Letters from our Nurses Abroad and at Sea

Kai Tiaki : the journal of the nurses of New Zealand, Volume X, Issue 3, 1 July 1917, Page 133

Letters from our Nurses Abroad and at Sea

B. E. Force

No. 37 Field Ambulance,

France, February 14th, 1917. Dear Miss Maclean, — I have been much interested in the New Zealand nurses' letters of their experiences published in " Kai Tiaki." I wonder if it would interest you to know something of a special hospital attached to a field ambulance. I believe there are only two or three such hospitals, with a small staff of sisters, in existence. They are much nearer the firing line than the casualty clearing station. The one of which I am in charge, is for severe abdominals, chest wounds, or head injuries only. I have a sister, a staff-nurse, and orderlies as staff. Unfortunately, the field ambulances are constantly moving on, so that one has to begin afresh to train raw material at each change. Some have only stayed a fortnight. The little hospital is in a chateau, and has accommodation for fifty officers and Tommies. Invariably the patients reach us in a very collapsed condition, and consequently we have many deaths, which is very depressing. I recently had ten New Zealanders, four of whom, unfortunately, died within a few hours of admission. The theatre is small, but very complete, and most of the operating is done at night. The reason being that, as a rule, the patients do not reach us until after dark. We have found the weather conditions very trying of late. There has been twenty degrees of frost. The country round has been snow-clad, and frost-bound for weeks. To give you an idea of some difficulties, I will tell you that our ward linen has been frozen in the tubs at the laundry for a month, indeed, some for six weeks ! Coal and paraffin have been very short also. Ice has been found inside the chateau in all the water receptables and on some of the windows (inside) to the depth of half an inch. Some days it was almost impossible to do more work than was absolutely necessary. Yet, in spite of it, we are flourishing. The last two or three days it has been thawing, and the cold is much more bearable. This little hospital is about eight miles from Arras, a very much shelled town.

Some little time ago I had the good fortune to be taken to see it. I had to wear a shell helmet, and carry a gas helmet by way of precaution. This, I think is an experience which has fallen to the lot of very few sisters. I will try and give you a few of the impressions of the town. It is within a mile and a quarter of the German lines. Although it is in ruins, it still resembles a town — every street is clearly there, with the front walls of the houses and shops standing on either side. As we passed through the ancient gateway— where one's passes were examined by the British and French sentries — its stillness struck one as being uncanny. Except for the echoing of one's footsteps in the empty streets, the occasional whirr of an aeroplane and the rat-tat-tat of German machine-guns and the frequent thunder of our own guns, there were no sounds to be heard. There are still many of the inhabitants living in the cellars of the ruined buildings, but I did not see more than half a dozen during my two hours' stay there. In several places I was shown where masonry had been struck and brought down by fragments of shell less than twelve hours before I walked through the town. The greatest ruin is in the chief squares, and amongst the once prominent and beautiful buildings of this beautiful old Spanish-built city. The Hotel de Ville is merely a vast stone heap. The Cathedral still has some walls standing, but the ruin is a mass of fallen masonry. The Raseum near by is also in the same condition. The big railway station I did not see, as it was too dangerous a spot to go near. In the squares there still remain ; barricades and barbed-wire entanglements erected by the Germans in the early days of the war. Everywhere one went one saw signs of smashed bedsteads, chairs, articles of clothing and pictures still hanging on remaining walls. The thing that struck one very forcibly, was, in spite of ruin everywhere, the extraordinary cleanliness and air of order in the streets, due to the work of the British Tommy. I saw much else of interest, but, of course, cannot, for obvious reasons, write about anything more. The guns have been very busy all day, and whilst I have been writing this, the force

of the explosions has shaken this chateau considerably. At night the sky is lit up by each flash, and when an explosion sounds more than usually near, it gives one a horrid little quaking feeling. I recently returned from leave to England, and on my way back I spent the night at No . 6 Stationary Hospital, where Sister Ethel Dement (of Wellington Hospital) is stationed. Unfortunately she was away on leave. I saw her at Rouen many months ago, when the Australian General Hospital first arrived there. She was billeted for a night at the General Hospital to which I was at that time attached. I have seen several New Zealanders from time to time in different parts of France. You may perhaps be interested to hear that I was " mentioned " in dispatches in January last ! . I seem to have covered a great deal of paper, so must conclude. Yours sincerely, L. E. James, (Q.A.I.M.N.S.)

