George V. Smith Award Presented At Wesley College 2022

L-R Wesley Head of Campus Sheriden Vella, Jenny Hibbens, Bruce Waxman OAM, Student Khushi Deol, Greg Smith, Jan Dimmick, Suzanne Smith

George V. Smith

The George V. Smith Award is an award made in the name of Odd Bod co-founder and long time official, George Smith, who championed a relationship with Wesley College, Glen Waverley Campus from 2008. The award is made for the best student essay about the ANZAC Spirit and is a key part of the strong and productive connection between Wesley and Friends of the Odd Bods Association. 

The award is open to students from years 9 to 12 at Wesley and offers a $500 book voucher to the writer of the winning essay. The voucher is jointly funded by George Smith's family and Friends of the Odd Bods.

This years winner is Year 9 student Khushi Deol who writes about an inspiring Australian Nurse who served in WW1 and proved that it wasn't just frontline soldiers who displayed true qualities of the ANZAC Spirit. Kushi was presented with her award during a ceremony at the Wesley College Glen Waverley campus on Thursday 28th April. 

Here is Khushi's essay:-

ANZAC Spirit Essay

My specific essay question:

 What did Alice Ross-King do during and after WWI to display Anzac spirit?

 

“No one who came in contact with Major Appleford could fail to recognize her as a leader of women. Her sense of duty, her sterling solidity of character, her humanity, sincerity, and kindliness of heart set for others a very high example.” [1] Anzac Centenary 2015. The Australian and New Zealand Army Corps was made up from more than just the soldiers, nurses like Sister Alice Appleford (nee Ross-King) were the backbone of the war. The Anzac Spirit, a powerful feeling that Anzacs gain from war, is a famous Australian legend. Ex-soldiers are seen as the embodiment of it, but what about the supporting roles? Alice Ross-King showed the qualities of an Australian leader and should be seen as the embodiment of the Anzac Spirit.

For Sister Ross-King to be the embodiment of the famous Spirit, people have to know what it is and she has to fulfil the requirements. So, what is the Anzac spirit? [6] Burke, A 2015 states that it is an intangible, “powerful driving sensation” that Australians and New Zealanders obtain from the war. Qualities like “endurance, courage, ingenuity, good humour, and mateship” [2] Australian War Memorial 2017 are ones that Alice Ross-King and many others who served in WW1 showcase. The term, ‘many others’, is used instead of ‘many other soldiers’ because the men in the trenches are not the only ones who displayed the Anzac spirit. The navy, air force and army are viewed as the face of the war, more than 3 000 Australian women served in the Royal Australian Army Nursing Corps, yet they are hardly recognized for their participation. [1] Anzac Centenary 2015 [5] Bell, R 2015. Alice Ross-King exhibited many qualities of the Anzac spirit during the first world war that leads us to not only believe the Anzac spirit is real but displays a perfect embodiment of it.

Alice Ross-King lived inspiring life. Born in Ballarat, Victoria, 1887, she was still young when she moved to Perth and her father and two brothers drowned in an accident in Swan River. Alice enlisted into the Australian Army nursing service in November 1914 and in 1915, was sent to Egypt and the Suez to work in hospitals and hospital transport ships [3] Australian War Memorial 2020. Early 1916, Alice moved to France to serve with No. 1 Australian General Hospital, stationary hospitals and later, No. 2 Australian Casualty Clearing Station (2CCS). Here, she was attacked by German aircraft, Source 2, describes the bombing she faced. Alice’s bravery was awarded with the military medal [12] ‘SUPPLEMENT TO THE LONDON GAZETTE’ 1918 for her actions during this attack. Despite this scarring event, Alice continued to serve as a nurse and in the 1930s, she was trained in the Voluntary Aid Detachments (VAD), which is nursing work and stations to help her country [1] Anzac Centenary 2015. She died on 17 August 1968, a proud Australian woman.

