Remembrance Day: ‘Forgotten’ nurses of the South West honoured in book by military researcher Jeff Peirce

The “forgotten” tales of the brave South West nurses who packed up their lives and travelled overseas to serve in World War I will be told through a new book set to be released next year. Bunbury-based military history researcher Jeff Peirce has spent the past four years piecing together the stories of those he says were “never truly acknowledged”. He plans to release the first copies of the book with a special launch for International Nurses Day on May 12 next year. While Mr Peirce said he was hugely proud of what he had achieved in compiling the stories, he had been left humbled by the tales he had discovered. “To me, it is 100 years late … but it is so special to be able to share these stories,” he said. “I’ve put my heart and soul into it ... every single story will make you think ‘wow, how on earth did she cope with that?’. “These are completely untold stories about some truly incredible women.” Mr Peirce describes his grandfather Herbert Leslie Peirce, who served as a gunner in World War I in France and Belgium before returning to Australia, as his biggest inspiration and hero. Following his grandfather’s death, Mr Peirce began researching all those who fought to protect our country and released his first anthology Great War Stories in 2022. It detailed the life stories of 14 South West men who served in Gallipoli. “He died when I was young and my whole life, I have been trying to honour him with something he could be proud of me,” Mr Peirce said. He started work on the second book about four years ago, fitting in the writing while maintaining his website which features the names of every South West person who served in WWI. The book is a labour of love, but it was a slow burn initially. Mr Peirce had the names of only eight nurses until about 18 months ago, when his hard work paid off and he managed to track down and trace the stories of an additional 25. He put the call out to hospitals, archivists, hospitals and any other avenues he could think of, to find out more about these inspirational women’s lives. “I thought shining a spotlight on the South West might inspire others to look into the history of nurses across WA,” Mr Peirce said. From his research, he learnt the average age of those who served was 30, with each required to adhere to a strict raft of conditions. This included being older than 21, having completed three years of training, being a member of the Australasian Trained Nurses Association, being single and passing a strict physical exam to prove they could handle the stress of being in a warzone. “The trouble was, no one knew what that stress was,” Mr Pierce said. “Their dedication, selflessness, the incredible number of men they saved purely through hygiene and proper dressing was truly inspirational. “The mental stimulation they provided ... there were many soldiers that came in and said, ‘I just want to die, nurse’. “And many were talked around by the nurse ... asking where they were from, did they have family ... talking about cricket, football, or riding horses. “They made a huge contribution to saving lives.” For each nurse, Mr Peirce documented their date of birth, siblings, childhood, education, postings, which ships they left Australia on and where they served overseas. “I have tried to capture the dates and what conditions they experienced … and then what their lives were like when they returned home,” he said. “Of the 33, I think 26 remained single and dedicated themselves to the nursing profession.” When asked what some of his favourite stories were, Mr Peirce singled out one called Lucy Power who delivered more than 600 babies in the Bridgetown, Manjimup and Pemberton areas upon returning to the South West. “The ladies have never been properly acknowledged and have never been appropriately honoured,” he said. “There are very few nurses on honour rolls — they were basically forgotten. “I am trying to make sure they never are.”