VOLUNTARY AID NURSES.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume II, Issue 568, 4 December 1915, Page 7

VOLUNTARY AID NURSES.

MAJOR BARCLAY'S APPRECIATION

Mr W. W. McKinney, assistant commissioner St. John Ambulance Brigade, has received from Cairo a letter from Major G. Barclay, V.D., of the New Zealand Engineers (who is also-deputy-commissioner of tjie brigade in New Zealand)) in which reference is made to the auxiliary nurses sent out from England by the Order of St. John. The writer says:—"The colours of the Order of St.. John (black and white) and the badge of the St. John Ambulance Brigade have now become familiar in the city of Alexandria, and I have had the opportunity of meeting quite a, number of the nursing sisters who have been sent out by the Order as voluntary aids for the military hospitals in the Near East. They are all very keen in their work, and have won excellent opinions from those members of the medical staff who have had them under their eyes. Some little time ago 100 St. John and 100 Red Cross Voluntary Aid Niirses arrived from England. About half this number went to Cairo, and the remainder are on duty here. The fact that the Order has been able to provide these, in addition to its other huge undertakings, must be a,matter of supreme gratification to all'associated with St. John. These auxiliary nurses have been members of the brigade in peace time, a*id, on being called up for service, have first served as probationers in military hospitals in England.'' In another letter he says:—"l have seen a great deal of the Red Cross work of St. John here. They do an immense business. I have been through their huge stores, and have got interesting information, which I will send later. ... ." He also speaks of the Maheno, and mentions the good work she has been doing.