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Blanche 'Alice' Atkinson
227
Blanche 'Alice' Atkinson
Until Now
WW1 So Far
“I may be compelled to face danger, but never fear it, and while our soldiers can stand and fight, I can stand and feed and nurse them” -Clara Barton
The war had been going on for a year now. The trenches were full of misery and the world was filled with grief and worry. Many had already died in battle.
1914
The War So Far
The start of the war saw the Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand (figure 1), heir to the Austria-Hungary throne.
28th June
28th July
Emperor Franz Joseph of Austria-Hungary declaring war on Serbia and it’s ally Russia.
3rd Aug
German declared war on France.
The War So Far
Figure 1
23rd Aug
70,000 soldiers from the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) faced twice the number of Germans in a gruesome battle.
23rd Sept
Australian forces occupied German New Guinea.
25th Dec
An unofficial Christmas truce was declared between soldiers on the Western Front, where a game of football was played between the ANZAC and German troops (figure 2)
Figure 1: Archduke Franz Ferdinand
Figure 2: Men playing soccer on the Christmas truce
Figure 2
The Medical Soldiers
Figure 3
The Medical Soldiers
The war was looking grim. Australian and New Zealand soldiers (figure 4) needed more medical support (figure 3). Too many casualties were occurring, and countless life-threatening injuries were sustained by the troops. With not enough help, men were dying everywhere. If the men managed to reach help, they usually died, mainly of blood-loss, before getting the treatment they needed.
Figure 3: Australian Nurses
Figure 4: Doctors operating on a soldier
Figure 4
Australian Nurses
Figure 5
Australian Nurses
At the end of 1914 and the start of 1915, nurses in Australia were being recruited (figure 5), and deployed overseas to help the hospitals closer to the front lines. Many women were keen to help their country (figure 6), and wanted to play as much of a part as the men in the war. Women, aged 20-40 roughly, were enlisting all over the country. This was exactly what Blanche Atkinson did at the start of 1915
Figure 5: An Australian war poster for nurses
Figure 6: Australian nurses in uniform
Figure 6
Alice's Early Life
Alice's Life Before The War
Alice ‘Blanche’ Atkinson (figure 1) was born on the 5th of July 1879, to the parents of Mary Ann Martha Atkinson and Fedrick John Atkinson. Alice grew up as a normal country girl. Living in Stirling, located in the Adelaide Hills, there was ample space for her to thrive in. She was the eldest daughter, and 6th out of 14 children. Her brother William Henry Atkinson died in 1873 at thee of age 1 year and 10 months, Jessie died 14th August 1886 age 5 months, Bruce and Arthur, who were also brothers, died young. There are little records of the rest of her siblings. Discovering that she wanted to help others in the medical field, she started working at the ‘Kalyra’ Sanatorium in Belair, and then went to train at the Adelaide hospital, finishing in 1910. Before furthering her career in nursing over in Perth, Western Australia, she lived in the beautiful town of Stirling.
Alice in her nursing gear before the war (Figure 7)
Her Time In The War
Her Time In The War
Nurses treating patient at brockenhurst (Figure 26)
Blanche Atkinson served her country with honor as a Nurse, treating wounded soldiers from the front lines (Figure 26).
Her Enlistment
Her Enlistment
Figure 8
Deciding she was just as capable as men to fight in the war, she enlisted (figure 8) in 1914 with the Australian Army Medical Service. They deployed her over to England, where she joined the QAIMS (Queen Alexandra’s Imperial Military Service). She embarked on the SS Beltana for the long voyage to England, and docked in London on the 22nd July 1915. As Brockenhurst Military Hospital needed more nurses, that gave Alice the chance to serve her country
Figure 8: Her enlistment form with the Australian medical corps
Alice's Enlistment Form
Brockenhurst Hospital
Figure 9
Brockenhurst Hospital
Brockenhurst hospital (figure 9) was originally located in Egypt, near the front lines. As the war got worse, the New Zealand army moved it to Brockenhurst, England. The hospital took mainly ANZAC troops, and provided a safe haven for them to recover, away from the war.
Nurses worked all hours of the night and day (figure 10), with minimal sleep, and this led to the weakening of their immune systems, leaving them prone to catching the diseases that the soldiers brought over with them. This was the case for Alice.
