Vera Kathleen MASON

Vera's birth to William and Mary Mason was registered at Walgett NSW in 1892. When her family moved to Inverell, she and her siblings attended Ross Hill Primary School. Vera undertook her nursing training at the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital in Sydney.

She enlisted in September 1917 and was working at the Randwick Military Hospital when she was accepted for overseas War service. Prior to sailing from Sydney on SS Malta in October 1918, Vera made a short visit to Inverell to see her Mother, a noted Inverell Red Cross worker.

Upon arrival in Bombay, India, Vera was posted to Deccan War Hospital at Poona until August 1919 when she was transferred to Bombay. Australian nurses in India saw many diseases such as malaria, cholera and dysentery which were not common in Australia. They had limited resources to care for patients with these illnesses and worked in primitive conditions.

After returning to Australia Vera's appointment was terminated in January 1920. Three years later she married Dr. Harry Crowe in Sydney where she lived until her death in 1948.