History of Nursing in South Australia

Nell Allgrove, nee Hannah, came to South Australia from the West with her family when she was an infant. After secondary school Nell studied Pharmacy, as she was not considered 'strong enough' to nurse. However she did begin training at the Adelaide Hospital in 1936 and worked in the hospital's Blood Transfusion Unit until she was called up to the Australian Army Nursing Service in 1940. In 1941 she joined the 2/4 Casualty Clearing Station and was sent to Malaya. She was among those who escaped from Singapore just before its capture by the Japanese in February 1942. When the ship 'Vyner Brooke' was sunk in Bauka Strait, Nell and fellow nurses were interned by the Japanese. She was among 24 nurses (from a total of 65) who survived until their release in September 1945. After the war Nell married a British resident in Malaya and lived there for a number of years. She later moved to England.