In March 1916, she contracted the Spanish influenza, which was a major pandemic that was sweeping through the nations. It is a disease with symptoms such as a fever, nausea, aches and diarrhea. This further developed to spots and pneumonia attacks. Going from staff to patient at the hospital, Alice suffered with this disease for a few months. Her family inquried about her, and recieved this letter (figire 11).
(Figure 11)
Figure 9: Brockenhurst hospital tents
Figure 10: Nurse and doctors in operating room
Figure 11: A letter to her mother
Figure 10
The Letter
The letter her parents received regarding their daughter, telling them she was sick and that she was heading back to Australia.
letter
Red Cross Medal
Red Cross Medal
Shortly after being admitted to Brockenhurst, Alice was moved to the Royal Victoria Hospital, Netley. In the few months that followed, she slowly got better, and was awarded the Royal Red Cross medal (figure 12 & 13) for her devoted service to the hospital of Brockenhurst. This award was presented to brave young women for their actions and their devotion to duty. Royal warrant said that it be given “upon any ladies, whether subjects or foreign persons, who may be recommended by our Secretary of State for War for special exertions in providing for the nursing of sick and wounded soldiers and sailors of Our Army and Navy”. Back in Adelaide, this article appeared in the Adelaide chronicle on December 19, 1916.
Figure 12
Figure 12: Sister Atkinson receiving the Red Cross Medal
Figure 13: The Red Cross medal she recieved
Figure 13
Newspaper Article On Her Award
Newspaper Article On Her Award
Staff Nurse B. Atkinson.
-“The King and Queen are so sorry to hear that Miss Atkinson is laid up in Netley Hospital and so is unable to receive at the hands of His Majesty the Royal Red Cross decoration awarded to her for devoted service, in the execution of which she unfortunately contracted her present illness. The King hopes you will be able to send someone to Netley- perhaps Miss Belcher- to hand this decoration to Miss Atkinson, and to tell her how much their Majesties sympathise with her and truly wish her a speedy restoration to health.” Sister Atkinson was duly presented with the decoration and the letter. The Royal Red Cross medal is one of the highest distinctions to be obtained in the military nursing service. She also held a medal of Queen Alexandra’s Imperial Nursing Service Reserve. Sister Atkinson was subsequently invalided home, and had only returned a very short time when she succumbed to her illness.
Receiving The Award
Nurse Atkinson receiving her medal at Netlely Hospital when she was sick with influenza.
TITLE
Her Life After Serving In The War
Life After The War
After she was told she was well enough to travel home, she left England, traveling on the HT Marathon, arriving back in Australia on the 23rd of September 1916, after just over a year of being away from home. Her mother was overjoyed to see her, as she had been worried sick because of the news she had acquired about her daughter being ill.
Her Death
Alice's Death
Figure 14
After only being home in Crafers for a short, few months, she developed tuberculosis, which is a disease that effects a person’s lungs and can cause blood-containing mucus, fever, night sweats and weight loss. Sadly, on December 9th, 1916, Alice Atkinson died of this sickness, aged 37 (Figure 15). Everyone lost a brave daughter, sister and friend that day. She was laid to rest in the Crafers cemetery, and is still resting as a hero there today (Figure 14 & 16).
A photo I took of her gravestone (Figure 16)
Figure 14: Her memorial plaque at Stirling district cemetery
Figure 15: Alice's official death certificate
Figure 15
The ANZAC Spirit
The ANZAC Spirit
The Anzac spirit is associated with the characteristic traits of courage, perseverance, mateship and resourcefulness. This ‘legend’ is the idea that certain characteristics were shown by ANZAC’S as they bravely landed in Gallipoli, all those years ago. We now use this phrase, ‘the ANZAC spirit’, to describe anyone during the war who honoured their country with valour and bravery.
Courage
Courage
Figure 17
Courage is the ability to bravely do something that frightens you. It’s having strength to continue and go on, even in the face of grief and pain, as many ANZAC soldiers experienced. The soldiers had the courage to go headfirst into on coming bullet fire and seize the enemy (figure 17 & 18).