H.M.H.S.Essequibo, C/o G.P.0., London. As I think you know, after arrival in England Miss Benjamin and myself were sent down to Bristol to the Beaufort Hospital. Miss Benjamin was rient abroad in September, but I remained on. I got my orders the second week this January to be ready about the 11th February, and joined this ship on the 22nd March. For the last eight months at Beaufort I did night super work, and found if very interesting. We have 1,600 beds, and in June of 1916, when we became really busy, life was fairly strenuous, and the patrol of that building was no sinecure. Our cases, some of them very badly wounded, were hustled across from France to keep pace for the relays of men from the casuality clearing stations. In pre-war days many of those cases it would have been considered impossible to move even from one bed to another, but times are changed, and it is simply wonderful how the poor creatures bear their suffering without murmur, and how wonderfully they recover. Within the last six months 200 beds at the Beaufort have been converted into an ortheopeadic centre for the west country,

and I have seen some very interesting work done. Captain Hays- Grove is in charge, and he has a large staff, and some very fine appliances. By the way, his " Text-book for Nurses " is well worth any nurse's while to possess. The Captain is a very clever operator, and his bone grafting cases are marvels. I saw an united fracture of the femur treated, by a piece of tibia, three inches long, half-inch thick, driven through a drilled hole into the femur, two incisions having been made in the thigh- The £ peg ' was inserted in the bone through the incision on the outer aspect, whilst the surgeon guided it through the upper incision. It seemed to me to be a very clever piece of mechanical work, the electric saw with which the bone was removed from the tibia, a wonderful instrument . The patient was doing very well when I left the hospital. Well, I joined the ship and got what I asked for in my first interview with Miss Beecher at last, and left Liverpool for Canada with invalided Canadians. We reached Halifax yesterday afternoon after a lovely smooth passage, meeting no adventure on the way. We ' spoke ' a few ships, one, however, did not even salute us ; never heard what she was. The whole 500 patients were off by 7 p.m., pretty quick work ; last time this ship came over here it took five days to unload her. The hospital trains are very luxurious. They have been made out of the Canadian Pacific Railway stock, and are monuments of solidity. The construction of them gives one the idea that money did not count when they were built. Beautiful leadlights in the corridor windows, carving, beautiful upholstery, etc,, and the kitchen and storage compartments very serviceable and compact. The thing that struck me most about the whole train was its appearance of durability, a system of heating pipes going through the whole train was very good. In the cars where the walking cases were, there were seats holding two people each, facing each other. These could be pulled out and a bed quite comfortable made up on them. To-day we have lovely sunshine, bright and clear like a winter's day in our own land. Oh, I have pined for months now for just such a day as this I'm sitting on deck simply revelling in it'

Presently we are to go to church. The Padre is nice, and also the ship's company. Matron is a lady who has lived twelve years in Palestine before this war, and is very interesting. I think I am the only one of the staff who has not been East, but that is a treat in store I hope. On her return voyage last time, this ship was stopped by a submarine, interrogated, and told to proceed with a : ' God-speed and pleasant voyage." God grant it may always be so. One can easily

imagine the anxious time the ship's officers have. I can't conceive the awful calamity of our dear old captain being taken away from us. He is a splendid old man, and but for the war would have been retired. We sail from Halifax on the sth, ought to reach England about ten days later then, no one knows where. Enclosed are copies of pamphlets issued to the men in my ward (I ought to have told you I had the T.B. ward). Sorry to say some of them very bad cases. Many never got further than England, must have been a great expense. I had two haemorrhages whilst

coming over. I have not the least idea when I shall return to New Zealand, but be quite sure I am longing for the day to come when this miserable war is over, and we can settle down again. I long to see the hills of Wellington and all my friends at home. No place like :< God's Own Country." Please give my kindest regards to any of my friends whom you may see, and with grateful remembrances, I am, yours faithfully, Doea Gill.

