Many Australian nurses worked in the hospital ships and field hospitals at Imbros and Lemnos Islands, as well as hospitals in Egypt and Malta. Nurses were the only servicewomen on the Allied side within the theatre of operations at Gallipoli. By early May 1915, 130 nursing sisters and 100 doctors were raised in Australia for the British Army.
The nurses worked under difficult conditions, particularly in the field hospitals. While the physical discomforts were great, with intense heat and primitive living conditions, it was their professional work that was tested. There was an almost total absence of nursing equipment, linen and means of cooking, and limited quantities of medical supplies.
The pressure on medical staff increased significantly with the August offensive, which was followed in late-August, September and October by a flood of sick soldiers with intestinal diseases. The collapse of the troops' health, after extended service culminating in the August attacks, compelled relief by fresher units. However, many of these newly-arrived divisions became sick quicker than the older ones.
