Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

HARTRICK, Adelaide Louisa – Dr Bird’s Unit / Sister, QAIMNSR (ARRC, MID)

Adelaide was born Louisa Adelaide in 1883 at Walhalla, Vic – the daughter of John Standish HARTRICK and Florence WEEKES, who married in Vic in 1877.
John was a Mining Engineer who had worked in various parts of Australia as well as Egypt and the Far East. John and Florence both died at their home in Hoddle St, Elsternwick, he on the 9/2/1928, aged 75, and she on the 8/1/1938, aged 83.

Siblings: Edith Mary b.1879 Walhalla (School Teacher) – d.26/5/1957; *William Lionel b.1880 Walhalla – Auctioneer & Engineer – marr Ethel Annie MORCOM 1913 Fremantle – WW1: Lieut, 4th Div Tn – d.23/9/1939 Perth, WA; Florence Dulcie b.1887 Vic – d.1891 Vic; Laura Elizabeth (Music Teacher) – marr John C HENDERSON 4/4/1914 – d.31/7/1966; Frank Standish b.1890 NSW (Accountant) – d.30/10/1949

1909 Electoral Roll: Armidale – Instructor
1913 ER: 43 Spring St, Melb – nurse
Nursing at Dr Frederick Bird’s Private Hospital, Spring St, 1913, 1914

WW1 Service:
When war broke out Dr Bird offered his services to the Australian Government and was accepted as an honorary surgeon to the expeditionary force. As part of his surgical team, he took four of his nurses with him at his own expense. Joining Adelaide were Minnie McNab (Matron), Muriel Robertson and Doris Green, Doris and Adelaide then remained together throughout the war. The team sailed as part of the First Australian and New Zealand Convoy, embarking in Melbourne on the flagship Orvieto on the 22/10/1914.
On arrival in Egypt Adelaide and the team were stationed at Mena House, and on the 22/1/1915 together with her 3 nursing companions she joined the Queen Alexandra’s Imperial Military Nursing Service Reserve (QAIMNSR), and was posted to the Military Hospital, Citadel.

Still serving with Dr Bird’s team, Adelaide boarded the HMHS Sicilia on the 8/4/1915 which sailed for Lemnos Island on the 12th – AANS nurse Elsie Gibson who was also on board at the time, noted in her diary that “we call them the Lady Birds.”
During the Landing of troops on the Gallipoli Peninsula on the 25th of April, the Sicilia catered to the casualties of the British 29th Division at Cape Helles. Dr Bird later commented on that day: “There were 300 beds on the Sicilia – and in a space of less than three hours 1300 very bad cases were put on board, most of them being accommodated on the decks and elsewhere. For 52 hours at a stretch the whole staff continued operating on the cases, and at the end of that time, though their heads and hands were all right, their feet were so swollen that it was impossible to continue.”

Adelaide also served on the Hospital Ship Grantully Castle, and was Mentioned in Despatches for her service on hospital ships. [London Gazette 21/6/1916]
She served in Salonika and India in 1916, 1917
Serving at the Station Hospital, Wellington, India, when she renewed her contract on the 16/5/1917
Embarked Bombay 22/8/1917 – disembarked Basra 30/8/1917 (Mesopotamia)
Posted to No.3 British General Hospital, Basra 31/8/1917
Admitted as a patient 12/9 to 16/9/1917 – again on the 17/9 to 21/9/1917
Admitted as a patient 9/12/1917 and reported seriously ill on the 11th with Dysentery
Proceeded on a sea voyage to India per the Ellora 6/1/1918, returning to Basra on the 24/1/1918
Proceeded for temporary duty on P.S. 54 25/3/1918 – rejoined for duty 2/5/1918
On Leave to India per Aronda 1/7/1918 – returned to 3BGH 30/8/1918
Admitted as patient 5/10 to 8/10/1918

Matron’s Confidential Report, 3 BGH, Basra, 13/11/1918:
“Sister Adelaide Louisa Hartrick, Q.A.I.M.N.S.R. has worked on my staff for the last fifteen months & I also knew her in Egypt. She is an excellent divisional Sister & is well above the average standard. Her ward is ably administrated & she can cope with any emergency or rush of work, which occurs & train orderlies well. Her influence generally is excellent. She has received the A.R.R.C.”

Mentioned in Despatches 15/4/1918
Awarded Royal Red Cross 2nd Class (ARRC) 26/8/1918 for valuable services in Mesopotamia

Transferred to UK for duty 17/11/1918 per HT Egra to India

Letter written from Welders House Rest Home for Army Nurses:
To Miss Beecher, R.R.C., Matron in Chief
From A.L. Hartrick, Sister, Q.A.I.M.N.S.R. & D.M. Green, Sister, Q.A.I.M.N.S.R
Madam
We have the honour to inform you that we have been transferred from Mesopotamia to England. We are Australians and have no friends in England and we would prefer if possible not to take leave just now.
If it would be conveniently arranged it would make a great difference to us to be posted to the same hospital if possible in London.
At present we are waiting for our luggage which has been lost on the way over from Marseilles.
We have the honour to be Madam your obedient Servants. A.L. Hartrick, D.M. Green
Welders House, Gerrards Cross, 9/1/1919

Posted to Croydon War Hospital 16/1/1919 to the 17/5/1919
“She is an excellent ward manager and most kind to her patients and capable in every way, and is quite suitable for employment in a military Hospital” [Officer in charge 19/5/1919]

Transferred to the Royal Victoria Hospital, Netley 17/5/1919 – until repatriation
“Miss Hartrick is very good in her nursing work, & keeps her wards in excellent order. She trains & manages her staff well.” [Matron, Netley 20/3/1920]

Adelaide and Doris returned to Australia on the Ormonde, embarking 20/3/1920 from Tilbury
Their service was terminated on the 25/4/1920.

On her return Adelaide lived in the family home at 23 Hoddle St, Elsternwick

Adelaide died on the 4th of April 1944 at Prahran, Vic. She was cremated at Springvale Botanical Cemetery on the 6th, and her ashes interred in the Agonis Garden, Bed 38, Rose 12.

************

The British Journal of Nursing, Jul 1, 1916:
MENTIONED IN DESPATCHES
General Sir John Maxwell, K.C.B., Commanding the Force in Egypt, included in his Despatches on the military operations in the Egyptian Command, for the information of the Secretary of State for War, published as a Supplement to the London Gazette of June 21st, a separate Despatch, containing the names of those he wishes to bring to favourable consideration on account of the services they have rendered.
ON HOSPITAL SHIPS
STAFF NURSES – QAIMNSR: ……Miss D.M. Green, Miss A.L. Hartrick,……Miss M.M. McNab, ………..Miss M.A. Robertson.

Supplement to the London Gazette, 26 August 1918 (p.9967):
His Majesty the KING has been graciously pleased to award the Royal Red Cross to the undermentioned ladies of the Nursing Services in recognition of their valuable services with the British Forces in Mesopotamia:
Awarded Royal Red Cross, 2nd Class
Miss Adelaide Louisa Hartrick, Sister, Q.A.I.M.N.S.R.

The Argus, Wed 5 Apr 1944:
DEATHS
HARTRICK – On April 4, Adelaide Louise, of 23 Hoddle street, Elsternwick, second daughter of the late John Standish and Florence Hartrick, and loved sister of Edith, Lionel (deceased), Laura, and Frank.