Figure 17: men fighting in the trenches
Figure 18: Men marching into battle
Figure 18
Perseverance
Figure 19
Perseverance
Displaying perseverance is persisting in doing something despite how difficult it is or how long it takes. It is achieving what you set out to do, even when it gets hard or it is a slow process. The ANZAC's did this by continuing to fight, even when it got hard (figure 19) and always pushing on (figure 20)
Figure 19: Men running headfirst into battle
Figure 20: Men taking a rest before battle
Figure 20
Mateship
Mateship
Figure 21
The companionship and friendship between two people, that’s what keeps them going. Mateship allows them to have someone to rely on. It gives them someone to share with the highs, the victories, but also the lows. Mateship was a foundation of the ANZACS and caused many grief and pain when losing their mates in battle (figure 21 & 22).
Figure 21: A man carrying his mate
Figure 22: A man carrying his mate out of battle
Figure 22
Resourcefulness
Figure 23
Resourcefulness
Being resourceful is the ability to find quick and clever ways to overcome difficulties that stand in your way. The ANZACS did this by using what they had with them. Improvising. They worked around challenges and used it to grow and further learn. An example would be using tin cans to create bombs (figure 23 & 24).
Figure 23: Men testing tin can bombs they made
Figure 24: All the leftover tin cans
Figure 24
Alice's ANZAC Spirit
Blanche ‘Alice’ Atkinson (figure 25) showed the ANZAC spirit in many circumstances. She displayed the two characteristics of courage and perseverance the most, and she did this through serving her country overseas in England, where she didn’t know anyone, and she also put her life on the line to care for the wounded soldiers of the war-torn battlefields. The risks of serving her country as a nurse were things such as the diseases that the soldiers carried. This had the ability to make the nurses sick as well, and it did that to Alice, claiming her life. She died in her home town in peace, but her legacy of what she did still lives on today.
Figure 25
Figure 25: A head shot of nurse Atkinson in the newspaper
Bibliography
Word Count
Part A: 1236
Part B: 384
Part A Reference List
Part A
1. Adelaidia.sa.gov.au. 2020. Adelaide Hospital Row Adelaidia. [online] Available at: <http://adelaidia.sa.gov.au/subjects/adelaide-hospital-row> [Accessed 29 March 2020].
2. Auckland War Memorial Museum. 2020. Brockenhurst: The No. 1 New Zealand General Hospital. [online] Available at: <https://www.aucklandmuseum.com/discover/collections/topics/%E2%80%8Bbrockenhurst> [Accessed 31 March 2020].
3. A-Z Quotes. 2020. INSPIRATIONAL NURSE QUOTES [PAGE - 2] A-Z Quotes. [online] Available at: <https://www.azquotes.com/quotes/topics/inspirational-nurse.html?p=2> [Accessed 1 April 2020].
4. British Red Cross - Blog. 2020. Letters Home From A First World War Nurse - British Red Cross - Blog. [online] Available at: <https://blogs.redcross.org.uk/uk/2011/10/letters-home-from-a-first-world-war-nurse/> [Accessed 29 March 2020].
5. Cemetery, S., Oceania, A., Australia, S., Council, A. and Cemetery, S., 2020. Blanche “Alice” Atkinson (1879-1916) - Find A.... [online] Findagrave.com. Available at: <https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/89759865/blanche-atkinson> [Accessed 29 March 2020].
6. Cwgc.org. 2020. Casualty. [online] Available at: <https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/75230039/ATKINSON,%20BLANCHE> [Accessed 29 March 2020].
7. En.wikipedia.org. 2020. Tuberculosis. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tuberculosis> [Accessed 1 April 2020].
8. Guides.slv.vic.gov.au. 2020. Research Guides: Australians In World War 1: Nurses. [online] Available at: <https://guides.slv.vic.gov.au/wwone_soldiers/nurses> [Accessed 31 March 2020].
9. Historic UK. 2020. World War 1 Timeline - 1914 - Historic UK. [online] Available at: <https://www.historic-uk.com/HistoryUK/HistoryofBritain/World-War-1-Timeline-1914/> [Accessed 1 April 2020].
