New memorial and forgotten nurses honoured

BRIGHT RSL sub-branch is holding its annual general meeting this Friday, with two surprise additions to the agenda. The AGM will be held from 3:30pm at the RSL on Camp Street before a 4pm unveiling of the sub-branch’s new memorial. President Philip Keeghan said all were welcome to come along. “The new memorial, a stone face for our small park area, will showcase two soldiers either side, one World War I and one peacekeeping silhouette as well as plaques for the three services; army, navy, airforce and plaques for police, ambulance, SES and the fire brigade,” he said. “This was made possible thanks to a $3000 donation from the Bendigo Bank and everyone involved in the making of the project. “We’ll also be unveiling a World War I nurse with a connection to Bright.” Bright RSL vice president Judy Moore has spent the last five years researching the life of Florence Maud Howitt, who will be honoured this Friday. “She was Bright born and am original ANZAC girl; she was on Lemnos Island during the Gallipoli campaign,” she said. “She has no relation to the Howitts in the area and I’m not sure if we will ever find relatives for her. “She graduated from the Alfred Hospital and went to Adelaide in charge of the theatres there before leaving for war in May 1915 just after the Gallipoli campaign began. “She was bombed while operating in France in 1918 but survived and returned to Australia on February 2, 1920 where she met her future husband aboard the Port Macquarie while coming home. “She was part of the Australian Army Nursing Service and the Returned Nurses Club which is part of the RSL. “She was never honoured so it will be a great moment to unveil her photo and remember her this Friday.” The photo of Florence, taken in Turkey, will be unveiled around 5:45pm at the RSL this Friday. This is the second nurse to be commemorated at the RSL in recent months, funded by the State Government’s Victoria Remembers Program. In March a framed photograph of World War II nurse Monica McMahon was also unveiled at the RSL.

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