New Zealand nurse (1879?1962)
Evelyn Gertrude Brown
,
RRC
&
Bar
(
nee
Brooke
; 13 September 1879 ? 11 February 1962), usually known as Eva, was a New Zealand civilian and
military nurse
.
[1]
She served during the
First World War
and was the only New Zealand nurse to receive the
Royal Red Cross
and
Bar
.
[2]
Early life
[
edit
]
Brooke was born in
New Plymouth
, Taranaki, on 13 September 1879. Her father, Thomas Brooke, was a carpenter who died in 1891. Her mother, Kate (nee Coad), moved to
Wellington
after his death and remarried.
[1]
Brooke trained as a nurse at
Masterton
Hospital from 1902 to 1904, and then at Wellington Hospital from 1904 to 1907.
[2]
[3]
Nursing career
[
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]
After completing her training, Brooke nursed at a private hospital in
H?wera
, followed by a position at Wellington Hospital from 1910 to 1914.
[2]
In August 1914, Brooke joined a group of six nurses who were sent to
German Samoa
with the
New Zealand Expeditionary Force
. She was appointed second-in-charge, and promoted to
matron
while in Apia.
[1]
She returned to New Zealand in 1915. Shortly after, she departed again as matron on the New Zealand Hospital Ship
Maheno
.
The ship left Wellington for
Gallipoli
, carrying 14 nurses from the
New Zealand Army Nursing Service
. In August and September 1915 the
Maheno
made five visits to
Anzac Cove
, nursing wounded and sick soldiers in the heat of the summer.
[4]
In January 1916, Brooke returned to New Zealand and worked as matron of the
Trentham
military hospital near Wellington. In November 1916 she returned to a hospital ship, the
Marama
.
[4]
In May 1917, Brooke went to
Brighton
, England and took the position of matron at the New Zealand Hospital for Officers. At the end of the year, she was transferred to No. 1 New Zealand Stationary Hospital at
Wisques
, France.
[1]
She was presented with a letter of thanks by French soldiers who were nursed at Wisques.
[5]
After the war, she returned to New Zealand, and was matron of the military hospital at
Featherston
from June to December 1919, and then spent a year at
Narrow Neck
Military Hospital in
Devonport
, Auckland.
[4]
In 1921, Brooke was appointed matron at the Rannerdale Veterans' Home in
Christchurch
, a position she held until her marriage in 1925.
[1]
[2]
Honours
[
edit
]
In 1917, Brooke was awarded the
Royal Red Cross
"In recognition of her nursing service in connection with the War." In the
1919 King's Birthday Honours
she was awarded the
Bar
"In recognition of her valuable service with the Armies in France and Flanders."
[2]
In 2014, Brooke's medals were part of a display at
Archives New Zealand
, "Two Wellingtonians at War".
[6]
In 2015, an image of Brooke appeared on a New Zealand postage stamp, part of a series commemorating the centenary of the Gallipoli campaign.
[7]
Personal life
[
edit
]
In 1925, Brooke married William John Brown of Nelson and they lived together in Christchurch. After his death, Brooke moved back to Wellington and worked as a private nurse until her retirement in 1955.
[1]
She died in Wellington on 11 February 1962, and is buried in
Karori Cemetery
.
[3]
References
[
edit
]