Letters from oar Nurses Abroad
Sister Cherry, whose interesting sketch of Hospital Train duty, appears m another column, writes from the Persian Gulf : Her ship had been to France taking wounded men over to England, and after the great rush m September had returned to the Persian Gulf. Sister says: "I shall never forget our first trip up the "Gulf" as long as I live. We lay at anchor 73 miles from Basia, a calm sea, blazing sun, not a sound of life, except the crowds of sharks swimming round and round us, a purple haze over everything. Three days later a smaller ship arrived and we exchanged passengers — our strong, healthy Scotch Canadian doctors for her 500 worn out men — boys of all ages, living skelet ons ; ent eric , dy sent ery , cholera , malaria, heat stroke had done their work. How the boys lived at all I do not know. I found myself unable to remain below m the ward for more than an hour at a stretch. Then I gained the deck, face like fire, clothes wet to my apron, and simply gasping for air. Patients and crew collapsed one after the other. The ship circled and turned, endeavouring to force air through the ports. How thankful we were to reach Bombay, even though thunder and lightning greeted us. Now we are at the " Bar " the intense heat has gone.
Nurse Minnie Walshe, who had been m Australia for a few years after leaving New Zealand, wrote from the Victoria War Hoipital, Bombay, where she was with more Australians nursing the men from Mesopotamia.
Mrs. Marples (Nurse Purcell) wrote from London, where she and her husband are now being attached to the Army Service Corps.
Sister Keith writes m October from Nasrieh Military Hospital, Cairo. She and Sister Murray were the only New Zealand nurses there. Sister Keith had been for a week to the Rest Home at Aboukir, and Sister Jean Muir had been invalided to England, as she was suffering from gastric trouble. The hot summer was at an end. They had not been very busy, but when sister wrote a great number of patients were coming m from S
Mrs. Holgate writes from After her long illness, caused by overwork strain m France m the early days of war, Mrs Holgate is feeling much better and hoped to return to New Zealand, but has been advised to wait a little longer. She is now able to help again and was
Sister Mary Collins writes telling of herself and her friend, Sister Higginson. They were at the Red Cross Rest Home for Nurses at Melton Lodge, Great Malvern. They had arrived from Egypt, where they were last working m a Red Cross Hospital m October, and had stayed at first at Queen Mary's Hostel, which Miss Collins said was an absolute God- send to over-sea nurses who have no friends m England. They were hoping to leave for France the following week.
Sister Mabel Crook wrote from Cairo, from the Sirdarieh Officers' Hospital, m November. They had had a very exciting morning when a Taube flew over and dropped several bombs, killing twentytwo people,and injuring six. They did no damage to buildings of any consequence, only making holes m the streets, and breaking glass windows. Sister wrote that very few New Zealand Sisters remained m Cairo. It is probable she, too, has now rejoined the N.Z. Unit m England.
Sister Cooke, who is with the Australians, wrote from H.M.H.S. Lanflanc, m the Mediterranean Ocean. She and Sister Scott had left Australia m August, and had been m England for nine weeks, and were then on their way to rejoin there own unit m Egypt- They were, however, later to be sent to France as some of the Sisters were knocking lip there. Some of the Australian sisters had been working at Brockenhurst , and m spite of hard work, had enjoyed it, and could not say enough for the way the New Zealand orderlies worked. Another thing that pleased them was the supply of comforts for the men.
Sister Elizabeth Young wrote from the Dunluce Castle. She expected shortly to go to England and rejoin the N.Z. Unit.
Sister Westobey wrote m November from the 27th General Hospital, Cairo. Work was very slack and she felt they ought to go to where they were needed more badly. They were, however, expecting fighting on the Canal, so probably were busy later.
Sisters Hood and Lewis had left for transport duty between Suez and Bombay. Sister Craig was on the Hospital Ship Carisbrooke Castle, running between France and Southampton.
Sister May Chalmers Avrote from Walton-on-Thames, where she was very happy, except for the intense cold, which she said struck home terribly after the two summers m Sunny Egypt. She writes of Oaklands, a new hospital just opened :
"It is truly a lovely place ; if the boys are not happy they should be. They love this place (Walton) and always leave it with regret, and certainly life is made very nice for them, and they have beautiful food."
Sister says also : "We had a most interesting trip over. We went to Madras by the Braemar Castle and joined the Britannic there. The latter is a most wonderful ship. It must be like
a floating palace m peace times, when properly fitted up. The cabins are like small rooms with two nice bedsteads m, and every luxury, but if she was wrecked I should think she would be nothing but a death trap. We met an enemy submarine and saw the periscope, but they evidently decided to leave us alone, though they have threatened to sink the Britannic because of her size."
