Nancy Bentley Enlists After Snakebite

The first female and youngest person ever enlisted in the Royal Australian Navy was 6-year-old Nancy Bentley in 1920. After a venomous snake bit her near Port Arthur, Tasmania, her father rowed her to HMAS Sydney (I), but naval regulations prohibited civilians from receiving treatment aboard warships. Captain Henry Cayley solved the problem by formally enlisting Nancy as an honorary sailor with the official rating of "mascot" and a service term of "until fed up." After receiving treatment, she was returned to her family and discharged following eight days of service.

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