10. Memorial, T., 2020. The Australian War Memorial. [online] Awm.gov.au. Available at: <https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/C2124577?search> [Accessed 29 March 2020].
11. Memorial, T., 2020. Researching Australian Military Service: First World War, Nurses The Australian War Memorial. [online] Awm.gov.au. Available at: <https://www.awm.gov.au/research/guide/ww1-nurse> [Accessed 31 March 2020].
12. Nfknowledge.org. 2020. Brockenhurst A First World War Hospital Village 1916 – New Forest Knowledge. [online] Available at: <https://nfknowledge.org/contributions/brockenhurst-a-first-world-war-hospital-village-1916/#map=10/-1.57/50.81/0/24:0:0.6 39:1:1 40:1:1> [Accessed 30 March 2020].
13. Nzhistory.govt.nz. 2020. New Zealand Army Nursing Service In The First World War - New Zealand Army Nursing Service Nzhistory, New Zealand History Online. [online] Available at: <https://nzhistory.govt.nz/war/first-world-war-nurses> [Accessed 31 March 2020].
14. Sarcib.ww1.collections.slsa.sa.gov.au. 2020. Blanche Atkinson South Australian Red Cross Information Bureau. [online] Available at: <https://sarcib.ww1.collections.slsa.sa.gov.au/story/blanche-atkinson> [Accessed 29 March 2020].
15. Sarcib.ww1.collections.slsa.sa.gov.au. 2020. Blanche Atkinson South Australian Red Cross Information Bureau. [online] Available at: <https://sarcib.ww1.collections.slsa.sa.gov.au/soldier/blanche-atkinson> [Accessed 29 March 2020].
16. Trove. 2020. NURSE DECORATED BY KING. - Chronicle (Adelaide, SA : 1895 - 1954) - 16 Sep 1916. [online] Available at: <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/87525481> [Accessed 29 March 2020].
17. Trove. 2020. OBITUARY. - Chronicle (Adelaide, SA : 1895 - 1954) - 23 Dec 1916. [online] Available at: <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/87527874> [Accessed 29 March 2020].
Images Reference List
Figure 1: Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria (1863 – 1914). On 17 August 1913, the Emperor promoted Franz Ferdinand to inspector… History, Black hand (2020). Available at: [https://www.pinterest.com.au/pin/223843043964644866/](https://www.pinterest.com.au/pin/223843043964644866/) (Accessed: 7 May 2020).
Figure 2: What Happened When WWI Paused for Christmas (2020). Available at: [https://www.history.com/topics/christmas-truce-1914-world-war-i-soldier-accounts](https://www.history.com/topics/christmas-truce-1914-world-war-i-soldier-accounts) (Accessed: 11 May 2020).
Figure 3: Australian nurses in World War I (2014). Available at: [http://www.centenaryww1orange.com.au/stories/australian-nurses-in-world-war-i/](http://www.centenaryww1orange.com.au/stories/australian-nurses-in-world-war-i/) (Accessed: 8 May 2020).
Figure 4: Injuries in World War I - World War I Centennial (2020). Available at: [https://www.worldwar1centennial.org/index.php/injuries-in-world-war-i.html](https://www.worldwar1centennial.org/index.php/injuries-in-world-war-i.html) (Accessed: 8 May 2020).
Figure 5: Team, B. (920) Iconic Red Cross poster portrayed on World War I commemorative coin – The Perth Mint Coin Collector, [Blog.perthmint.com.au](http://blog.perthmint.com.au/). Available at: [http://blog.perthmint.com.au/2015/01/09/iconic-red-cross-poster-portrayed-on-world-war-i-commemorative-coin/](http://blog.perthmint.com.au/2015/01/09/iconic-red-cross-poster-portrayed-on-world-war-i-commemorative-coin/) (Accessed: 8 May 2020).
Figure 6: Team, B. (920) Iconic Red Cross poster portrayed on World War I commemorative coin – The Perth Mint Coin Collector, Blog.perthmint.com.au. Available at: http://blog.perthmint.com.au/2015/01/09/iconic-red-cross-poster-portrayed-on-world-war-i-commemorative-coin/ (Accessed: 13 May 2020).
