Josiah Barnes collection of First World War negatives and prints

Twenty nurses and an interpreter from the hospital ship HMAT Kanowna (A61). The sisters were appointed by the NSW Division of the British Red Cross Society to nurse wounded French soldiers. Their uniforms are a distinctive blue, hence their name, the Bluebirds. Identified are Sister Crommelin (front row, left) and Sister Fullerton Gray (front row, fifth from left). An interpreter, Miss Niau (front row, third from right), accompanied the group on the voyage to improve their French language. The fringed leather kit bag held by some of the sisters was presented to each of them by the French-Australian League of Help in Sydney prior to their departure.