AMBULANCE IN SPAIN

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXIV, Issue 19377, 15 July 1937, Page 14

AMBULANCE IN SPAIN

NURSE'S EXPERIENCES WORK FOR LOYALISTS HOSPITAL BOMBED Now officially attached to the International Brigade, Miss Dorothy Morris, formerly of Christchurch, is continuing her work in the British Ambulance Unit on the loyalist side in the Spanish civil war.

In a fecent letter she deals with the events of last April. Interrupted communications make it impossible to send more recent news. It was posted from the hospital of the International Brigade.

Lack of money has been the difficulty in carrying on the work of the unit. Sir 'George Young, the wellknown former British diplomat, according to. the letter, has visited England to appeal for funds. “This part of the work (children's hospitals, in Almeria) is financed by the: ‘save the childreh’ fund in England,” Miss Morris writes. "Sir George Young brought the original ambulance- unit • out here as a war unit. - He .has had to go back to England to lecture and get funds, and before- her 'left' he ,-attached the unit to tlje (international Brigade. The International' Brigade are stationed Almeria, and Sir George, Young tbok me and introduced me "to their general, a Dane, and their chief, a Viennese. Fine Types of Soldiers

“This brigade is mostly composed of Frenchmen and Germans, with some Poles.an4 Czechoslovaks. They are very. fine types. About a month agQ. .they moved up to a point in Central Spain where Fascists were attacking very heavily. The brigade men have been the shock troops ever since they came to Spain.

“When Sir George Young left he took our ambulance and left it with the brigade, also a driver. He sent word that they wanted me as soon as I could .be spared from Almeria. After two nurses came from England to: help the two already there, our transport officer loaded up and we left one fine morning for the front. It was a‘beautiful drive for two days, mostly through hilly olive country. We ; found Dr. ..Jensen in a field hospital about three miles from the front. It was staffed entirely by men. The hospital was being bombed very frequently, even up to an hour before our arrival. I was the sole woman among 30 men of all possible nationalities, even to a Chinese, who was their cook. . Work, at Base Hospital “It transpired that I was destined for the base hospital and, although it was so latd (10.30 pirn.), Dr. Jensen had my belongings transferred’ to his car and, with our driver, we went about 30 miles: ‘lt Was? bright- moonlight—good 1 bombing light—and once we had to stop dnd put out our lights as a Fascist • aeroplane flew over. 'They simply come swooping down with guns firing at cars, • especially ambulances.

“Finally we arrived 1 ’at a town among' th 6 hills about 12.30 a.m. Here there is a hospital of about 100 beds in a former convent! I was immediately shown over aqd saw the staff in action. There were three Spanish doctors . and two Spanish purses. Some wounded men had just come down by train from the front line. The Spanish girls are good, although some of the things they do make my blood run cold. Dr. Jensen had an idea that I might teach them something of real nursing. . However, you just can't teach a Spaniard anything. . i . That yras nine days-ago.

“Five days and nights- have been very busy as there have been several big actions. We deal with the wounded and evacuate them to a large hospital at Ciudad Real or to Valencia. To-day, was quiet. Dr. Tensen- came to see how I was getting on and to. , prepare us for many wounded. They expect an attack tonight. ; . : Letters have 'just arrived 'rom Almeria. I am to stay longer. Sir Gfcorge Young ;soon returns.”