352:
and the appropriateness of having nurses attend such stations was hotly debated within the military. As a result of its proximity to the front, the station would often come under enemy attack, as was the case of the 38th
British Casualty Station on 23 August. The Casualty Station suffered a heavy air raid by German forces, with the sterilisation room being destroyed and the camp being hit by numerous bombs. Despite the heavy attack, Corkhill, who was attending to the wounded at the time, remained calm and continued to aid the patients. For her actions, she was recommended for and later awarded the
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222:
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Casualty
Clearing Stations were deliberately sited as close to the front line as possible, since many injuries caused during battle required more urgent attention than the time to travel to a field hospital allowed. Often within seven miles of the front line, they were considered extremely dangerous,
382:
Today word came that I had been awarded the MM. Well the C.O. sent over a bottle of champagne and they all drank my health and now the medical officers are giving me a dinner in honour of the event. I can't see what I've done to deserve it but the part I don't like is having to face old George and
237:, Corkhill, her sister Edith and brother Norman's lives were extensively recorded by their father, who by 1890 had become a professional photographer. She was first educated by a governess before attending the public school in town. She undertook nursing training at a private hospital in
324:
to join the 3rd
Australian General Hospital, and was briefly posted to the 38th British Casualty Clearing Station on 2 June. After serving in with the 3rd Australian General Hospital for a further two months, she was again posted to the Casualty Clearing Station on 21 August 1918.
377:
Corkhill was initially unconvinced that she deserved the award, being more concerned about having to purchase a new dress to wear while meeting the King. The award was more heavily celebrated by the men than by
Corkhill herself, as she described in a letter to her mother:
41:
372:
For courage and devotion on the occasion of an enemy air-raid. She continued to attend to the wounded without any regard to her own safety, though enemy aircraft were overhead. Her example was of the greatest value in allaying the alarm of the
293:. In her time at the British hospital, Corkhill looked forward to returning to an Australian hospital and being "amongst our boys"; the Australian soldiers often found their compatriots to be friendlier than the British nurses. On
406:
The day following the action, 24 August, Corkhill was posted to the 1st
Australian General Hospital, and went on leave in the United Kingdom. She was retained for service at the 1st Australian Auxiliary Hospital in
200:
on 21 August 1918. On 23 August, while the camp was being heavily bombed by enemy aircraft, Corkhill remained calm and continued to tend to her patients, despite the danger. For her bravery, she was awarded the
446:. Following the war, Corkhill went on to pursue a nursing career. After serving as a nurse in various hospitals both in Australia and overseas, Corkhill became the senior sister at the District Hospital in
462:
Show. A supper cloth made by
Corkhill while on duty has been used as an example of decorative crafts of the era, and a number of photographs she had taken while on duty were donated to the
229:
Corkhill was born on 11 March 1887, the second child of
William Henry Corkhill, a grazier and photographer, and Francis Hawtrey née Bate. Growing up on the family ranch, "Marengo", near
1013:
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His
Majesty the KING has been pleased to approve of the award of the Military Medal to the undermentioned Lady for distinguished service in the Field, as recorded: —
316:
on leave until 9 February. She then served at the
Australian Hospital until July 1918, with the exception of her two leaves; to England in October 1917 and to
1048:
454:. Amongst the one thousand piece collection were personal photographs along with pictures of the Tilba area, which were later used to create a book,
1033:
383:
Mary to get the medal. It will cost me a new mess dress, but I suppose I should not grumble at that—I'm still wearing the one I left
Australia in.
289:. The train was poorly equipped and was missing many amenities, such as toilets or water, so the women were forced to improvise by washing with
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on 1 October, and continued to serve at the hospital until She returned to Australia on 24 January 1919. She was discharged on 22 June 1919.
206:
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in July that year. She was assigned to the 1st Australian General Hospital, and assisted in the treatment of soldiers involved with the
305:
leaves on their capes, and gave small packets of cigarettes and matches to the Australians who were interned at the hospital as gifts.