Gener a 1 Hospita 1 , Amara, Mesopotamia, April 13th, 1917. 1 thought you might like to have a little letter from Baghdad as at present I am on duty on one of the paddle boats, which bring our sick and wounded down. They have now two sisters on each of the larger boats We have a very busy time going down, and, of course, like hospital ships, nothing to do on the return journey, which is very much longer. This river has such a 'strong current and we are laden with a barge on

each side of fodder, and 650 Indian troops on board. It is a week to-day since we left Basra, and expect to get in to Baghdad to-morrow. We are now nearing Otesiphan. It is most interesting passing all these places where our troops have been and fought so well ; it is sad to think so many have been left behind. There is absolutely no evidence of fighting except the trenches, and barbed wire entanglements. It is truly w onder fu 1 how th e enor mo us a niou nt of equipment and the guns we captured have all been cleared, and it is indeed a desolate looking country. It will always remain a mystery to me how our men got from Kut to Baghdad in so short a time, February 25th to March 1 lth - They arc indeed wonderful, and they are all so bucked with this great success, that everyone's mental condition has gone up fifty per cent., which one feels certain will make a marvellous difference to the number of sick this summer. The general idea is that most of them will be kept in Baghdad, and not bring them all the way down this hot river, although they can get right to Basra in four or five days, and about two days to Amara, and our hospital is in a most excellent condition now, any number of electric fans and lights, and we shall have plenty of ice, and we shall have much better stores. The people of Hastings, Christchurch, and Dunedin have been most generous in sending me most wonderful supplies of stores. Of course, we are all wondering what the moves are going to be. Two stationary hospitals have gone to Baghdad, but I fear we are too well equipped to be moved now. Ido hope we shall see .something of Baghdad, but our orders may be to return at once. However, we do about two months on the boats, so hope to have an opportunity of seeing the wonderful old city. We are most wonderfully comfortable on these boats, new out from the Clyde about five or six weeks ago, and specially built for the river. We carry about 500 wounded just on stretchers on the deck. This is my first trip above Amara, but we took a big convoy down to Basra, including twenty officers. We have camp beds for the latter, and do what we. can. It is difficult getting about amongst the stretchers. We do all dressings necessary but don't have time for much more ; we a lso had fifty wounded Turkish prisoners,

and with barges full with Indian troops we don't do anything for the Indians unless urgent. We passed Kut (where poor Gen. Townsend spent so many weary months) in the very early morning, and could plainly see where the bombarding had wrecked some of the Avails and the dome of the Minaret is blown off. A group of palm trees close b}^ seemed to have suffered most. There is not a single person in Kut, nothing but starving cats they say. It is full of disease, no (me goes near. There are various rumours that it will be burnt down and also that a new Kut will be built further down the river where our camp is at present . It is quite a small place, but picturesque. Mostly the country is barren and nothing but desert as far as the eye can sec. We had all been promised a month's leave in India as we have been a year up here now, which is really hard to believe, but since these operations, all leave has been cancelled. I am afraid this is not a very interesting letter, but it is difficult to write when one's thoughts are distracted so often. Elsie Nelson.

Sister Kate Stephenson, who is on leave from the Public Health Department, writes as follows from Codford : '' Very many thanks to the Public Health Department for the Christmas parcel. And such a gift, just everything one requires, and then the N.Z. leather bag was just the finishing touch. I just had to swank that bag in London, when I went on my ten days 3 leave. Uniform or no uniform, that baa was not to be resisted. About three weeks later I received another parcel from the Health Department from Auckland I fancy ; soap, hank's and powder, as a result I shine and smell nice." Sister writes of her trip across to England in the Marama : "I came over to England from Egypt in the Marama with twenty-four other New Zealand sisters. Such a re-union. Ward A was just like a monkey house, the fun, and the chattering, and many of us who had never been to England, wore so excited at the thought of seeing it. And how we enjoyed the broad and butter after Egypt, and the 500 Tommies, didn't they revel in the trip

