General News
22 June, 2024
Veterans Voices: Ruby Emily Olive Wilson
Ruby Emily Olive Wilson was born in 1884 in Kaniva, Yan Yean or Whittlesea - three records of her service list different birthplaces.
Ruby was the daughter of Thomas and Catherine Jamieson (née King) Wilson of Northcote. She trained at a Melbourne hospital to become a nurse.
She was a staff nurse at the 14 AAH at Mont Park (established as a hospital initially for mentally unwell military personnel before later becoming a premier Victorian psychiatric facility) before enlisting.
Ruby's address was given as Kerrisdale, on the Goulburn Valley Highway, when she enlisted on October 31 1916. Her father, of 102 Rossmoyne St, Northcote, was her next of kin.
Ruby served about 12 months on hospital ships, then was assigned to No 1 AAH at Harefield in England.
Ruby served at No 2 Australian General Hospital (AGH) in Gezira Palace as a staff nurse from November 6 1916.
She joined the Australian Medical Corp (AMC) on November 8 that year.
Ruby was taken on strength and sailed from Fremantle to Sydney on November 18 1916 aboard No 2 HMAHS Kanowa.
Ruby was then aged 31 years and served as a staff nurse on this hospital ship.
The ship arrived in Port Said, Egypt, on December 21 1916.
It sailed to Alexandria two days later, arriving there on December 23.
From Alexandria, Ruby arrived via HS Kanowa at South Hampton on January 5 1917 and was detached to 2nd Australian Army Hospital for duty in London on May 15.
After a tour of duty transfer from France, Ruby was detached from the hospital ship and attached to No 2 AAH for temporary duty in London on May 28 and again on July 14.
Ruby departed to return to Australia on September 25.
She appears to have completed two round trips as a staff nurse on the ship before sailing from Australia back to England on December 22 1917 on HMAT Ulysses (HMTA 38).
On January 16 1918 with OC Troops, she disembarked from HMTA38 at Suez, Egypt.
On January 24 she boarded HMT FT8021 Llandovey Castle at Port Said, disembarking at Tarent, where she spent time at No 9 Rest Camp from February 2 until December 2 1918.
As a staff nurse, Ruby was attached to 1st Australian Army Hospital Harefield.
Ruby took leave from March 7 until 12, then returned to 1st AAH London.
She was transferred to Australia from Administration Headquarters via HMAT A38 Ulysses.
Ruby’s duty continued after the end of the war, as she was detached from 1 AAH London for transport duty on February 6 1919.
She returned to Australia in February-March 1919 aboard Lancashire.
Her appointment as an AANS staff nurse at 3 Military District TPE was terminated on April 20 1919.
Ruby received the British War Medal and the Victory Medal.
Never married, Ruby died on October 28 1963 in Cambrian Hill, Camberwell, late of St Kilda, at the age of 79
Harefield Hospital
Harefield Hospital London was established to care solely for Australian soldiers injured on the battlefield.
With 150 beds, it was meant to be a place of rest and recuperation, with a small staff of Australian nurses and doctors.
But as the war dragged on and the numbers of dead and injured reached catastrophic heights, the hospital took even the most seriously injured who’d been evacuated from the battlefront.
By war’s end, more than 50,000 injured soldiers had been treated at Harefield.
With thanks: Sally Bertram, RSL Military History Library. Contact Sally at sj.bertram@hotmail.com or call 0409 351 940.