GIRLS IN WAR

Greymouth Evening Star, 22 February 1937, Page 9

GIRLS IN WAR

A WOMAN IN SPAIN. To-day, January 3, I am leaving Spain laden like a mail van. The postal department has gone to pieces —the rebels have scored there. Letters can only go out of the country by hand, and mine is the first hand for several weeks (writes Portia Holman, in the “Sydney Morning Herald” ). Beautiful Spain is sad indeed today, but its people—who are the real Spain—are determined to defeat Fascism. As representative of the Medical Aid Mission to Spain, I arrived at the French frontier early in December with two English doctors and 10 students back from a Paris conference. At Barcelona I- got immediately in touch with the English medical unit base, 'and then with the Catalonian Government Ministers. , Time; was precious, and when I was told at Barcelona that only war trains I were leaving foi’ Valencia at irregular intervals, and taking at their speedliest 12 hours to cover the 250 miles, ' I was just beginning to despair when I the Government put a motor car at my disposal. { The Ministerial car being commisIsioned on my arrival at Valencia folia further journey I had to get back 'to Barcelona by train. I sat the 13 hours on only a few inches of a hard ■ seat during the entire journey. But for all its discomfort I would not have missed it for all the world. Three of my travelling companions were “guardi de assaulto” going on leave, and from 'them I learned much. I liked these three soldiers better than all the Cabinet Ministers' all the scientists, all the officials I have interviewed. They and their fellows are young, gay, generous. I was so glad these lads were going on leave—but after theii- teu days they go back to face Franco and his shells. I saw thousands of their kind, all with the same inspired air, all ready to lay down their lives for freedom and democracy.

The first English medical unit came into being in August last year. It was got together in a few days, and fully equipped and sent off to Spain. When it reached Barcelona it was attached to the “Sanidad,” the health service of the Catalonian Government, and sent to the little village of Garnen, a few miles behind the front, and at the railhead for Barcelona. Arrived at Granen, thfe unit found that the “hospital” was a long-dis-used farmhouse. Every room was deep in dirt, and eveiy member of the unit, men and women alike turned to. and dug their way in for many days, before they even uncovered the floors. While they were in the midst of their preparations the first batch of wounded arrived. Then some officious and ignorant outsiders arrived. These had heard that the English had come to torture the wounded, and it was decided to shoot them! This little misunderstand' ing was cleared up and the work of getting the quarters tolerably clean resumed. The future operating theatres and dressing station were marvellously transformed. Water of any sort was four miles away, and sanitation did not exist. Worst of all, it was an anarchist village, and the unit, having the reputation of being socialist, it was refused petrol, fuel, and help of any sort.

CHEERFUL PHILOSOPHY. There were two operating tables, with instruments, medicines, bandages, sterilisers, anti-tetanus serum, morphia, antiseptics, and anaesthetics in good quantities, but, apart from stretcher beds, there was no living equipment at all. The house was only a shell.

With difficulty we procured tables and a few chairs, and the ingenious among them made shelves and stands from the packing eases in which the instruments had come. They provided themselves with rough mugs, plates, knives and forks. There was a shortage of blankets, and at all costs the patients had to be kept warm. Space was limited.

Downstairs, one large room was given over for eating and recreation, and upstairs a similar room was divided by partitions for a sleeping dormitory. There yas np sign of a bath —not even hot water for washing. Transport was available only for the strictest necessities. The members of the unit, all young people, make faces at the food supplied by the villagers, but are enduring all the discomfort, dirt, bitter cold, and lack of privacy with cheerful philosophy. With enthusiasm and energy they have built up the finest hospital on the Spanish front. . Their lives have been hard in the extreme. Not all days are rush days, but those that are, are very, very hard. The wounded are got in as quickly as the ambulances can bring them. Operation succeeds operation in two theatres, with only the. interval necessary for cleaning up in between. Flesh wounds and minor injuries are treated at the dressing station with no interval at all.

After the last wounded man has been brought in, the routine work begins. Theatres and dressing rooms have to be cleaned, instruments sterilised and put in order, gauze cut. dressings prepared. Patients in pain have to be made as comfortable as possible, all cases getting some necessary attention. To obtain petrol, some members go 15 miles, and water is brought four miles. Moreover, it has to be sterilised before drinking and for the wards and theatres. Stores have to be obtained. Some items come from Barcelona, and for the London committee a daily report is made out. The working day begins at 6 o’clock, aud does not end until 9 or 9.30 p.m. The local folk will not allow a wireless in the hospital, and playing cards as a “bourgeois” amusement is forbidden in the republic!

Not one of the unit’s skilled surgeons or skilled mechanics receives any pay for his or her services. Except for an occasional few hours in Barcelona, there is no break in the heavy routine, and, besides lack of comfort, there arc risk aud danger all the time. Delicately nurtured girls are in that hospital performing tasks which would shake the nerve of the most hardened.