Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Agnes Beryl CORFIELD was born on the 27th of April 1891 in Brisbane, Qld – the daughter of George Edward CORFIELD and Agnes Mary JAMES, who married in Qld on the 8/10/1886.
Agnes died on the 15/11/1922 and George, a Bookkeeper and Accountant, died at Pialba on the 25/6/1932, aged 74.
(Address in 1915: Glenapp, via Beaudesert, Qld)

Siblings: (born Qld) George Herbert b.7/7/1887 –d.9/4/1942 Qld; Charles William b.3/7/1889; Constance Bessie b.23/12/1893 (reg 1894) – marr E.G. STOCKS 1921 – d.1988; Winsome May b.19/8/1898 Maryborough – marr C.J. MANTHEY 12/9/1922 – WW2.

A member of the Fort Street Baptist Church, Maryborough, Qld
Educated at the West End Girls State School, and the Technical College, Maryborough (Shorthand)
Trained in nursing at the Brisbane General Hospital
Nursing at the Brisbane Hospital in 1913 and at the Lady Musgrave Hospital before enlistment.

WW1 Service:
In 1915 following a request from the British War Office for Australian nurses to join Queen Alexandra’s Imperial Military Nursing Reserve (QAIMNSR), Beryl (as she was known) was accepted into the contingent of 37 nurses being sent by the Commonwealth Government in May. Together with the other Queensland nurses, she embarked in Sydney on the 15th of May on the RMS Mooltan. Intended originally for England they were instead disembarked in Egypt on the 15/6/1915, and Beryl was posted to the 15th General Hospital at Alexandria.

A few weeks later she was detailed for transport duty, and on the 6th of July was on board the Hospital Ship Galeka in Alexandria harbour, waiting to sail to the Dardanelles. In one of her many letters that she wrote to her good friend back home, Lizzie Ryland, she said: “We have 8 sisters on the “Galeka” 4 officers & 6 medical officers. We carry about 500 wounded. Just my friend & I are Australians the other six sisters are ….. English girls.”

In a further letter dated the 29/8/1915 she wrote: “We are two hours sail from Gibraltar on our way to England.”
“You must forgive me not writing often as we work 14 & 15 hours a day for three weeks at a stretch.”
Back tracking she informed Lizzie:
“On August 10th we sailed from Alexandria at 4 am. We arrived in Mudros Harbour Island of Lemnos on Thursday midday – at 6 pm we received orders to go right on up to the peninsula.”
“…and then drew into Cape Hellas (the British landing place). Here we stayed for ten days we could see the shells bursting in the trenches & on the hills – all the smoke & sand would fly everywhere, but the noise – sometimes for 24 hrs the constant boomb boomb would never stop. I used to feel that I would go mad if they didn’t stop – what our boys have gone through on that peninsula God only knows.”
From Helles they took their patients to Malta, before re-embarking the patients for England. During this leg Beryl was on night duty with 350 patients to look after.

Having spent some time in London seeing the sights and experiencing a Zeppelin raid while at Southampton, they were returning to Malta when on the 21st of September Beryl wrote “This is not going to be a long letter this time as I am just about dead beat.”

Later that year, her transport duty over, Beryl was back in Egypt and on night duty at the 15th General Hospital when on the 10th of December she wrote.  “I was nearly sent to Salonika this morning but by some lucky chance my para typhoid inoculation had not taken sufficiently (providence I think) so one of the Canadian girls was sent instead.  I was very glad as we would have to live in tents with camp stretchers etc. & just now the ground is covered with snow – although I would willingly go anywhere still I think it was better for a girl who has been used to cold to go instead of me – we have so little winter in Queensland.”

From Cairo on the 6/1/1916 she wrote: “I suppose you wonder what I am doing in Cairo – well I nursed a soldier who had that most dreadful of dreadful diseases (Hydrophobia). [ie. Rabies]  He had been bitten by a mad Turkish dog on the peninsula & died in my ward.  As soon as they notified head quarters, the day sister & I & the medical officer & one of the guard that he spat on, were all packed off here to Cairo to undergo a fortnights treatment.  We go every morning to the Hygienic Institute & have an injection into the side for 15 days.  I go for my third dose today.  It only makes us very stiff & sore & we can still go out & enjoy ourselves provided we don’t bend too much.”