across. Christmas Day the tables looked beautiful, and laden with good things, and surrounded by the shining faces of the men, made us all wish you all in New Zealand could have had a peep at them. I'm sure those Englieh lads think New Zealand is surely a land flowing with milk and honey. " Never had such a blow-out in my life/' one confided to me. " The Marama compares more than favourably with the P. and 0. and Castle Line hospital ships, in everything except deck space ; the lovely leather pillows and wide cots are beautiful, and also the food is better, as it is in our hospitals, as compared with the English ones. Miss Gram told us she much regretted no many New Zealand sisters were being recalled to our own unit in England ; thought more of us should have been left for our mountecls in Egypt. I spent my leave in London with Sister Clara Joidan, of Atild Street, Auckland. We were fortunate in being able (thanks to the matron) to have our leave together. Miss Margaret Bilton writes from Malta, where she has been on duty since leaving the ill-fated hospital ship Dover Castle, on which she was for seven months. She writes to &ay how much she appreciate?; ' ; Kai Tiaki , ' ' whic h keeps the nurses in touch with dear little New Zealand. Malta was at its best with the lovely spring flower;; out ; the patients from Salonika appreciate them so much. Sister Elizabeth Wilson writes from the Lady Willingdon Army Nurses' Club Bombay. Sisters Wilson, Nicoll, Rhind, and Stokes were on hospital : hip duty, but expected boon to go to England. Sisters Nicoll and Rhind were ill and at ( olabar Hospital, but were improving. They had had malaria, or sand-fly fever. Sister Wilson hopes to return to New Zealand on transport duty. She is engaged to be married to Mr. James M'Hardie, of the S.S. Banca, and will be married about Christmas time and make her future home in Scotland. These sisters had been on the South African run, calling at German East African ports and picking up Imperial African Colonials and Cape boys, and taking them to Dunban and Capetown. The heat was not quite so bad as from Bombay, but they

had had dreadful trips and these seas were not safe owing to enemy mines and submarines. Sister , Cormack sends the following account of the H.M.S. Oxfordshire : "The matron, Miss Conway-Jones, R.R.C., is a member of the Territorial Force Nursing Service — all the others are Queen, Alexandra Reserves, including two Australian sisters. Five of us have been on since May Ist last year, and the others came on in Malta in June, so we are quite old stagers. We have been to Salonika, Malta, England (and while there, had leave during which some of us went to Edinburgh) Havre, then out to Bombay, calling at Port Said and Suez. Did several trips up the Persian Gulf, and while there met a number of New Zealand sisters on the various ships. Also just before we left Bombay we saw the Marama staff. Since December we have been running between German East Africa and Durban and Capetown, so surely we are seeing enough of the world. Our complement is six hundred and thirty patients so we are not overworked in spite of being two sisters short of the number . I was hoping to send a photo of the ship, but cannot get one just now. Of course we all think there is no ship like her. The ship's officers are very good to us — everything is done to make us as happy as possible. When in harbour we can always have boats, either row boats or the launch to go " exploring." Even up at Shalt-al-Arab, when we were anchored waiting for the patients to be brought down — our ship was too big to go up the river — the launch was down every day, and if the captain heard we had friends on any of the other hospital ships, we could always be sent across to visit. The biggest drawback to this life is the uncertainty of mails — it is so difficult to give an address that can be considered fairly permanent. At present we are still waiting for a mail we should have had in Bombay, at least it came in the day after we left. If we wait long enough we shall no doubt be rewarded. On active service we get reconciled to all that sort of thing. I was fortunate in getting " Kai Tiaki " for October from one of the Marama sisters — July's was the only one I got last year, but the others are probably following us round.

Letters from the recent transports have been received. Sister Mills writes "At Sea" on 30th April. She and Sister Child, Sister McNie, and Mandon had had a very happy voyage, and with the exception of one very sad case of a Maori officer, wh,o was operated upon for acute appendicitis and died the third day, the cases in hospital had done well. They had had cases of pneumonia, septic throats, rheumatism in septic hand chronic appendicitis, seven influenza, and as many as twenty-two cases at a time, eighty when very busy. Sister Brandon and McNie were glad to help the staff sisters, therefore the inclusion of nursing sisters in this transport was well justified. Very nice arrangements had been made for the sisters on board. They had their own sitting room, a little white cabin with rose-pink furnishings, and were delighted to have it to themselves, as it made life much more comfortable.

