Military researcher Jeff Peirce unveils the forgotten tales of inspiring war nurses from the South West

A new book documenting the stories of the brave South West nurses who left home for World War I has been released, unveiling tales never written before and honouring the legacy of Australia’s “forgotten” war nurses. Bunbury historian Jeff Peirce has spent years collecting and bringing together research to create Great War Stories: Nurses of the South West, a book he hopes will shine a light on the contribution of Australian nurses during World War I. Mr Peirce said despite the magnitude of their efforts in saving lives, nurses are a part of history that often gets overlooked when people talk about the war. “They’ve never been written about before, I think it’s an absolute travesty,” he said. “Invariably, communities and commemorations always talk about the brave Anzac men, so the feats of the nurses have almost been completely ignored and forgotten. When you read their stories, you do wonder why.” The book features many South Western tales, including the story of Lucy Power, a nurse who delivered more than 600 babies in Bridgetown, Pemberton and Manjimup after returning home from the war. Mr Peirce said the nurses who had gone to war were often the kind not to speak of their accomplishments, let alone the trauma endured under extreme conditions. “The nurses were like the soldiers. They didn’t speak about their war service when they came home, because what they viewed was horrid,” he said. “(The book) is opening the floodgates on the enormous deeds they performed under very ordinary circumstances, and the stories that need to be told.” While the book can now be purchased online, Mr Peirce said the official launch will be at the Bunbury Museum and Heritage Centre on May 12, International Nurses’ day. There, Mr Peirce will hold an author meet-and-greet, and guests can also meet with the descendants of the nurses mentioned in the book, and hear stories directly from relatives. While the book contains mature themes and topics of war, Mr Peirce said he’s ensured the contents can be read by anyone, including a younger audience. “When I wrote this book, it was written with a strong focus on children,” he said. “At the end of the day, my whole focus is on spreading the knowledge.” For Mr Peirce, the completion of this research project has been a major step forward in showcasing the stories of the South West’s nurses for everyone to read. “I’m just so happy these nurses’ stories will be out there for the public to become aware of and have a greater appreciation for.” People can purchase the book online at https://greatwarstories1914-1918.com/, or attend the function in Bunbury on International Nurses Day.