conflicting accounts. In 1916 the Australian Red Cross Society sent a team of 21 civilian nurses to France; these nurses were dubbed the "Bluebirds" in reference to the colours of their specially-designed uniforms. During World War II the Red Cross provided assistance to the sick, wounded, maimed and their dependents. By agreement with the federal government they provided hostel accommodation to those with no living relatives or friends to support them upon returning home from war. At the time the majority of the volunteers were unemployed married women. High rates of membership in the organisation were attributed to their annual, national, recruitment drive. Membership grew from 260,000 in 1941 to 450,000 in 1944. The Australian Red Cross proved to be an important link between the public and Japanese prisoners of war. From the establishment of the Repatriation Commission Outpatient Clinic at 310 St Kilda Rd, Southbank, in 1937 the Red Cross maintained the canteen staffed by up to 25 volunteers. The canteen provided tea, coffee, biscuits and company for between 200 and 250 veterans each day waiting their appointments. In 2005, the organisation made an agreement with the Maldives Government to help clear debris created by the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami. In December 2010, aid workers from the Australian Red Cross were sent to Christmas Island to assist the survivors of the 2010 Christmas Island boat disaster. Australian Red Cross volunteers were also active after Cyclone Tracy hit Darwin, the Ash Wednesday bushfires, the Black Saturday bushfires and the 2010–11 Queensland floods. In 2013, the Australian Red Cross was a recipient of the Queensland Greats Awards. Volunteers All Australian Red Cross programs are primarily run, organised, and managed by volunteers with oversight from Red Cross employees. Volunteers are organised into three different groups, responding to different needs: community volunteering - support for homelessness, mental health, migration, youth, family, elderly, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, and people in the justice system support. emergency services - urgent-response programs, such as psychological first aid for those in evacuation centres, door-to-door support following a flood or bushfire, or registering missing persons after disasters on their Register.Find.Reunite platform. retail, customer service, and administration - volunteering at Australian Red Cross Shops (which help fund services), the Melbourne Supporter Services Centre, or in organisational positions like human resources, finance, or legal. Red Cross statistics show that 2.5 million people have, in some form, volunteered