley private hospital, East Malvern, to Mr and Mrs J.H.C. Russell, Swallowfield, Gembrook – a son.

The Argus, Mon 17 Nov 1947:
DEATHS
READ – On November 16, at her residence, 37 Westgarth street, East Malvern, Elizabeth Jessie, loved mother of Alan (deceased), Doris (Mrs Russell), Alexander, and Ivy.

The Age (Melb, Vic), Fri 22 Jun 1973 (p.25):
DEATHS
RUSSELL, Doris Marion, MID, (S/Nurse Miss D.M. Green, Q.A.I.M.N.S.R.), - At R.G.H., Heidelberg, on 20th June, of Swallowfield, Gembrook, beloved wife of John, loving mother of John, mother-in-law of Patricia, loved grandmother of Susan, Robyn (dec.), Penelope, Lynette and Dianne.
FUNERAL NOTICES
RUSSELL – The friends of the late Mrs DORIS MARION RUSSELL are notified that her Funeral will leave St Silas Church of England, Main Rd, Gembrook, on MONDAY (June 25th), after a service to commence at 2 p.m. for the Necropolis Crematorium, Springvale, arriving approx.. 3.30 p.m.