The churchyard contains the double war grave of the twin Villiers-Russell brothers, Senior Sick Berth Attendants of the Royal Navy Auxiliary Reserve, who died in the torpedoing of HMS Formidable during World War I, in 1915.
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In the order of wear prescribed by the British Central Chancery of the Orders of Knighthood, the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve Long Service and Good Conduct Medal takes precedence after the Royal Naval Reserve Long Service and Good Conduct Medal and before the Royal Naval Auxiliary Sick Berth Reserve Long Service and Good Conduct Medal.
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HMNZS Arbutus in 1943 At 14:00, a group of mutineers went to talk to the ship's company of Arbutus, who had been confined aboard ship, from the wharf. The corvette's sailors decided to join the mutiny, bringing the numbers to just over 200: the only sailors not involved were eighteen British loan personnel and the sick berth staff at the Navy Hospital.Frame & Baker, Mutiny!, pp.
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The Reserve Long Service and Good Conduct Medal was the Long Service Medal of the reserve forces of the Royal Navy. The medal was presented for 15 or 12 years of service by Petty Officers and ratings of the Royal Naval Reserve, Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve, Royal Naval Auxiliary Sick Berth Reserve, Royal Fleet Reserve, and Royal Naval Wireless Auxiliary Reserve. Established in 1909, the medal was replaced by the Volunteer Reserves Service Medal.
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The rating was also used in U.S. Navy warships from the late 18th century until 1861, when the name surgeon's steward was introduced to reflect more stringent training requirements. The name was changed to apothecary in 1866, and again in the 1870s to bayman and then in the early 20th century to Hospital Corpsman. The Royal Navy name changed to sick berth attendant. in 1833, with the nickname "Sick Bay Tiffy" (Tiffy being slang for artificer) gaining popularity in the 1890s.
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Morris was born in Sydney, New South Wales, the son of William Boyd Morris and his wife Emily Jane (née Finney). He was educated at Glebe Public School, Sydney and after leaving school he enlisted with the Royal Australian Navy and was stationed at the Haslar Naval Hospital in Portsmouth, England, and from 1915-1918 was on HMAS Australia as a sick-berth attendant. He left the navy in 1923 was in show business from 1928 to 1938. He rejoined the navy when World War Two broke out, being based at the Flinders Naval Hospital & Balmoral Depot, Rushcutters Bay, and at Leeuwin in Western Australia.
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WRANS performed a variety of duties, including working as telegraphists, clerks, drivers, stewards, cooks, Sick Berth Attendants, and some technical areas (such as ship degaussing ranges), and intelligence and cryptanalysis. Ruby Boye, the only woman to serve in the Coastwatchers organisation, was commissioned as an honorary WRANS officer. It was hoped that this commissioning (along with the WRANS uniform air-dropped to her) would see the Japanese treat her as a member of the armed forces if she was captured. Over 3,000 women enlisted in the WRANS during World War II, with 2,671 active at the war's end: 10% of the overall RAN strength, but significantly fewer than the 18,000 each in the Women's Auxiliary Australian Air Force and Australian Women's Army Service.
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