Constance Dalmorton Stuart-Sanders was
born on the 22nd July 1890 in North Adelaide, South Australia and trained
as a nurse at the Royal Adelaide Hospital for 3 years. She lived at American
Beach, Kangaroo Island, South Australia when she enlisted as a Staff Nurse on
the 20th April 1917.
When war broke out in 1914, the
Australian Government raised the first Australian Imperial Force for overseas
service. The nurses to staff the medical units, which formed an integral part
of the AIF, were recruited from the Australian Army Nursing Service Reserve and
from the civil nursing profession.
More than 3,000 Australian civilian
nurses volunteered for active service. While enabling direct participation in
the war effort, nursing also provided opportunities for independence and
travel, sometimes with the hope of being closer to loved ones serving overseas.
Nurses served wherever Australian
troops were sent, and numerous other countries besides these. Some also served
in British hospitals in various theatres of war including Burma, India, The
Persian Gulf, Egypt, Greece, Italy, France, Belgium and England.
The record of service for these sisters
is a brilliant one, and one which set a very high standard for all who were to
follow.
The workloads and consequent stress
these nurses endured, during the First World War, included a 1,000 bed hospital, in Cairo, completely
under tentage, without any floor covering that was staffed by 1 Matron, 15
Sisters and 30 Staff Nurses with male medical orderlies from the Australian
Army Medical Corps. In 1917, the hospital had to be extended to 2,000 beds
during a “heavy rush.”
Fig1: Depicts tents at the 3rd Australian General Hospital,
Abbeville, north-western France (near Amiens).
Acting under such adverse conditions,
these ladies proved themselves to be of awesome dedication, courage and spirit,
and truly professional.
Constance embarked with the unit Nurses (July 1915
- Nov 19-18) from Adelaide, South Australia on board a royal mail steamer RMS
Khiva on the 31st of May 1917 and served in Bombay, India where
conditions were awful. She
was probably based at Deolali which was a British Army camp 150 miles
north-east of Bombay.
Between 1916 and 1919 more than 500 AANS nurses
served in British hospitals in India, where their patients included hundreds of
Turkish prisoners of war and wounded British troops. The nurses found the
tropical monsoonal climate debilitating.
“English
nurses could not stand the heat and cholera … that is why they have sent
Australians.” Sister Jessie Tomlins
Constance married Leonard Collins
William Fradd on the 10th October 1918 in St Thomas Cathedral, Bombay,
India. Captain Leonard Fradd, 6th
South Lancashire Regiment, was attached to the 4th Reforms
Battalion, in Bangalore India. Constance resigned on the 12th
October 1918 due to marriage.
For the next 45 years Constance is
found in shipping records travelling by sea to London, England and Durban,
South Africa right up until aged 64 where she was recorded as having lived in
Kadina, South Australia. It is not known whether any children were issued from
this marriage.
Constance died on the 26th November 1972 aged 82 years and is buried in the North Road Anglican Cemetery, St Kilda, Melbourne, Victoria.
Constance died on the 26th November 1972 aged 82 years and is buried in the North Road Anglican Cemetery, St Kilda, Melbourne, Victoria.
