WILSON, Ada Patricia

Biography

Sister Ada Patricia WILSON was from Northumberland. Her address on discharge was Fenham House, Whitley Bay, Northumberland. Her next of kin was G.F. Wilson (brother) of Tynsholme, 38 Milton Road, Hanwell, London.

Nursing Service in WW1

Staff Nurse Ada Patricia WILSON joined the Queen Alexandra's Imperial Military Nursing Service (Reserve) on 28th March 1916.

She embarked for Salonika from Southampton on 20th October 1916 aboard the HMHS Britannic, transferring to the HMHS Grantully Castle for the onward voyage, disembarking at Salonika on 31st October 1916. This was the fifth voyage of the Britannic; she was sunk by a German mine in the Aegean Sea on 21st November 1916, just one month after Ada Wilson had disembarked, with the loss of 30 lives. She served at 41 General Hospital, Salonika.

In August 1917 she was admitted to hospital with malaria, and by 22nd December 1917 her condition had deteriorated to the point where she was placed on the Dangerously Ill list. She was evacuated from Salonika on 8th January 1918, embarking aboard the HMHS Glenart Castle for Malta, where she disembarked on 13th January 1918. The Glenart Castle was torpedoed and sunk on 26th February 1918, just six weeks after Ada Wilson had been aboard her, with the loss of Matron BEAUFOY, Katy and other nurses. She was subsequently invalided home to the United Kingdom aboard the SS Wandilla, arriving 20th January 1918.

Her confidential report from 41 General Hospital, Salonika, dated 5th September 1918, noted that she had been a Staff Nurse at the hospital, and had become nurse in charge of the operating theatre. She was described as a thoroughly capable nurse and suitable for promotion.

She was granted sick leave and underwent a Medical Board at Devonport on 23rd April 1919, where she was granted further sick leave to 22nd June 1919, subsequently being passed fit for general service on 11th June 1919. She was posted to Devonport as Sister.

Her reports from Devonport indicated that she took a while to recover from Malaria.

She was demobilised on 26th July 1920, having served for 3 years and 128 days. A gratuity was approved and she subsequently applied to the Overseas Settlement Committee in July 1921, expressing a wish to proceed to South Africa, Egypt or India.