TOWNSVILLE TREASURES : SISTER KENNY'S WAR SECRETS

An  ongoing   series  highlighting  gems  from  the  Special  Collections  and  Rare  Books Section  at   the  Eddie   Koiki   Mabo   Library ,  James  Cook  University.  The  first  in  this  series  dealt with   the   fine examples  of  early   bookplates   in   the  Edna   Shaw  Collection  and   included  one  which  had  been  made  for  Dr  Aeneas  J. McDonnell , of  Toowoomba , Queensland,  who  took   Elizabeth   Kenny   into  his  household  and  treated  her  for  a  broken  wrist  when  she  was  a  young  girl  ,  strongly  influencing   her   future  career.   

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An   autograph   book   at  the  bottom of  a storage  box  in   the Sister Kenny  Collection   provides  an   unusual insight  into her  World  War  1  experiences  ,  long  before  she   became  world famous   for   her  innovative    treatment  of   polio  sufferers .  The  contents   present   a   picture  of   bravery ,  patriotism ,   stoicism ,   trench   humour   and   home sickness . 
 

 

Drawing by W.Carmody ,  SS Suevic 

 

Apart from  numerous  autographs , there  are   cartoons  drawn   by   servicemen,  poems , and   praise  for   her   in    particular   and   nurses  in  general ,  see   above   drawing  where   the   awards   for   bravery  - Iron  Cross  ( German )  , Victoria  Cross  (British ) and  the Legion  of  Honour (French )- "The  Woman's  Cross  of   Honour" for nursing  has been added.   On  May  30, 1915,aged 31,  having used  a letter from Dr  McDonnell  describing  her   nursing   experience  ,  she enlisted  in   the   Australian  Army  Medical  Corps  as  a   staff  nurse  and served  on troopships  bringing  back   wounded  . On November  1, l917, she was   promoted  to  Sister .   A  brief  account of  her  war service  said she had been wounded in the   leg  in France  when   a  medical  post was  hit   and  a  patient  killed .  

  

BY  PETER  SIMON

 

An    entry  of  particular  note   is  an  emotive  poem –TO AUSTRALIA! -   by  Military  Medal  and   Victoria  Cross   recipient,  Lieutenant   Albert  Charles  Borella ,  of  the  26^th Battalion , Australian  Imperial  Force,   penned   aboard   His  Majesty’s Transport, Marathon,  December 27, 1918 .

 

 Borella,  a  Victorian,  was  in  the  Northern Territory  when  war  broke  out  and  had  to  travel to  Townsville , North Queensland ,  to  enlist , because military authorities were not accepting  Territory volunteers.    How  Borella  got  to  Townsville  to   enlist   is  a  saga  in  itself.  Working as a  cook  for  a  survey party  at   Tennant  Creek , north  of  Alice Springs, he    set   out  for  Darwin   , intending  to  catch  a  boat    for  Queensland . 

 At  one  stage  of   his  overland trek  he  was  accompanied  by  an   Aboriginal man , Charlie, for  some  140 kilometres . Along the  way  he  had  to swim flooded rivers  . On  a  borrowed  horse, he  made  Katherine ,  caught  the  mail coach  to  the  railhead at  Pine Creek,  and  travelled on  to  the  Territory capital.  From  there  he  sailed  for Townsville  on  March  8, 1915,  with  four other  men  who were  among  the  first 15  NT volunteers   for  active  service.

  Borella  fought  at  Gallipoli , was  evacuated with   jaundice, served  in France  and was  wounded  at  the Battle of  Pozieres  Heights  on   July 29, 1916 .The  next  year   he  was  awarded  the  Military Medal  for  conspicuous bravery and  in  1918 , aged  37, took part in  action which resulted in him receiving the  Victoria Cross , the citation  reading –

During  the  period  17/18 July... Lieutenant Borella, whilst  leading  his  platoon charged   and captured an enemy machine-gun, shooting  two  gunners.  He  then  led  his party, by now reduced to 10 men and two  Lewis guns  , against a  very  strongly  held  trench ,  using  his  revolver  and  later a rifle with  great effect  and  causing  many  casualties. Two large dug-outs  were  also  bombed and   30  prisoners  taken....

On July 1, 1917 , Captain  Richard Hill , of   the 4^th  Field Artillery,   wrote   in  Sister  Kenny’s   autograph  book:   You  were  the  lady  with   my   lamp – a   reference  to  Florence  Nightingale .   Over  the  years,  Sister  Kenny  acquired   the  desk and   prayer  book  of  Florence  Nightingale , which   she   bequeathed   to  the   United  Nations .

There  is  a short    poem   THE  LANDING  AT  THE  DARDANELLES , April 15, l915 - the   disastrous  Gallipoli  campaign-   unclearly  signed   780  Drum Major, 7^th Battalion ...It reads :

We landed as  you  know we did / With all our men and guns / And  fought  like  true  Australian  sons / We did our best, just like the rest / Of  Britons  bravest  sons.

   Sergeant J.R. Cunliffe ,13^th Battalion AIF , on March 13, 1916  , drew the above  lion’s   head , representing   the  British Empire,  with  the   title  The Glory of  the Lion   is  in its Mane ... the  mane  made  up  of the  countries  Canada, India , Australia , New  Zealand  and  African Colonies  .   Aboard the SS  Demosthenes ,W. Jock Law  penned  a  verse  SONG OF THE AIR , apparently  expressing  the   wishes  of  a  pilot  should  he  die  fighting . 

There  is  a cartoon in  the  style of  Captain  Bruce   Barnsfather   whose  humorous  Old  Bill   drawings of  men   in   the  trenches  were  popular , made  into  postcards , souvenir items ,  still  traded  on   ebay  and  elsewhere . The  drawing  in the  autograph  book , below,  is   headed ...   Extract  from   letter : "I've been  jolly  lucky  up  till  now ." It  is signed   G. C. Fenton, HMAT , No 31, Nov. 1916.

  

An  inscription  says   there  is  no  place  like home –Melbourne.  NEXT :  Sister  Kenny's battle  to have her  polio  treatment  accepted *** She is  voted the most respected  woman in  America *** Saves  the   life of  M*A*S*H  star   Hawkeye  and  an   unexpected   Northern   Territory   connection.