Figure 7, Figure 14: Cemetery, S., Oceania, A., Australia, S., Council, A. and Cemetery, S., 2020. Blanche “Alice” Atkinson (1879-1916) - Find A.... [online] Findagrave.com. Available at: <https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/89759865/blanche-atkinson> [Accessed 29 March 2020].
Figure 8, Figure 11: Sarcib.ww1.collections.slsa.sa.gov.au. 2020. Blanche Atkinson South Australian Red Cross Information Bureau. [online] Available at: <https://sarcib.ww1.collections.slsa.sa.gov.au/story/blanche-atkinson> [Accessed 29 March 2020].
Figure 9, Fugure 10: Auckland War Memorial Museum. 2020. Brockenhurst: The No. 1 New Zealand General Hospital. [online] Available at: <https://www.aucklandmuseum.com/discover/collections/topics/%E2%80%8Bbrockenhurst> [Accessed 31 March 2020].
Figure 12: Blanche (Alice) ATKINSON RRC (1915). Available at: https://vwma.org.au/explore/people/795778 (Accessed: 13 May 2020).
Figure 13: En.wikipedia.org. 2020. Royal Red Cross. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_Red_Cross> [Accessed 1 April 2020].
Figure 15:
Figure 16: Took it myself
Figure 17: Jones, N. (2014) Dramatic photographs from WW1 that show the carnage... and courage, Mail Online. Available at: [https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2695644/The-horror-war-youve-never-seen-Reproduced-breathtaking-colour-dramatic-photographs-WW1-carnage-courage.html](https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2695644/The-horror-war-youve-never-seen-Reproduced-breathtaking-colour-dramatic-photographs-WW1-carnage-courage.html) (Accessed: 9 May 2020).
Figure 18: Exhibition tells of historic relations between the ANZAC and Belgium during World War One Western Australian Museum (2020). Available at: [http://museum.wa.gov.au/about/latest-news/exhibition-tells-historic-relations-between-anzac-and-belgium-during-world-war-one](http://museum.wa.gov.au/about/latest-news/exhibition-tells-historic-relations-between-anzac-and-belgium-during-world-war-one) (Accessed: 11 May 2020).
Figure 19: The Poetry of World War I by The Editors Poetry Foundation (2020). Available at: [https://www.poetryfoundation.org/articles/70139/the-poetry-of-world-war-i](https://www.poetryfoundation.org/articles/70139/the-poetry-of-world-war-i) (Accessed: 11 May 2020).
Figure 20: The First World War: Canada Remembers - CBC Archives (2020). Available at: https://www.cbc.ca/archives/topic/the-first-world-war-canada-remembers (Accessed: 13 May 2020).
Figure 21: Memorial, T. (2020) The Australian War Memorial, [Awm.gov.au](http://awm.gov.au/). Available at: [https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/C346572](https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/C346572) (Accessed: 11 May 2020).
Figure 22: Aussie mateship: Tracing the history of a defining cultural term (2015). Available at: [https://www.abc.net.au/local/stories/2015/01/23/4167572.htm](https://www.abc.net.au/local/stories/2015/01/23/4167572.htm) (Accessed: 11 May 2020).
Figure 23: Five defining characteristics of the Battle of Long Tan (2016). Available at: [https://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-08-18/the-battle-of-long-tan-defining-aspects/7719212?nw=0](https://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-08-18/the-battle-of-long-tan-defining-aspects/7719212?nw=0) (Accessed: 11 May 2020).
Figure 24: ANZAC engineers and war-driven innovation – Barmco Mana McMurray (2016). Available at: [https://bmm.engineering/2016/04/22/anzac-engineers-and-war-driven-innovation/](https://bmm.engineering/2016/04/22/anzac-engineers-and-war-driven-innovation/) (Accessed: 11 May 2020).
Figure 25: Blanche (Alice) ATKINSON RRC (1915). Available at: https://vwma.org.au/explore/people/795778 (Accessed: 13 May 2020).
Figure 26: New Zealand hospital care (2016). Available at: [https://ngatapuwae.govt.nz/insights/new-zealand-hospital-care](https://ngatapuwae.govt.nz/insights/new-zealand-hospital-care) (Accessed: 8 May 2020).