[1] In 1914 Rachel Ward, Countess of Dudley, who was the estranged wife of a former governor-general of Australia,[2] completed her discussions with the King and Lord Kitchener.

She had noticed that there were a large number of Australian doctors and nurses in Britain and war had been declared.

[7] Greaves and the other staff had arrived at Le Havre on a private yacht and the hospital was assembled at St Nazaire.

[8] When she returned to Australia she was lauded as one of the longest serving Australians in uniform during the first world war.

She was called "the senior war nurse" and she helped raise funds for returned veterans.