Effie McLeod was born in Warrnambool and was a Trained Nurse living in Ballarat when she enlisted in the Australian Army Nurses on June 3rd 1917 at the age of 25. Her unit embarked from Melbourne, Victoria, on board RMS Somali on June 30th 1917 and reached Suez on July 18th. Little more than a week later she sailed on to Salonica in Greece where she served predominantly at the 52nd General Hospital treating sickness rather than battle wounds. In March 1919, she was admitted to the 14th Australian General Hospital suffering from rheumatism and arthritis. She returned to Australia on the Orari, disembarking on June 30th 1919.