It was on the next trip to that sister describes that the Britannic was sunk.
Sister M. Grigor, who has been attached to the staff of the New Zealand Hospital at Walton, just now is suffering from an attack of rheumatism. She has gone to the New Zealand Nurses' Convalescent Home at Sandwich.
Sister Young, who was on board the Marquette at the time that vessel was torpedoed, and was then posted for duty on the Hospital Ship Dunluce Castle, has recently been at Queen Mary's Hostel m London. She has left that institution now and has gone to the New Zealand Hospital, Walton-on-Thames,
Sister M. Tucker (Christchurch) has quite recently had two narrow escapes from shipwreck. She was on board the Britannic — voyage before that vessel was lost, and she had previously been on the Braemar Castle. As all the world knows these vessels were sunk within a day or two of each other. At the present time Miss Tucker is at Queen Mary's Hostel at Bedford-place.
Sister E. Tuke is now on the staff of the New Zealand Military Hospital at Codford. She recently arrived from New Zealand by one of the transports.
Sister M. Montgomery is at the N.Z. Nurses' Convalescent Home at Sandwich. She is just a little out of health and m need of a rest. Sister M.B. Beswick has also been at the same institution for a rest after duty at Walton-on-Thames.
Sister J. Muir, from the Hospital Ship Dunluce Castle, is laid up with an attack of gastritis. She is now m England, and will shortly be returning to New Zealand.
Sister I. L. Bennett, E. Curtis, and K. F. Kitching have lately arrived from France, where they have been on, duty, and they are now at the Ist New Zealand General Hospital, Brockenhurst. They are suffering from debility and m need of a rest.
Miss May Palmer (Wellington) is at present on leave from the Hospital Ship Asturias. She was previously at military hospital m France.
Miss Agnes Allan (Waipiro Bay) is now attached to the 32nd General Hospital at Amara, m Mesopotamia. On her way there she spent one day m Busra and then proceeded by river. She says that the quarters are very comfortable and the food is good, though most of it is tinned. Excellent fish is served every day, and mutton which is only inferior to that of New Zealand. When she last wrote m August the heat was very intense, the thermometer registering from 108deg to 114deg m the mess room. Besides the heat the other drawbacks to their interesting life seem to be limited to scorpions and snakes and disturbances by night by jackals and wild cats.
Miss E. G. Williams, Q.A.LM.N.S.R. (Te Ante) , has returned to England after doing almost a year's nursing at Gibraltar and Malta, and has been having a week or two's rest at the New Zealand Convalescent Home at Sandwich.
Sisters W. X. Anderson, E. L. Wilkin, M. Grigor, and M. Montgomery, have all had a little respite at the convalescent home at Sandwich, which is such a boon to New Zealand nurses.
Sister Ethel Taylor wrote from Malta. She was still on the staff of H.M.H.S. Valdivia.
Sister Maud Mitchell wrote from No. 1 N.Z. Stationary Hospital. They had just had a visit from Mr. Massey and Sir Joseph Ward. The sisters were having some experience of aerial warfare. They were frequently disturbed by bombs from Zeppelins, and had to retire to the cellar. They were all well except for cold, but rather dreaded the cold winter approaching.
Mrs. Salt (Mildred Ellis) wrote from Brockenhurst m November. They had had a glorious autumn, but felt the cold very much. She was night charge sister, not so busy as a few weeks before, but expecting a convoy to fill their hospital. Captain Salt was still at Salonika.
Sister Craig wrote from London. She was on the staff of the Hospital Ship Carisbrook Castle, doing the Channel run, and had patients from all parts of the British Empire. Sister had been for six months at the hospital for sick sisters at Vincent Square, London. There she had had a very varied assortment of patients ; British representation from all the colonies.
Sister Elizabeth Nixon wrote from Codford Hospital, where she is now Matron. She had Sister Calder and Bird with her, and she had also some of the more recent arrivals, and the staff was made up of V.A.D.'s.
, Sister Margaret Nixon is m India at Kirka, also Sister Eleanor Brown fiom Timaru.