Throughout the attack on the 22^nd of July 1917, Sister Ross-King demonstrated all the gifts of the Anzac spirit. Endurance is seen through Alice’s persistence, the “Theatre” was locked, Alice needed to get herself and her patients inside to safety. No one could hear her as she kept trying to get their attention, and with great endurance, kept going and helped got the patient tent up. Courage was shown when she ran after Wilson, her patient, as bombs fell around her. Nurse Ross-King always put other’s safety before her own, even if got her killed. Ingenuity was displayed when in chaos, Alice thought of using a stretcher to from the patients’ tent/marquee up in order to get to/retrieve the patients trapped underneath the collapsed tent. [11] Ross-King, A 1917 Good humour is present occasionally in Alice Ross-King’s diary entries and in recounts from people she has encountered. Though there is no solid article on it, I can assume that Alice Ross-King had good humour. War veterans need something light-hearted to help get them past their trauma. Finally, mateship was shown constantly throughout Source 2 as fellow soldiers, generals, even the cook exchanged messages and conversation throughout the attack, Alice must have been important and friendly to them for them to acknowledge her in midst of the bombing. [11] Ross-King, A. 1917

Most of all, Alice Ross-King showed devotion and bravery throughout her life. She was blown off her feet into a pit of “grease and blood”, only to get up for the sake of her patients. She continued to serve the army after she won war awards, like the Florence Nightingale medal in 1949, and she motivates thousands of Australians to also use and show their Anzac spirit qualities. Alice Ross-King is considered the “Front-Line angel” [5] Bell, R 2015 and her actions and achievements prove that she is a prime example of the Anzac Spirit.

 

REFERENCES:

-        [1] Anzac Centenary 2015, ALICE ROSS-KING: HUMANITY, SINCERITY, KINDLINESS, viewed 22 March 2022, http://anzaccentenary.archive.vic.gov.au/alice-ross-king-humanity-sincerity-kindliness-heart/index.html

-        [2] Australian War Memorial 2017, Anzac Spirit, viewed 22 March 2022, https://www.awm.gov.au/articles/encyclopedia/anzac/spirit

-        [3] Australian War Memorial 2020, Major Alice Ross-King, viewed 1 April 2022, https://www.awm.gov.au/articles/encyclopedia/anzac/spirit

-        [4] Baker, C 2020, Air raid hits 11th Casualty Clearing Station 7 July 1917, Sydney, viewed 20 March 2022, https://www.longlongtrail.co.uk/air-raid-hits-11th-casualty-clearing-station-7-july-1917/

-        [5] Bell, R 2015, Casualty Clearance, viewed 30 March 2022, https://anzacday.org.au/ww1-casualty-clearance

-        [6] Burke, A 2015, The Spirit of ANZAC, Anzac Day Commemoration Committee website, viewed 1 April 2022, https://anzacday.org.au/spirit-of-anzac

-        [7] DVA (Department of Veterans' Affairs) (2022), Roles of Australian women in World War I, DVA Anzac Portal, accessed 21 March 2022, https://anzacportal.dva.gov.au/wars-and-missions/ww1/personnel/australian-women

-        [8] Finnie, L.M. (2006). Ross-King, Alice (1887–1968). https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/rossking-alice-8276

-        [9] Jones, F. (2020). Alice (Alys) ROSS - KING MM, RRC, MiD, Florence Nightingale Medal. https://vwma.org.au/explore/people/173405

-        [10] Ross-King, A. (1917, August 9). Transcript of diaries of Alice Ross-King, 1915-1919. Australian War Memorial. https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/awm-media/collection/RCDIG0000976/large/6021629.JPG

-        [11] Ross-King, A 1917, Transcript of diaries of Alice Ross-King, 1915-1919, Australian War Memorial, viewed 23 March 2022, https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/awm-media/collection/RCDIG0000976/large/6021632.JPG

-        [12] ‘SUPPLEMENT TO THE LONDON GAZETTE’ 1918, London Gazette 31 May, p. 6475. https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/30716/supplement/6475