S/Nrs. Helena Kathleen Isdell

Helena Kathleen Isdell born 30 Nov 1888 at Greymouth. Before enlisting for WW1 she was the Matron of Kumara hospital.She drowned in the Aegean Sea when the Marquette was torpedoed on 23 Oct 1915. The Marquette sank within 15 minutes of being torpedoed. The 7000ton ship was transferring the No.1 New Zealand Stationary Hospital from Alexandria in Egypt to Salonika (modern day Thessalonika) in Northern Greece and was torpedoed less than 50 kilometres from the safety of Salonika Bay and anti-submarine nets. The tragedy saw the loss of 211 lives including 10 New Zealand nurses of the New Zealand Army Nursing Service (NZANS) and 22 New Zealand Medical Corps staff. A body found in a lifeboat was never identified but may have been Helena Isdell. There is a grave in the Mikra British Cemetery of " A nursing sister of the Great War. Known unto God" Source: West Coast New Zealand History.

Sources

1. Cenotaph: https://www.aucklandmuseum.com/war-memorial/online-cenotaph/record/...
2. New Zealand and World War One Roll of Honour: http://freepages.rootsweb.com/~sooty/genealogy/nzefrohI.html / Ref 10.4.2021
3. West Coast New Zealand History: https://westcoast.recollect.co.nz/nodes/view/27713