Margaret Augusta de MESTRE. Nursing Sister NX70211 AANS attached to 2/1st Hospital Ship Manunda (Melbourne)
Born 16 November 1915 at Bellingen, New South Wales to James Augustus and Alice Isobel de Mestre, of Kalang, New South Wales.
Notes from her service record -
Enlisted 09 August 1940 aged 24 years and 7 months at Victoria Barracks, Paddington, New South Wales. 12 August 1940 she was posted 2/1Hospital Ship. 03 October 1941 detached to 113 Australian General Hospital, Concord, NSW from 2/1 Hospital Ship. Re-joined her ship 29 December 1941. Granted leave from 19 September 1941 to 03 October 1941. Departed for overseas 06 January 1942 on 2/1 Hsp Ship.
She died of her shrapnel wounds to her back and abdomen the result of a bomb explosion near Manunda in Darwin Harbour during an attack by the Japanese bombers at about 10.am Thursday 19 February 1942, she was aged 26.
Laid to rest in Darwin 20 February 1942.
Below link to her service record -
https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/Interface/ViewImage.aspx?B=4615470
Following extract is credited to -
https://www.ozatwar.com/ran/manunda.htm
At about 10.00am on Thursday 19 February 1942, the nursing orderlies on board "Manunda" were undergoing an examination of their practical nursing skills in the wards onboard the ship. They heard the air raid siren and as they raced to collect their helmets and respirators, they could hear the first Japanese bombs dropping on Darwin. There were some 55 ships in the harbour at the time of the attack. Six large ships and two smaller ones were sunk. There were about 176 people killed and about 200 seriously wounded on board ships in and around Darwin Harbour.
"Manunda" received a near miss which sprayed shrapnel across its decks killing four people. 76 holes were peppered in her plates from this near miss. Another bomb which just missed the bridge, exploded on B and C decks,. It caused extensive injuries amongst the staff and damaged the navigational instruments.
One of the aid-posts was hit. By this time there were many fires on board the "Manunda". The medical and nursing staff quarters were totally destroyed.
Commemorated on the Northern Territory Memorial, Australia. Included in the Nurses’ War Memorial Chapel in Westminster Abbey, London.