Miss Brooke writes from the Marama , and mentions the stay in Albany, when the personnel of the hospital ship gave a concert in the Town Hall as an acknowledgement of the hospitality so freely offered by the people there.

Sisters Lloyd, Metge, Nicholson, and Miss Hetherington, who went with the 26th Reinforcements, were detained for some time in Sydney, and were guests at Cavell House at Sunnier Hill. Sister Lloyd writes : We are guests of the Red Cross here, and are having a very good time. Are staying at the " Edith Cavell House/' a most beautiful place just opened for military nurses, and it is so comfy. One room is called the New Zealand Room, as all the furniture was given by a New Zealand firm, John Chambers and Co. ; it is very pretty, rose-pink and white. Lady Helen Munro Ferguson came here to afternoon tea on Friday. She is very nice, and was so interested in the New Zealand nurses and troops. Mrs. (Dr.) Morton, who was a Prince Alfred nurse, is bringing cars to take us motoring round the place this afternoon, and we are looking forward to it so. She is also taking us all to the theatre to-morrow night to see " Outcast,"

Mrs. (Dr.) Studdy, another Prince Alfred nurse, is taking us to afternoon tea tomorrow afternoon, so you see we are being well lookf d after. The mat] on h,€ 1 e is Miss Willow, and was trained as Prince Alfred Hospital. She lias been veiy kind to us all. It rained hard the first three days we were here, and was very cold, but now the weather is lovely. We have visited most of the big shops and principal buildings, and several of the bays, but still have a lot to see. We have called on Miss Ennis, the principal matron here. CAVELL HOUSE. Her Excellency, Lady Helen Munro Ferguson, who was accompanied by Lady Doris Blackwood, paid an informal visit of inspection to Cavell House, Prospect Road, Summer Hill, of which she is the patroness. Lady Cullen, the matron, miss Willow, and members of the house committee, Mrs. Sinclair Gillies, Miss Kendal Davies, and Miss E. Teece (hon secretary) received the viceregal visitors, and there were also present Mr. J. O. Fairfax, chairman, and several members of the Red Cross executive. Her Excellency, who was taken all over the house and into the garden and greenhouses, was delighted with all she saw, commenting upon the cheerful and homelike aspect of the place, and admiring some of the pretty needlework with which some donors have beautified their gifts of bed linen. The flowers which were used in masses to decorate the house in honour of the day, were much admired, although, the chryanthemums in the garden were dashed by the recent rain. Miss Teece says that the garden flowers are a splendid asset as they form a great attraction in the Cavell House shop, 256 George Street, which is (pen every Wednesday for the sale of produce for the benefit of Cavell House. The shop has a brisk turnover, and is the means of adding considerably to the exchequer of the house committee, The "apple pie" neatness of the rooms was a great credit to the V.A.D.'s who take it in turn to do the housework, a married couple being the only paid servants to do the gardening and cooking respectively. The Ashfield and Drummoyne V.A.B.'s were on duty yesterday and served tea in the dining room. Several army nurses from New Zealand and Tasmania, who are staying at Cavell House until their departure in a transport, were present. Sister Taylor and Staff Nurse Trebilco, of Tasmania, who only arrived yesterday rrorning, found Cavell House a haven of rest. Sister Taylor said that in Melbourne the nurses on arrival were left very much to themselves, while here in Cavell House they found a welcome in a place that was a home, and not an institution. The New Zealand nurses were dressed in grey indoor uniform, -with scarlet cloth capes and white caps, and their badges. The Tasmanian nurses were in outdoor grey, with mole sun helmets. Among those present were : — Nurses Stewart (South Australia ) Hetherington, Lloyd, Metge, and Nicholson (New Zealand).

Sister Nixon, now Mrs. Plowman, writes forwarding her resignation of her position in the Public Health Department, matron of To Waikato Sanatorium, owing to her marriage. She is still Matron at Codford, but probably will retire before long. Her husband is still on transport service. Mis. Plowman thanks the officers and men of the Health Department for their very acceptable Christmas parcel. Mrs. Plowman writes from Codford. The English spring was glorious without a doubt ; the change from cold to heat had been so sudden they had not yet got used to it. Mrs Plowman expects to return to New Zealand shortly.

