From an Australian Nurse in Egypt

Kai Tiaki : the journal of the nurses of New Zealand, Volume VIII, Issue 2, 1 April 1915, Page 70

From an Australian Nurse in Egypt

December 19th.

We had nine days m the harbour at Albany (Western Australia), and a wonderful sight it was when we all got m ; thirtyeight Australian transports, I think, forming three divisions, and the New Zealanders a fourth, with the Australian cruisers " Melbourne " and " Sydney," and a British and a Japanese cruiser keeping patrol at the entrance. I got two days ashore, and had a gay time. I was motored into the hills, and as all the wild flowers were m bloom, it was quite a new Australia for us. At night we went without navigation lights, and the ships were m darkness. We knew on the Sunday afternoon that we were near the Germans. Our wireless man picked them up. That night the " Emden passed only twenty miles ahead of us, straight across our lines. At midday Monday we got word that some German warship had been sunk, but it was not till the following day that we knew it was the " Emden " and her collier. There was grekt excitement then, and also four days

later, when, m the early morning, the " Sydney " accompanied by the " Empress of Russia," passed through our lines, carrying wounded and prisoners. No demonstration was made, on account of the wounded and dying; but as they dashed through, at half -past four a.m., forty thousand men stood at attention, just as dawn was breaking. We saw the " Sydney " at Colombo ; she had a good many holes m her, and looked a bit battered. We got here ten days ago ; three days before our arrival the place was taken over as' a hospital. The Australians are here, and the New Zealanders at at the Anglo-Egyptian Hospital. The Imperial Service started it for us, but on Monday our field ambulance take it over, and they all leave, except the matron. She is a Netley sister, has been out here four years, and came down from Khartoum at a moment's notice to organise here. Our people have asked her to stay, for which we are all most truly thankful.