WANGANUI NURSE HOME FROM FRANCE

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 85, Issue 237, 8 October 1941, Page 4

WANGANUI NURSE HOME FROM FRANCE

SISTER L. GIBB-BROWN » '■— - x SIX YEARS’ ABSENCE FROM NEW ZEALAND Six years ago a Wanganui nur»» left New Zealand for England and . later the Continent of Europe. She was Sister Leita Gibb-Brown, who returned home recently from the United States, where she had taken two help- - less patients from a hospital in the ■ war zone in France. , Sister Gibb-Brown first travelled to England, where she continued with her nursing career, then went to Ger many and later to France. She wa* in France when war broke out. and had many trying experiences in • rushed journey to the coast to obtain passage to America. The German army, then at the peak of its victorious strength was marching swiftly to accomplish the doom of France. Several times it actually reached th, town where she was stationed, but on each occasion she managed to gat away. It was nearly always a ca*« or leaving the town from one side, while the Germans marched tn front the other. She reached an American hospital ship, lying in a French port, and, after a good deal of difficulty, got on board with her two patients. It seemed wonderful to be in the atmosphere of free people and it was with a feeling of relief that she trod the decks of that vessel. But difficulties were by no moans over. There came a peremptory order Ho the ship to stop and for all pas- ; sengers to disembark immediately. "They were given 10 minutes to get off the ship," Sister Gibb-Brown satd The captain had repeatedly signalled that his was an American ship, but ! that made not the slightest difference | After disembarking the passenger* I were told they could go aboard again Naturally, they needed no urging to obey that permission. Even then the presence of war mad' itself felt. The wharf was bombed a* lhe ship was pulling out. Luckily, the vessel got away unhurt and when it headed for the open sea everybody on board felt relieved at having left behind a sad and sorrowful land, then feeling the first bitter taste of a war more devastating than any Franc*, tn her long history, had ever experienced. Food even then, was terribly scarce in France. Miss Gi-bb-Brown said. She i was almost starved and became very I thin. Sister Mildred Gibb-Browm. who re- ; cently returned from oversea* and 1* lon leave in Wanganui, is a Miter They are the daughters of Mr. and Mr- G W. Gibb-Brown, of Koromlko Road. Wanganui. Prior to her appointment for service overseas. Sistei , Mildred Gibb-Brown had charge of * ' hospital at Hunterville.