Sister Violet Barker wrote from Walton-on-Thames. She had had a never-to-be-forgotten time there ; real active service m marquees. As showing some of the work done at Walton during the great rush Sister's letter is very interesting. The New Zealand sisters had not arrived from Egypt and they were very short handed at Walton, when about twelve Canadian sisters were sent to relieve the strain. Convoys were pouring m daily. Eight marquees were put up one day on the lawn, and a convoy of sixty-five men soon filled them. There were many bad cases ; compound fractures, abdominal wounds, and big flesh wounds. Sister had three orderlies and two V.A.D.'s from the scullery to help until the Canadian sisters came. The dressing and feeding of over 100 patients was a great business. Later a new annexe, ward for 73 patients was built, and sister says they were glad to get the poor boys m out of the wet and mud, though they hated the ward for a while. Sister Maclntyre was then m charge of the ward and Sister Barker got a few days off m London for a rest at Queen Mary's Hostel. Sister Barker remained m England when the Marama (of which ship she was on the staff), left on account of her brother, who had been wounded m France, but was fortunately doing well.
A very interesting letter was received from Miss Nelson, so well-known to many nurses as sub-matron at Christen urch Hospital and who resigned that position m order to offer herself for active service at Home. After being many months m Egypt Sister Nelson was sent to Mesipotamia, where she formed the No. 32 General Hospital at Amara. She writes about the journey up the Tigris: — "Transport was difficult m those days and only eight sisters could come up m the paddle boats at a time, so our unit of 26 became very much divided up. After working a month m Basea with the regular sisters of the Indian Nursing Service, the last eight of us came urj here early m June. We were issued rations ; bully beef, biscuits, cheese, bread, butter, potatoes, tea, onions and a few extras, and told we must do for ourselves m the paddle boat. There were four tiny little cabins, which we used for dressing, and
slept on the deck. We couldn't quite see how we were going to cook m the ship's galley. I think we would have done without cooking if it had not been for the native servants who happened to be coming up, and we commandeered them, a cook and a bearer, but the second night out the cook fell overboard and was drowned, but the bearer, although upset at losing his mate, kept us going with tea and boiled eggs, bought from the Arabs on the river bank. There were a few Tommies travelling up and they put up our camp beds for us, but there was little provision made for sisters travelling. We even had to bail our own water out of the river. The captain was most neglectful and the boat was filthy. I shall never forget the mosquitoes. We took four days instead of two to do the trip and our bread got mouldy and the heat was impossibleto describe. We weretowing a beautiful motor boat, which took fire and had to be cut adrift, and when we got to the Garden of Eden, we heard of Kitchener's tragic end, so it was a most depressing trip. Two of the sisters were quite ill when we arrived here but our matron soon cheered us up and had got wonderful little cubicles ready for us and a nice mess room, all looking so bright and fresh and nice cool drinks. The hospital was very busy. I was sent straight to open the first mud hut that was built for an enteric division. Now we have all mud huts m place of tents, which are not of any use m this awful heat. I have had enterics all the time and I think on the whole they have done really well, but June and July were awful months and many collapsed with the heat. Heat strokes were not uncommon ; the collapsed cases were the worst I think. A man would be fairly well during the morning, but perhaps collapsed between three and four and died m an hour or two. I had three deaths m four hours one afternoon. We had practically no ice and one felt so helpless. But now we have punkahs and plenty of ice. We still (September) get it 108 and 110 m the shade, but it is like spring to what we have had. I often wonder however we did it, I must admitthat there is only one of our unit who has not been on the sick list. I have just had twelve days off with sand-fly fever. Had a temperature 105° for two days, and shall never forget my
headache, which seems to attack you at the back of the eyes. It is like glorified influenza, the fever only lasts three or four days, but it leaves you feeling like nothing on earth. I felt sad at breaking my record, as I had not been off duty sick, for over twelve years. At the beginning of August the 32nd General Hospital, which travelled out with us, came and took over this place and increased the beds from 500 to 1040, so we now have fifty-three sisters and work is quite light to what it has been, and we are getting good time off duty. The camp has grown wonderfully. They are just opening the 13th hut. We are promised a month's leave after doing six months m this country. We are situated right on the banks of the Tigris, about a mile above Amara. We are not allowed to journey noith without an escort, as there are still snipers at night, and the Arabs prowling about are awful thieves. They have not yet molested the sisters. We all sleep outside, almost on the river bank. I am sure I shall never like sleeping m agian. The medical officers are getting us a tenis court now it is cooler, and on the opposite side of the river is a large Remount Depot, and an Australian officer who has charge is giving several of us riding lessons on some of the cavalry chargers. He is a wonderful horseman and takes three of us out on leading reins together, and we gallop across the desert m the evening and the early morning before duty. So we get our little pleasures m the midst of everything, or really I don't think we could have kept going. They are most kind to us. They have the most wonderful gun- boats up here and the officers invite us to dinner occasionally; a great treat, as we get potatoes, which we haven't had for four months. The smaller craft are all the " fly " class, being called the Butterfly, Gadfly, Snakefly, etc., and the bigger ones the Gnat, Moth, etc. There are only a few Australians and New Zealanders up here. Several Australians m the flying corps."
