Tauranga Memories :Remembering War

Alicia was thirty-six when she completed her nursing training at the (Royal) Melbourne Hospital in 1910. She nursed at the Eye and Ear Hospital which was established in 1863. The photograph of Alicia above was included on a page 'Melbourne Nurses - Eye and Ear Hospital' in 1910. She then went on to work at Dr Kent Hughes’ Private Hospital and was a member of the Royal Victorian Trained Nurses Association.

On 29 March 1915, at age forty, Alicia enlisted as a staff nurse in the Australian Army Nursing Service. She gave her mother, who was living at Mount Dandenong, as next-of-kin.

On 10 April 1915 Alicia was attached to the No. 1 Australian General Hospital. Her unit embarked from Sydney on board the A55 Kyarra on 13 April 1915, arriving in Egypt on 27 May. They reached Egypt in time to receive the thousands of wounded pouring out of Turkey after the landing at Gallipoli.

Based in the Palace Hotel at Heliopolis during the months of July and August 1915, in their care was Arthur Rupert Chipper, a corporal in the 10th Light Horse Regiment, A Squadron (Regimental No. 199), from Western Australia. He lay seriously ill with pneumonia. The illness likely saved his life, preventing him from charging to his death during the Battle of the Nek with his brother Henry Thomas Chipper who was killed in action on 7 August 1915. Arthur returned to the war until in early March 1918 he was invalided back to Australia suffering from multiple neuritis (nerve inflammation).

From 28 August 1915 until the evacuation of Gallipoli Alicia made at least two trips aboard Euripides, transporting wounded men home to Australia. The photograph above was taken by Denver Wood Wansey, who served as a merchant seaman on the Euripides from 13 October 1914 to 31 May 1923. Alicia returned to Egypt and the 1st Australian General Hospital in December 1915.

In April 1916 Alicia was on her way to France on board the HS Salta with the 1st Australian General Hospital. They were stationed on the old site of the No. 12 British Stationary Hospital at the Rouen Racecourse in the north of France. Most wards at the racecourse were in tents. The nurses worked extremely hard, especially during the Battle of the Somme between 1 July and 18 November 1916. In December 1916 Alicia joined the 29th Casualty Clearing Station at Rouen on the River Seine.

By February 1917 Alicia was suffering from a 'severe cold' as mentioned by her cousin Frank Walker (1883-1953). On 20 February 1917 Frank sent the following postcards from France of La basilique Notre-Dame de Brebières d'Albert (Somme) to his sister Mary Jane Walker in Australia:

The second page records: ... footway, have often viewed this scene of desolation. Hope you are all well, also Inglewood folk. Geo Kelly [George Arthur Kelly (1871-1932), brother of Alicia Mary Kelly] is here somewhere, so Loll [Alicia Mary Kelly] says in her last letter. She has just recovered a severe cold. Am A.I. myself although the weather is so cold. Love to all, Frank.

On 3 April 1917 Alicia was promoted from staff nurse to sister.

Alicia was transferred to No. 3 Australian Casualty Clearing Station (3ACCS) at Brandhoek, near Ypres on the Western Front in Belgium on 31 July 1917. Throughout August 3ACCS was treating soldiers from the front, which was only a few kilometres away.

During the week to 21 July 3ACCS was was shelled by the Germans for five days in a row. The final day of shelling was the worst. In the middle of the morning a shell had landed on an adjacent British casualty clearing station, killing a Canadian nurse. Alicia refused to leave her patients when the nurses of 3ACCS were ordered to the safety of the dug-outs. She stayed in the wards and comforted patients, also handing out enamelled hand basins for their heads so they could feel some protection from the shelling. She was aware that the basins would not be shrapnel proof, but helmets were not available. A padre later discovered Sister Kelly sitting in one of the hospital tents holding a patient's hand. When he asked why she had not left with the rest she answered, ‘I couldn't leave my patients’. She stayed at her post until the bombardment ceased.

Just a few days after this event Alicia moved to the 3rd Australian General Hospital in the coastal town of Abbeville. Here most of her patients were suffering from the affects of being gassed.

In October 1917 Alicia travelled to England for two weeks well earned leave. Whilst there the Military Medal ‘for gallantry displayed on the occasion of hostile air raids on casualty clearing stations’ was presented to Alicia at Buckingham Palace by King George V on 16 October 1917. 

On 18 October 1917 The Bendigonian reported: MILITARY MEDALS AWARDED TO SIX NURSES: Two Australian Recipients Military medals have been awarded to six sisters for gallantry displayed on the occasion of hostile air raids on casualty clearing stations. The recipients include Sister Alicia Mary Kelly and Sister Rachael Pratt, two Australians. Alicia was one of only seven ANS nurses to receive this honour during World War I.

Alicia rejoined the 3rd AGH on 15 November 1917.