930:
192:
on 4 June 1915. After serving in France at the 1st and 3rd Australian General Hospitals, Corkhill was assigned to the 38th British
1038:
443:
340:
209:, she went on to work as a nurse at various public hospitals, and donated a large collection of her father's photographs to the
258:
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285:, a hospital ship. Arriving in early April, she was then sent aboard a train destined for the 2nd British General Hospital in
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A memorial commemorating Corkhill's efforts in the war was erected in Tilba, and she was presented with the medal by
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and an engagement calendar. Corkhill was a skilled horsewoman, and was the lead in the centenary
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205:, one of only seven Australian nurses to be so decorated in the First World War. Following the
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A photograph of Pearl (right) and her sister, Edith (left), taken by their father in 1894.
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in 1951. In 1975, she donated a large collection of her father's photographs to the
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A group portrait of the sisters at the 1st Australian Auxiliary Hospital in 1918.
301:, Corkhill and two other Australian nurses commemorated the occasion. They wore
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Corkhill, William Henry; Gibbney, Herbert James; Hoyer, Norman Charles (1983),
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on 16 June 1916 for the remainder of the year. On 23 January 1917, she went to
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Corkhill went back to serve at the 1st Australian General Hospital in
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1918: Australians in France - Nurses - "The roses of No Man's Land"
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317:
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270:
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277:. On 24 March 1916, Corkhill was among a group of nurses sent to
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Recommendation files for Honours and Awards, AIF, 1914-1918 War
978:
Hearth and Home: Women's Decorative Arts and Crafts, 1800–1930
16:
Australian military nurse of the First World War (1887 – 1985)
884:
Military Medicine: From Ancient Times to the 21st Century
934:. Vol. 17. Canberra: National Centre of Biography,
862:
Sacred places: war memorials in the Australian landscape
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The endless playground: celebrating Australian childhood
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in February 1918. On 15 May 1918, Corkhill was sent to
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William Henry Corkhill and the Tilba Tilba Collection
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176:(11 March 1887 – 4 December 1985) was an Australian
415:on 27 August 1918. She was promoted to the rank of
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73:
50:
23:
368:Staff Nurse Pearl Elizabeth Corkhill, Aust. A.N.S.
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380:
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860:Inglis, Kenneth Stanley; Brazier, Jan (2005),
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708:Gallant girls under fire on the Western Front
8:
1014:Australian military personnel of World War I
838:Holden, Robert; Bedson, Jack; Cliff (2000),
735:Personal Letters of Pearl Elizabeth Corkhill
567:
565:
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1029:Australian recipients of the Military Medal
824:, Canberra: National Library of Australia,
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245:and qualified as a general nurse in 1914.
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20:
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1024:Military personnel from New South Wales
926:"Corkhill, Elizabeth Pearl (1887–1985)"
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776:, Australian Book Review, November 2003
732:Corkhill, Pearl Elizabeth (1914–1919),
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253:On 4 June 1915, Corkhill enrolled as a
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466:. Corkhill died on 4 December 1985 in
903:Other Anzacs: Nurses at War 1914–1918
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361:War Office, 23rd August, 1918
931:Australian Dictionary of Biography
794:Corkhill, Gibbney & Hoyer 1983
546:Pearl Corkhill - National Archives
14:
45:Studio portrait of Pearl Corkhill
1049:Women in the Australian military
549:, National Archives of Australia
269:on 25 June 1915, and arrived in
1034:Australian women of World War I
886:, Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO,
519:Holden, Bedson & Cliff 2000
142:Australian Army Nursing Service
936:Australian National University
882:McCallum, Jack Edward (2008),
435:made by Corkhill while on duty
1:
1044:19th-century Australian women
844:National Library of Australia
452:National Library of Australia
343:presenting Corkhill with the
211:National Library of Australia
705:Day, Mark (30 August 2008),
694:. 23 August 1918. p. 1.
188:, Corkhill enlisted in the
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866:Melbourne University Press
573:"Pearl Elizabeth Corkhill"
25:Elizabeth (Pearl) Corkhill
980:, Historic Houses Trust,
924:Reid, Richard E. (2007).