Sister Jean Gilmer, A.R.R.C, writes from France. She is in charge of the officers' section at No. 1 N.Z. Stationary Hospital. The Sisters with her were Sisters Shaw, Porteous, Grey, Campbell, Barclay, Nicholas, Smith (A.8.) and Kelly. They were stationed in a very fine city, and had taken advantage of any slack time to see places of interest, and had managed to walk into the country and see some of the outlying villages. The French sentries were very good, and seldom prevented their passing. The weather was fine and almost as hot as summer.

A sister writing from France mentions the hospital for infectious cases at Treport. The hospital is right up on a cliff overlooking the sea, and as the M.O. remarked, "it would be a pretty tough old germ that could hang on while these gales are blowing." There is a convalescent home for sisters at Hardiloh, near Boulogne, which belongs to the Princess Louise. It was formerly the late Duke of Argyle's shooting box. Lady Gifford is the hostess, and is excellent. The sisters love being there, their comfort is so well catered for.

Sister Kerr writes from Serbia. She was very busy with her friend, Miss Stephens — mainly just then, at feeding the children in ruined villages . They had been lent by Dr. Agnes Bennett to the Servian Relief Committee. Sister Kerr says :— " The Italians help us in every way they can,

as also do the Serbs, both soldiers and police officials, and Dr. Bennett sent us up in a carriage with our own tent and provisions for several days. . . The Servian Army feed the adults, but there was no one to cook for and feed the children and sick. When we first came, there was really nothing in their houses, which were heaps of ruins, and dark and dirty to a degree. It was terribly cold — frost, snow, and an icy north wind, but there were scarcely any fires and no cooking utensils. Now the weather is warmer, and the Italian soldiers have rebuilt a good many houses for stables, and the people get a corner of these. We feed the children twice a a day, and I go round the village every day and do what I can for the sick folks, but they live in such awful hovels and under such unsanitary conditions that it is not possible to do much for them. They have mo beds, always lie fully dressed^ and all we can do is to feed and dose them, do dressings, and try to persuade them to wash occasionally. At first Miss Stephens and I fed the children together, but now she attends to the children and I to the sick folks. . . Every official for miles round — Servian, Italian, English, especially Servian — has paid us visits . The Servians are most grateful, and thank us every time for coming here. We are surrounded by military camps, everything is absolutely military, and nothing can be got without an ' order.' The Italians have been most awfully good to us : we should have come off badly several times without them. We have two Servian soldiers with us — middle-aged men — and they look after us well. We have had all sorts of war experiences which we are not allowed to write about. Scottish Women's Hospital, Dr. Agnes Bennett's Unit, Servian Army, via Salonika, will always find me. I don't want to leave Servia ; We are really wanted out here, and can go on till the end of the war." At the sisters billet at No. 1 Stationary Hospital, two of the sisters have started a vegetable garden with much success, and have beautiful sweet peas. These peaceful occupations show that for a time at least there was a respite in the very strenuous work that must go on when on offensive is in progress.

Sister Cutforth wrote from "At Sea/' She and Sister James were very well and enjoying their voyage. They had plenty to do on board, though there had been no epidemics of sickness among the troops.

Late news from Walton-on-Thames : Sisters James and Cutforth were stationed there on arrival after transport duty. They had had a week in London at Queen Mary's Hostel, which they much enjoyed, and where they received much kindness from the matron, Mrs. Ken Lawson.

Sister Cecilia Morris writes from Brighton where she is in charge of the New Zealand Officers' Convalescent Home. The house is lent for the duration of the war by Mr. Knight, a wealthy Englishman, and is in a very good situation on the sea front. It has been a great success, and is run by V.A.D.'s and orderlies. Major Bernan being O.C.

Sister Barnes writes in April from Walton-on-Thames, where she and seven of the twenty-five sisters last sent Home have been stationed. Sister was feeling very fit and glad to be in the midst of war work a^ain. They were having frequent though small convoys, but expected to be very busy a little later.

