Nurses shoes : Staff Nurse E Rowan, AANS (India)

Pair black leather shoes with instep straps fastening with a single black button.

Associated with the First World War service of Staff Nurse Eliza Rowan. Rowan was born in Nagambie, Victoria and was a practicing nurse on enlistment in the Australian Army Nursing Service on 18 June 1917. She embarked for India aboard RMS Somali on 30 June arriving in Bombay on 30 July.

Posted to Freeman Thomas Hospital, Rowan nursed there until 10 February 1918 when she was transferred to the 44th British General Hospital at Deolali. On 17 August Rowan was transferred to the 34th Welsh General Hospital also at Deolali where she nursed until the end of the war.

Embarking from Bombay aboard SS City of Cairo on 28 February 1919, Rowan arrived back in Australia on 23 March. She was formally discharged from the AIF on 8 October.

For many of the nurses, the posting to India was disliked and a poor substitute for the excitement of France. The nurses wanted to be in France where they felt they were needed the most. Some were worried about being called 'cold-footers' after the war, as working in India was often not considered as active service.