| Accession Number | P02526.013 |
|---|---|
| Collection type | Photograph |
| Object type | Black & white |
| Physical description | Black & white |
| Place made | Australia: New South Wales, Sydney |
| Date made | April 1946 |
| Conflict |
Second World War, 1939-1945 |
| Copyright |
Item copyright: Copyright expired - public domain
|
The troopship Stirling Castle on which W788331 N. M. (Margaret) Finner, a Voluntary Aid ...
Description
The troopship Stirling Castle on which W788331 N. M. (Margaret) Finner, a Voluntary Aid Detachment (VAD) attached to the Royal Navy, and many other WRENS and VADs, travelled home to England. The women were housed in what used to be the swimming pool deck and dressing shed before the war. It was the lowest deck on the ship, had no portholes, bunks were in three tiers and there were only two showers to be shared by 150 women. Margaret Finner joined the VAD's in England and after passing her nursing exams volunteered for overseas service and was drafted to the Royal Navy Auxiliary Hospital at Herne Bay in Sydney. She left England on 18 November 1944 on a troopship code named J.1. (previously the Empress of Scotland and before that Empress of Japan), arriving in Sydney on 16 December 1944. After 18 months in Australia VAD Finner returned to England in April 1946, later emigrating to Australia in 1949. (Donor N. Russell)