Sister Coster, Ina Nellie
Date of birth
26 September 1880
Date of death
10 January 1958
Gender
Female
Place of birth
Place Of death
Biography
Text for DRC cases 'Women in War', March-May 2008
More than 500 women served overseas as nurses with the New Zealand Army Nursing Service during World War One. Among other duties, nurses assisted with medical, surgical and anaesthetic work and cared for sick and wounded soldiers.
In October 1915 thirty-six New Zealand nurses sailed aboard the British troopship Marquette from Alexandria bound for Salonika. In total 741 medical personnel and troops travelled aboard the Marquette. Just after 9am on the morning of 23 October 1915 a German submarine torpedoed the troopship. The Marquette was submerged in less than fifteen minutes. 167 souls, among them ten nurses, perished with its sinking.
Cantabrian Ina Nellie Coster was one of the nurses aboard the Marquette who survived. In a letter written on 31 October, Sister Coster described her experiences. She explained that “everyone was so calm” and quickly found their way to lifeboats. Although she initially left the Marquette in a lifeboat herself, it subsequently floundered. Wearing a long dress uniform and cape Sister Coster clung to wreckage in the sea for almost eight hours before being rescued by a British destroyer.
Sister Coster served with the New Zealand Army Nursing Service for three and a half years. She was awarded three medals, the 1914-15 Star, the Victory Medal 1914-19 and the British War Medal 1914-20. She also returned with her red felted wool cloth cape. This cape features her Nurse’s registration badge, New Zealand Army brooch and Returned Services Association badge as well as miniatures of her three medals.
More than 500 women served overseas as nurses with the New Zealand Army Nursing Service during World War One. Among other duties, nurses assisted with medical, surgical and anaesthetic work and cared for sick and wounded soldiers.
In October 1915 thirty-six New Zealand nurses sailed aboard the British troopship Marquette from Alexandria bound for Salonika. In total 741 medical personnel and troops travelled aboard the Marquette. Just after 9am on the morning of 23 October 1915 a German submarine torpedoed the troopship. The Marquette was submerged in less than fifteen minutes. 167 souls, among them ten nurses, perished with its sinking.
Cantabrian Ina Nellie Coster was one of the nurses aboard the Marquette who survived. In a letter written on 31 October, Sister Coster described her experiences. She explained that “everyone was so calm” and quickly found their way to lifeboats. Although she initially left the Marquette in a lifeboat herself, it subsequently floundered. Wearing a long dress uniform and cape Sister Coster clung to wreckage in the sea for almost eight hours before being rescued by a British destroyer.
Sister Coster served with the New Zealand Army Nursing Service for three and a half years. She was awarded three medals, the 1914-15 Star, the Victory Medal 1914-19 and the British War Medal 1914-20. She also returned with her red felted wool cloth cape. This cape features her Nurse’s registration badge, New Zealand Army brooch and Returned Services Association badge as well as miniatures of her three medals.
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