Book review by Stephen Leeder of Joan Crouch's book 'A special kind of service'. A photocopy of a large newspaper clipping consisting of a title, eight columns of text and a black and white photo of a group of women sitting outsidejoan crouch, 2/9th australian general hospital, 2/9 agh, wwii, ww2, world war two, middle east, nursing in warfare

Bible sent to the mother of Alfred George BINGHAM (born Richmond, enlisted Caulfield) No VX75707, enlisted in the 2nd AIF on 21.3.1942 age 23 years 5 months. Posted to AAMC 26.3.1942, embarked for New Guinea 3.1.1943 on the 2/1st Aust Hospital ship Manunda, returned to Aust and disembarked on 7.5.1944, embarked for Morotai on 17.3.1945, returned to Aust and disembarked on 4.1.1946, discharged from the AIF on 20.6.1946. Units served in, 20th Field Ambulance, 2/9th General Hospital, 2/5th General Hospital. Refer also Cat No’s 314.2, 513. New Testament, brown covers with black printing & George VI insignia. Written inside front cover: “VX75707 20th Field Ambulance Pte. A. G. Bingham A.I.F. Australia" Written on introductory page: TO MUM WITH BEST OF LOVE SON 30th-5-1942 BALCOMBE 1942 WANGAR ATTA BACCOMEbooks, bibles, religion

Stella Jessie Mackin (Hewston) enlisted in the Australian Army Nursing Service No VX42596 on 4.6.1940 age 25 years 6 months. Served with 7th AGH and 4th AGH. Embarked for the Middle East 3.2.1941 and served with the 1st and 7th AGH. Hospital 27.5.1942 with Scabies, rejoin unit 29.5.1941, hospital 30.1.1942 with Gastro Enteritis, rejoin unit 1.2 1942. Embark for Australia 31.1.1943, serves with 115th AGH and 2/9th AGH. Appointed Lieutenant 23.3.1943. Embark for New Guinea 21.9.1943 and serves with 2/7th AGH, appointed Capt 24.9.1943. Hospital 2.6.1944 with Dengue Fever, rejoin unit 8.6.1944. Embark for Australia 25.1.1945, serves with 102nd AGH and 2/2nd AGH, discharged from the AIF on 25.3.1946. Refer 2993 re Stella. AGH, Australian General Hospital. Part of the Hewston collection WW1 & WW2.10 Photocopied pages of service records relating to Stella Jessie (Noelle) Mackin nee Hewston VX42596.documents-records, military history-service records, nursing

Beathea Isobel Weppner No VFX126729 ( Kattamatite, enlisted Heidleburgh) on 22.6.43 in the 2nd AIF. At discharge from the Army she was a Cpl in 2/9th Aust General Hospital. VFX meaning Victorian female. Medal Set, court mounted, set of (6) Re B.I WEPPNER. 1. 1939 - 45 2. Pacific Star 3. Defence MEDALLON 4. War Medal 1939 - 45 5. Australian Service Medal 1939 - 45 6. Australian Service Medal 1945 - 75 with clasp 'S W PACIFIC" "VFX 126729 B.I., WEPPNER" medals, military, history, passchendaele barracks trust

When talking about World War II, Sisters Gay Mole and Jean Crameri both recall tent hospitals, epidemics, bombs and nursing without hot water and electricity. They also recall hard work, comradeship and bravery. The two women were among the3000 nurses who formed the Australian General Hospital (AGH) during the war. Sister Jean Crameri was working at the Royal Women's Hospital when she volunteered and joined the 2/9th unit of the AGH. She served in the Middle East, nursed survivors of the Kokoda Trail and saw the Commander-in-Chief if the Australian Army, Field Marshall Blamey declare peace in the South West Pacific. Sister Gay Mole was in the Nurses Army Reserve in 1939 in the 2/9th unit, with her war service starting her in Puckapunyal then on to the Middle East. After a several months on Ceylon she was back in Australia before sailing to the Pacific, where she was among the first medical staff into Changi Prison. A newspaper clipping with three columns of text and a title underneath two black and white photos, both of young women in nurse's uniforms.'24/8/95.' [black ink, top left corner]prisoners of war, army nurses, ww2, wwii, world war two, stonnington, moratai, tobrukrats, palestine, german, jerusalem, syrian, queensland, new guinea, borneo, labuan island, japan, singapore, alexandria, nazareth, india, 3uz baby health centre