On 30 November 1917 the Journal of the Royal Victorian Trained Nurses Association printed the following letter written by the Chaplain attached to Alicia's unit and describing her heroic actions [later reprinted in the Inglewood Advertiser on 15 January 1918]: 

3rd A.C.C.S., B.I. Forces 29th August 1917. Dear Mrs Kelly – I have often intended to write to you. I am chaplain of the unit which your daughter, Miss A. M. Kelly (But whom we all call Rachel.) has been a Sister. I think you ought to know what a wonderful influence for good she has been upon everyone – Officers, Orderlies, Patients. From the Colonel downwards, every man and woman adores her, though I need hardly say we do not tell her so. No one has ever shown greater devotion to duty, greater courage in the face of danger, greater usefulness in every way. She has been a mother to every soldier she comes across and every man is a better man for having met her. She has been recommended more than once for decoration (She may not know this.) and we shall never be contented till she receives recognition of her splendid devotion; but very few honours fall to the nurses, and then they always go first to the heads. We have just passed through a very trying time. We have been bombed continually. The noise of the guns, only a hundred yards from the camp, has been startling and deafening. One bomb fell close to the Sister’s quarters, killing an Officer and an Orderly and riddling the sisters tents in which they were sleeping, fortunately on the ground. Rachel suffered a great deal from sleeplessness and looked worn out, but the duty was so exacting, she had to go on, in fact she will never give in. Finally came the day when the Germans deliberately shelled the camp and no one who has not seen it can realise what it means to have huge armour – piercing shells fall in your midst with a burst of quarter of a mile all round. We got the sisters away to a trench at the back of the camp, but when all had gone we found Rachel alone in her ward, giving to each patient an enamel bowl to cover his head from flying pieces of shell, absolutely comforting to these poor frightened, helpless creatures in her calm and sweet motherly ways and we literally had to drag her to a place of safety. I cannot write at any great length, but a man could cry for the very pride at being associated with such a girl and with gratitude that God has endowed her with such graces and virtues. And the dear child didn’t know that she had been perfectly heroic. She was only troubled that she couldn’t obey the order to seek shelter, because her poor boys looked so frightened and all the orderlies had run out of the ward. She has now been sent to 3rd A.G.H. We shall miss her greatly, but she ought to have a chance from the exciting C.C.S work for a time. It seems a shame that a mother should not be able to see her daughter and the glorious life she is living. Glorious, I say, but she is the humblest, gentlest child that ever lived. And so I wanted you to know in this very brief way  how much the Army values and how much it owes your daughter. My own great joy is to hear that my son is doing his duty in the world and I wanted you to know that though you have made this great sacrifice of being parted from your daughter, there are thousands who are benefitting from your sacrifice and who thank god for this revelation of noble womanhood. With all good wishes that you may soon have  your daughter back safe and happy. I am G.C. Munschamp, C.P.

Alicia was awarded the Royal Red Cross, 2nd class (A.R.R.C.) in the New Year’s Honours on 1 January 1918. The Royal Red Cross is a military decoration awarded for exceptional services in military nursing. She was also one of only three Australian nurses to receive the French Croix de Guerre (War Cross).

On 15 January 1918 Frank wrote another postcard to Mary - Dear Mary, Just a card to say I'm well and hope Jack & yourself are the same. The weather is awfully cold at present & can expect two more months of it yet. Have had nothing official about the D.M.C. as yet. Had a line from Loll [Alicia Mary Kelly] yesterday. She sends her love. She is a little better. Had letters from your also, yesterday, but no Xmas parcel yet. Love from Frank.

The Inglewood Advertiser reprinted another account of Alicia's bravery on 18 January 1918: 

Nurse Wins Military Medal. Miss E.A. Conyers, Matron-in-Chief of the Australian Army Nursing Service, who is home on furlough, gives the following interesting account of how the Military Medal was won by Sister Alicia Kelly. Sister Kelly is a cousin of the Misses Kelly and Mrs Body, of Inglewood: “Some weeks ago news reached Australia that the Military Medal had been awarded to Sister Alicia (Rachel) Kelly. Miss Conyers has an interesting story to tell of this heroic sister and how she won the decoration. “Sister Kelly was off duty at one of the casualty stations, which was in danger of being demolished by the enemy,” explained Miss Conyers. “All the staff had been ordered to evacuate. A padre on his round discovered Sister Kelly on duty in a hospital tent with several patients. He remonstrated with her for remaining behind. “I could not leave my patients,” she answered. “Her quiet courage and clever resourcefulness enabled these nerve-shattered men to come through the ordeal of the bombardment with a cheery confidence. She knew that to feel secure these patients must have some kind of cover for their heads. Metal helmets were not available, so she used enamelled head-basins. She was aware that the basins would not be shrapnel proof, but she also realised that a protective covering of some kind would have an influence in strengthening the morale of the men. She remained at her post until the bombardment ceased.”

On 22 March 1918 Alicia was aboard a transport ship bound for England where she continued nursing at Southall Hospital near London. On 22 April 1918 Frank wrote again: The guns are going some tonight. F. 22/4/18 Dear Mary. Just a card to say I’m well, etc. Things are rather lively about these parts. Hope Jack and self are well. Had a letter from Loll. [Alicia Mary Kelly] from Southall Hosp. Near London. She expects to leave for Australia any day now. Love to Jack and self. Frank.

Alicia left England for Australia aboard the HS Ruahine on 12 May 1918. She was sister-in-charge on the voyage home and on the ships arrival at Fremantle on 5 July 1918 the men she had cared for presented her with a silver cup which they had made during the voyage.

One month later, Alicia married her former patient, Arthur Rupert Chipper in Perth on 7 August 1918. She was forty-three years old. As well as being in the 10th Light Horse Regiment, A Squadron (Regimental No. 199), Arthur was a farmer from Bullaring, near Corrigin. His records show he had been at the 1st Australian General Hospital in July 1915.

After many years at Bullaring the couple moved to a farm at Narrogin before retiring for health reasons. Alicia's war experiences would affect her health for the rest of her life. They had no children.