“Don’t worry about Jim”

11 November 1918. The community at Our Lady’s Nurses rejoices that the Great War is finally over.

11 November 1918. The community at Our Lady’s Nurses rejoices that the Great War is finally over. It has been a long and anxious period for Eileen O’Connor, Cissie McLaughlin, Julia Cooney and May McGahey, who have seven brothers serving on the Western Front. Julia Cooney was particularly worried about her wayward youngest brother, Jim, who was taken prisoner at the Battle of Bullecourt. Eileen tells Julia, “If I can do the least thing for Jim, he will be safe.” Eileen later tells Julia that she was with him when he was captured, even crawling along a fence with him. Upon their safe return to Australia, all seven brothers confirm they saw Eileen in the trenches on multiple occasions.