First story - Colonel Annie Sage recounts memories that come up on Anzac Day. 'Dressing' their ship while in mid-ocean, listening to 'Australia Will Be There'; the agony and suspense waiting to learn if allies and friends had escaped terrible situations; having patients in beds and under beds in rain, mud and heat; learning awful news; reuniting with POW sisters and hearing their stories. Second story - Mrs GM Knight marched on Anzac Day in the light grey dress of the Auxiliary Nursing Service(ANSI), India. Born in England, she has lived in Australia for 30 years. Her husband, an officer in the RAF, died before WW2. Her two sons joined the army. Mrs Knight went to India and joined the ANSI and served for six years. Third story - Nearly 200 ex-servicewomen took part in the Anzac march. Led by Matron-in-Chief Sage, the grey nurse's uniforms was the signal for cheers and clapping. Mrs E Wildy and Miss Lillian Foster, both Voluntary Aid Detachment (VAD) during the war also attended.A newspaper clipping of three stories. The first story consists of three columns of text and includes a small black and white portrait photo of a woman in nurse's uniform. The second story is a single column of text beneath a small black and white portrait photo of a woman in nurse's uniform. The third story is two columns of text underneath the title.'WWII' [blue ink, top right]order of the british empire, ans, aans, australian general hospital, australian imperial forces, royal air force, strathaird, ramilles, navy, 2/4 australian general hospital, tobruk, haifa, kantara, greece, crete, islands, 2/9th, moresby, centaur, japanese, singapore, malaya, rabaul, la haat, sumatra, reg knight, sidney knight, irak, persia, st kilda, edith cavell, swadeston, norwich, england, london, imperial ex-service women's association

Red hardcovered book covered in a grey dust jacket. The just jacket has the title printed in red at the top then a square with a border around it, inside which is a black and white photograph of two nurses tending to a male patient in a hospital bed inside a tent. There are two red lines underneath and between them the sub-title is printed in black, followed by the author's name at the bottom.non-fictionThe 2/9th Australian General Hospital was raised in South Australia in December 1940, and two months later, sailed for the Middle East....This book records their courage, loyalty, selflessness and compassion for thousands of sick and wounded AIF soldiers, often under appalling conditions - sandstorms, rains and mud-slides, intense heat and leaking tents. The problem of administering a rapidly expanding hospital, the nature of the working relationships between doctors, sisters, orderlies and staff, the spirit of comradeship and the high regard in which the Australian soldier was held are all described in detail. (From inside cover) australian general hospital, 2/9th, australian army nursing service, military hospitals, wwii, ww2, world war ii

Red hardcovered book covered in a grey dust jacket. The just jacket has the title printed in red at the top then a square with a border around it, inside which is a black and white photograph of two nurses tending to a male patient in a hospital bed inside a tent. There are two red lines underneath and between them the sub-title is printed in black, followed by the author's name at the bottom.non-fictionThe 2/9th Australian General Hospital was raised in South Australia in December 1940, and two months later, sailed for the Middle East....This book records their courage, loyalty, selflessness and compassion for thousands of sick and wounded AIF soldiers, often under appalling conditions - sandstorms, rains and mud-slides, intense heat and leaking tents. The problem of administering a rapidly expanding hospital, the nature of the working relationships between doctors, sisters, orderlies and staff, the spirit of comradeship and the high regard in which the Australian soldier was held are all described in detail. (From inside cover) australian general hospital, 2/9th, australian army nursing service, military hospitals, wwii, ww2, world war ii