Sister Nelson is probably now on her furlough after her six months' service. Her letter shows the life the sisters have had, and how ungrudgingly they bear the terrible heat and hardships.
Another very interesting letter came from the same hospital from Miss Agnes Allan, whom many nurses will remember as senior sister at Mast ei ton, and later Matron of Waipiro Bay. Miss Allan went Home m September 1915 and joined the G.A.J.M.N.S.R. and was sent to a military hospital ward, where she was for seven months, and for two months had charge of the operating theatre. At this hospital were also Nurse Sheiidan, from the Napier . Hospit al, and Nurse Sylvia Brown, of Waipawa and Timaru. Sister Allan unfortunately contracted pneumonia just as she was given charge of a large surgical ward, and was very disappointed not to be able to take the duty. She was well looked after m the sisters' quarters, and had a special nurse night and day, and made a good recovery and was sent to Sandwich Bay (a photograph of this Rest Home for New Zealand nurses lent by Mr. Astor, is m another column), where she b ad very pleasant t imes . Later, Miss Allan was detailed for duty m Mesopotamia. En route she stayed at the Khedivical Hotel, and to her astonishment found Miss Bennett, formerly Matron of Stratford Hospital, m charge. Here also were Sisters Ellen Cor liss, Phoebe Reynolds, McCosh, Smith, and Condick. 'We had a very happy time together. We travelled by hospital train from Alexandria to Suez, and Sister Condick was m charge of the train. She was very good to us. We did not see much of the country through which we passed, as we travelled at night. This train went as far as Suez with us. At Suez we embarked once more, this time on the H.S. " Dongola." The nursing staff on board consisted of five New Zealanders and five Australians. We had a rough trip across to Bombay ; the majority of us were seasick. In addition to the heat and sickness we were all inoculated against paratyphoid and cholera, so we had a rather bad time. Everybody was heartily thankful to get on dry land once more, although the " monsoon " is on, and one gets drenched repeatedly. The rain simply comes down like a deluge. On landing we were driven to the Taj Mahal Hotel — a magnificent place. After three days' rest we were all drafted off to different hospitals, some m Bombay and some to Secunderabad. My destination
was the Victoria War Hospital. We were told we should not be going any further. However, after working there for a fortnight some of us got orders to leave Abuist immediately for Basra. I was very happy at the "Victoria." We were busy all the time, almost all the cases were from Mesopotamia, both medical and surgical, and a great many of them were desperately ill. The medical staff were all I.M.S. men. The Matron (Miss Nye) and six sisters, who opened the hospital m May, belong to a private unit which is supported by ladies m India. At present they are lent to the British Government. We all adored Miss Nye, she was awfully good to us. We just had a few hours to get packed and shop for the next stage of our journey. There were so many things to get, and the rain was coming down m torrents the whole time. Unless one has seen it one cannot imagine what it is like. One daren't go out without a huge umbrella, even on the finest day, it comes on so suddenly. We sailed for Basra on July 28th on the H.S. "Vita," a very nice ship. I shall never forget that trip ; the heat was appalling, and we struck a cyclone. Fortunately we had a nice ward and were not overcrowded. We numbered thirty. It was much too hot to be on deck, even under the awnings, excepting the morning and evenings. I loved the sail up the Shal-el-Arab. It is about sixty miles from the mouth of the river to Basra, and almost all the way the date palms grow luxuriantly on either side of the river. The palms were all laden with dates, and looked awfully pretty. Dotted here and there along the banks were Arab villages. We spent one night m Basra, then proceeded up the river to Amara m a paddle steamer. I think the distance between Basra and Amara is seventy-five miles, but it took us three days to come up. We all slept on a small part of the deck, and were packed like herrings m a tin. There are about six hospitals m Amara, and on landing we were divided into several groups and sent to the different hospitals. This hospital is a huge one on the banks of the Tigris. Our Matron is a regular, who went through the South African War. There is a Sister Nelson here, who was on the staff of the Christchurch Hospital for some time. I've also met Sister Carrie Jones, from New Zealand.
She is very well, but much thinner. This country takes it out of everybody. We are kept pretty busy. The majority of our cases are medical, dysentery, para typhoid and enteric being the chief complaints, and a few cases of cholera."
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Bibliographic details
Kai Tiaki : the journal of the nurses of New Zealand, Volume X, Issue 1, 1 January 1917, Page 6
Word Count
3,809Letters from oar Nurses Abroad Kai Tiaki : the journal of the nurses of New Zealand, Volume X, Issue 1, 1 January 1917, Page 6
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