(1885-1973)
Occupation: nurse
Rank: Sister
ServiceNumber: 22/214
Force: NZANS
FAMILY
Born 29 April 1885 Murchison.
Parents – Henry Matthew and Adelaide O’Loughlen (nee Ribet).
Siblings – Leonard James (1887-1887).
PRE WAR
Edith’s early childhood was in Murchison however her Mother died when Edith was young and she was raised by her extended family in Richmond. Edith attended Richmond Primary School but in June 1897, after her Grandmothers death she was sent to Palmerston North and attended a Primary School there for five months. She returned to Nelson in 1899 and attended Nelson College for Girls for two years. On leaving College Edith began working as a Clerk for J. Glasgow, Lawyer. Edith then moved to Auckland and worked for L. P. Nathan’s Mercantile House as a Clerk. At the beginning of 1909 Edith began her training as a nurse at Palmerston North Hospital and passed her exams in 1912.
1914
Edith became a Registered Nurse and resigned her position at Palmerston North Hospital and moved to Auckland to work at ‘Mena House’ which was a private Hospital.
1915
Edith enlisted in the New Zealand Army Nursing Service on 3 December (serial lnumber 22/214). She embarked on the Hospital ship “Marama” the following day and left Wellington bound for Egypt.
1916
On arrival in Egypt Edith was to remain on the “Marama” as a nurse but requested land work as she was a poor sailor. She was posted to a small Anglo-American Hospital at Cairo. In June Edith was transferred to the Hospital ship “Nevasa” and spent eight months travelling around various Greek ports picking up patients.
1917
At the beginning of 1917 Edith was transferred to the 31st General Hospital in Egypt for a year. She was promoted to Sister on 3 December.
1918
Edith continued to work at the 31st General Hospital but the entire Hospital was moved to Cairo. In April she boarded a Hospital ship at Alexandria bound for England and on 25 May was posted to No.2 New Zealand General Hospital at Walton-on-Thames, Surrey. Edith remained there for the rest of the war.
POST WAR
Edith returned to New Zealand on the ship “Maunganui” in mid May 1919 arriving at Port Chalmers, Dunedin. She was posted to the Military Hospital at Trentham but was discharged from service on 1 February 1920. Edith, along with Bertha Forrester took up the option for training on a State Farm in Tauranga and was able to obtain a section at Omehu under the Land Settlement Association in March 1922. She and Bertha created a dairy farm and remained on it until the late 1930s when Edith sold up and moved to Otaki where she and Bertha took up horticulture.
Edith died at Palmerston North Hospital on 4 December 1973 aged 88.