Aftermath of war inspires service and nursing career

Cleveland local Gwen’s earliest memories of growing up in England in the aftermath of World War I inspired her own wartime service and a 40‑year nursing career.

Now calling Bolton Clarke Seaton Place aged care home, Gwen says her earliest memories are of playing amongst the aftermath of bombings in London.

“We would be walking through where bombs had landed years before and would pick up bits of debris from the firebombs,” she said.

By the time World War II started, Gwen was old enough to register for service where she became a nurse for the British Air Force.

“I became a flying nurse, caring for the wounded and unwell servicemen and women – it required a lot of skill but also emotional strength to support those people.

“It was a hard job but we made very special friendships. My friend Joan taught me a lot of my nursing skills, like doing the injections, which gave me the confidence I needed.”

“For me, the most meaningful part of my role as a nurse was to offer comfort to those soldiers.

“We helped them understand what was happening in the world beyond their immediate circumstance, which helped to bring a sense of calm.

After the war, Gwen says life was still difficult due to food shortages and rationing but she and her late husband Ron took the opportunity to get married and start their family.

She continued her nursing career after moving to Australia in 1985, supporting older people in the community.

Gwen was later recognised for her extraordinary contribution of 40 years to the Red Cross and British Air Force in 2024, which she accepted with her daughter at her side.  

“I have slowly come to adopt the philosophy of acceptance after the war, taking life as it comes and I continue to commemorate days like Anzac Day here at Seaton Place.”