756:Inglis & Brazier 2005
738:, Australian War Memorial
664:, Australian War Memorial
638:, Australian War Memorial
259:Australian Imperial Force
194:Casualty Clearing Station
190:Australian Imperial Force
116:Australian Imperial Force
38:
468:Dalmeny, New South Wales
184:. Trained as a nurse in
170:Elizabeth Pearl Corkhill
95:Narooma, New South Wales
84:Dalmeny, New South Wales
1039:Australian women nurses
579:, aif.adfa.edu.au, 2009
464:Australian War Memorial
297:1916, a year after the
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348:
226:
470:. She was unmarried.
448:Bega, New South Wales
430:
401:
336:
224:
122:Years of service
900:Rees, Peter (2008),
299:landing at Gallipoli
691:The London Gazette
608:, pp. 159–164
509:, pp. 254–255
437:
404:
349:
275:Gallipoli Campaign
227:
1019:Australian nurses
987:978-0-949753-42-7
945:978-0-522-84459-7
917:978-1-74175-549-7
908:Allen & Unwin
893:978-1-85109-693-0
875:978-0-522-85190-8
853:978-0-642-10724-4
831:978-0-642-99293-2
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976:Various (1988),
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577:The AIF Project
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456:Taken at Tilba,
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265:aboard the A62
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235:New South Wales
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182:First World War
152:First World War
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77:4 December 1985
68:New South Wales
62:
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388:Pearl Corkhill
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354:Military Medal
345:Military Medal
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329:Military Medal
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283:Braemar Castle
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249:Military years
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203:Military Medal
178:military nurse
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162:Military Medal
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81:(aged 98)
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758:, p. 187
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618:McCallum 2008
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394:Later service
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61:11 March 1887
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19:
977:
965:. Retrieved
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821:
807:, p. 76
805:Various 1988
800:
789:
780:25 September
778:, retrieved
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751:
740:, retrieved
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727:
718:25 September
716:, retrieved
707:
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689:
666:, retrieved
657:
651:
640:, retrieved
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613:
583:25 September
581:, retrieved
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551:, retrieved
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438:
433:supper cloth
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233:in southern
228:
169:
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148:Battles/wars
79:(1985-12-04)
18:
1009:1985 deaths
1004:1887 births
686:"No. 30858"
444:Lord Foster
341:Lord Foster
281:aboard the
261:. She left
255:staff nurse
239:Summer Hill
231:Tilba Tilba
64:Tilba Tilba
998:Categories
906:, Sydney:
814:References
423:Later life
217:Early life
102:Allegiance
57:1887-03-11
954:1833-7538
742:2 October
668:1 October
642:2 October
606:Rees 2008
553:2 October
507:Reid 2007
409:Harefield
373:patients.
322:Abbeville
295:Anzac Day
279:Marseille
263:Fremantle
207:Armistice
198:Abbeville
125:1915–1919
105:Australia
962:70677943
386:—
303:gum tree
287:Le Havre
110:Service/
314:England
291:cologne
267:Wandila
257:in the
180:of the
984:
967:21 May
960:
952:
942:
914:
890:
872:
850:
828:
417:Sister
413:London
243:Sydney
186:Sydney
158:Awards
133:Sister
112:branch
90:Buried
774:(PDF)
662:(PDF)
474:Notes
460:Cooma
318:Paris
310:Rouen
271:Egypt
196:near
982:ISBN
969:2017
958:OCLC
950:ISSN
940:ISBN
912:ISBN
888:ISBN
870:ISBN
848:ISBN
826:ISBN
782:2009
744:2009
720:2009
670:2009
644:2009
585:2009
555:2009
138:Unit
130:Rank
74:Died
51:Born
1000::
956:.
948:.
938:.
928:.
910:,
868:,
864:,
846:,
842:,
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688:.
677:^
625:^
592:^
575:,
562:^
526:^
481:^
431:A
411:,
356:.
241:,
213:.
174:MM
172:,
66:,
31:MM
971:.
347:.
59:)
55:(
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