Lorna Aylmer RATTRAY. Staff Nurse, 22/160 NZANS. New Zealand No1 Stationary Hospital
Born 10 January 1875 in Dundedin, New Zealand to James and Catherine Aylmer. Sister of Mr. C. W. Rattray, of Crawford Street, Dunedin.
Notes from her service record
Nursed in Christchurch prior to enlistment on the 6 July 1915 Wellington. Next of kin was her sister, Miss Ada Frances Rattray of Eglington Road, Mornington, Dunedin, New Zealand. The 10 July 1915 posted to No 1 New Zealand Hospital Ship, Maheno at Wellington, New Zealand. 19 July 1915 she embarked on active service from Wellington, on board the hospital ship bound for Port Said, Egypt, disembarking 18 August 1915 with a staff of seven medical officers and 86 other ranks. She joined a contingent of nurses working at No 1 Stationary Hospital. She and others of No 1 New Zealand Stationary Hospital embarked from Alexandria on a grey painted troop ship. SS Marquette the 19 October 1915 bound for Salonica. The ship was torpedoed by a German submarine U-35 which sank in the Aegean Sea, Gulf of Salonika 23 October 1915.
She lost her life when a life boat being lowered into the Aegean Sea swung out of control into the nurses in their life boat killing and mortally wounding others.Cause of her death was heart failure owing to prolonged immersion in the waters, she was aged 27. Ten nurses died. Commemorated on the Mikra Memorial, Greece.
Image credited to
https://www.nzwargraves.org.nz/casualties/lorna-aylmer-rattray
en.wikipedia.org
