S/Nrs. Marion Sinclair Brown

Marion Sinclair Brown was born at Lesmahagow in Larnarkshire, Scotland, on 6 October 1880. Her parents were John Steele Brown and Maggie Brown (nee Scott). Marion trained for nursing at Riverton. She joined the New Zealand Army Nursing Service during World War I. The Marquette was a British Merchant ship of 7,057 tons. It sank when a torpedo launched from a submarine hit it 36 miles south of Salonika Bay. Twenty nine crew and 182 troops were lost. Ten of those who died were New Zealand nurses who had been working at No.1 New Zealand Stationary Hospital in Port Said in October 1915 when they were ordered to prepare to go to Lemnos. The hospital was to be set up there to care for casualties being brought back from the Dardanelles. The Transport Ship Marquette took on board officers and men of the New Zealand Medical Corps, 36 New Zealand Army Nursing Staff, 610 officers and men of 29th Divisional Ammunition Column , 541 mules and some ammunition in mid October sailed for Salonika. The French torpedo destroyer Tirailleur joined the convoy on 22 October which gave credence to the idea that there was a real danger of being attacked by German submarines in the Mediterranean. The torpedo destroyer left the convoy that night and at 9.15 am on 23 October the Marquette was hit by a torpedo on the starboard side and began to list. Within about 15 minutes she sank. Nurses lost their lives in the evacuation as lifeboats tipped over as they were lowered into the sea, some boats falling on others, with some being left on the ship and going down with her. Nurse Brown is said to have held hands with nurse Isabel Clark as they went into the sea.

Sources

• Cenotaph Record
• Commonwealth War Graves Commission Record
• New Zealand War Graves Record

Details

• Rank: Staff Nurse
• Service No: 22/104
• Date of Death: 23/10/1915
• Regiment/Service: New Zealand Army Nursing Service
• Panel Reference:
• Memorial: MIKRA MEMORIAL
• Additional Information: Daughter of Mrs. J. S. Brown, of Waiuatuku, Southland.