Back on duty once more at the 15th General Hospital on the 27/1/1916 she wrote: “I am in a ward that was opened up for a surgical convoy which we expect in any day.  At present there are only 16 pts [patients] but when the convoy arrives then things will ..?... with a vengeance.  The hospitals in Alexandria are very slack at present since the evacuation of Gallipoli.  I only hope it will last in one way, but of course things cannot go on like this or the war would never end.  We have 1700 patients in this hospital but they are closing down 500 beds this week as they want to get back to its former 1000.  Matron has gone away for a week & we are quite enjoying it (even if she doesn’t enjoy the holiday).”

Beryl died 6 days later on the 2nd of February 1916 at the 15th General Hospital, Alexandria, Egypt, from Pneumonia (following influenza) and was buried in the Chatby Military Cemetery, Alexandria.

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Maryborough Chronicle, Wide Bay and Burnett Advertiser (Qld), Thur 28 Jan 1909 (p.3):
THE TECHNICAL COLLEGE
The usual monthly meeting of the Technical College Committee was held in the School of Arts last night. ……………
In short-hand, in stage one, Miss Agnes Beryl Corfield secured 80.5 per cent (honours); ……….

Maryborough Chronicle, Wide Bay and Burnett Advertiser (Qld), Sat 8 May 1915 (p.9):
SOCIAL
On Friday, April 30th, the Matron (Miss Maxwell) and nursing staff of the Lady Musgrave Hospital, Maryborough, entertained Miss B. Corfield, late sister in the general department, to a farewell supper before her departure by the mail train for Brisbane, having been sent for, to leave for active service at the front, with the next contingent.

Maryborough Chronicle, Wide Bay and Burnett Advertiser (Qld), Sat 15 May 1915 (p.9):
LADY MUSGRAVE HOSPITAL COMMITTEE
……………………………..
After the minutes and outward correspondence had been disposed of, the inward was dealt with, including a letter from Nurse Corfield, stating that she was accepted to go to the front and thanking the Committee for allowing her to leave at moment’s notice. ……………
It was further reported that Nurse Graham was appointed to the vacancy in the surgical wards in the room of Nurse Corfield. ……………

The Brisbane Courier (Qld), Tue 8 Feb 1916 (p.6):
DEATHS
CORFIELD – On the 2nd of February, at 15 General Hospital, Alexandria, Egypt, Sister Agnes Beryl Corfield, of Q.A.I.M.N.S (R.), age 24 years.

Maryborough Chronicle, Wide Bay and Burnett Advertiser (Qld), Wed 9 Feb 1916 (p.5)
DEATH OF NURSE CORFIELD
Advice has been received in Brisbane (says the “Courier”) of the death at Alexandria, Egypt, on February 2, of Sister Agnes Beryl Corfield. The late Sister Corfield, who was 24 years of age, was a native of Brisbane. She was educated at Maryborough, and was trained in the Brisbane General Hospital. She resigned an appointment in Maryborough to go to the Front early last May. For some time she was doing transport work from the Peninsula to Alexandria. She was also sent to Southampton with convalescents, and then back to Alexandria, where she was on duty at the time of her death. (The deceased young lady was for some time of the staff of Lady Musgrave Hospital and was a member of a well-known and highly respected Maryborough family, for whom deep sympathy will be felt in the loss they have sustained.

Maryborough Chronicle, Wide Bay and Burnett Advertiser (Qld), Mon 26 Apr 1920 (p.4):
BAPTIST CHURCH SERVICE
At the Fort Street Baptist Church the honour board was nicely draped in memory of the fallen soldiers who had died for the liberty of their native land. …………………
He spoke of two young members of the church, whose names were on the honour board, who had not returned, Sister Beryl Corfield, who had died in Egypt and who had once been a very honoured worker in the Sunday school, and Lieutenant Victor Warry. He asked little Edna Hjelm to hang a wreath on the board for Sister Corfield, and……………….