Blanch Evelyn White

 

Blanche Evelin White (1895-1958) was the second daughter of Charles Frederick & Helena Grace White. Her siblings were Helena Sarah, Charles Frederick George, Kathleen Mabel and Jean Margaret White.

Prior to the First World War, Blanche Evelin White (1895-1958), lived at home with her parents and helped with domestic chores. With the event of the First World War, she enlisted on the 17th of December 1915 as part of the Voluntary Aid Detachment (VAD) and was assigned to the Hospital Transport Corps to work as a probationary nurse and ward assistant.  Just 5 days after she enlisted she was on board the hospital ship Kanowa, which embarked from Sydney . It must have been quite a shock, for this young 20 year old country lass, working as a domestic at home to find herself caring for wounded and dying soldiers under such trying conditions on a ship with limited resources. Upon her discharge in 1917, and inspired by her mother’s dedication to the war effort, Blanche helped her mother at the Kyoomba Sanatorium.

Blanche White married Lieut. Keith Hope Mackay  in 1923, and died in 1958, a short five years after her mother. She was survived by her husband and son.

NAA file: Blanche Evelyn WHITE

Read about Kyoomba here.