Sister Buckley, A.R.R.C., writes from Morant War Hospital, of which she is now in charge. She had received her decoration of the Royal Red Cross, and lelt it a very nice finish to her work with the Imperial Forces which she had liked so much. Sister Buckley has resigned her position of sub-matron at the Dunedin Hospital, as it is so uncertain when the war will be over. Sister has brothers on service, and naturally wishes to be near them.

Sisters Sanderson and Miss Gilkes were having a pleasant voyage also. Miss Gilkes' mascot, a little black kitten, is a great source of amusement.

Sister A. L. Maclean wrote also from "At Sea " She and Sister Smale had been at sea a month without a sign of land, and had been kept fairly busy in hospital, and both had had influenza.

Sister Pengelly writes from Brockenhurst. She was about to go to Codford after having her leave. The sisters were all missing Miss Nurse very much, and as they decided to express their high appreciation of her work and of herself, they sent a written record of their true regard for her to the Matron-in-Chief, which is signed by the sisters who had been associated with her. (This is published in another column.) Miss Pengelly was intending to spend some of her leave in Wales.

Sister Ruth Smith writes from "At Sea." She and Sister Grant were well and happy, but not very busy.

Sister Theresa Butler writes from Grey Towers, Hornchurch, and sends interesting photographs. The spring flowers were just beginning to come out . Hornchurch is in easy distance from London, about an hour in a through train. At the time of writing Sister Butler was acting-matron as Miss Maclean, then matron, was isolated with scarlet fever.

Sister Kathleen Davies, A.R.R.C, writes from No. 1 General Hospital, Brockenhurst, where she was stationed after recall from Egypt. She had served all her time there in the Citadel, and valued her decoration and mention in dispatches as tokens of the matron's (Miss Dod) appreciation of her services. At Brockenhurst the spring flowers were coming out. The borders and hedge rows were a mass of primroses, but she had not seen many violets. The convalescent patients bring in armsful of flowers, many daffodils. Sister Wilson (late Sister Curties) was very well and quite recovering from her long illness.

All the sisters writing, who went Home in the Rotorua, express their great regret at the loss of that fine ship.

Sister Faram, who went Home on transport lately, wrote as they were nearing their destination : "We had quite an exciting adventure a few hours ago. A submarine was just about to attack us, but fortunately our escort captured it before it did any damage."

Miss Bertha Nurse, R.R.C., returned to New Zealand recently on the transport Monganui. She had been granted six months leave of absence on full pay, and is now visiting different friends and relatives in the Dominion, hoping to again take up war work either at Home or abroad after the rest she so well deserves. The various matrons, sisters, and nurses who worked under Miss Nurse while matron of Samoa Hospital, when that Island was first taken from the Germans, and later as matron of No. 1 New Zealand General Hospital in Egypt and in England, during her period of two and a half years strenuous service, have sent to the Matron-in-Chief Miss Maclean, the following appreciation : — ' We, as nurses of the different sections of the New Zealand Military Hospital, wish to record through you our sincere appreciation of the services of Miss Nurse, for two and a half years a Matron in the New Zealand Army Nursing Service. 1 We sincerely regret that she has been obliged to take six months' leave, but hope that after her leave is completed, she may still continue in the work she is so deeply interested in."

Nurse Marie Werder, the Swiss nurse, who will be remembered by Wellington Hospital nurses, writes saying that after eighteen months in the Graylingwell Military Hospital, she entered Queen Charlotte's on October 2nd for her midwifery training. After completing her term, and while waiting for the C.M.B. Examination, she joined the staff and acted for a time as night sister. She says the hospital is always kept busy, and it is very hard work but she is glad to have some knowledge in this branch of nursing, and feels sure some good will grow out of it. Nurse Werden was fortunate in passing her examination, and now intends to apply for war work again.

Miss M. E. Brown, late of Kensington Street Hospital, writes from H.M.H .S . Formosa. She was appointed as a sister on that hospital ship very soon after her arrival in England on the Tahiti. Sister has an acute surgical ward on deck with three orderlies to assist. All dressings are done on the crossing oven

Sister Francis Price writes in April from No. 1 Stationary Hospital, France, of which she is matron. It was still very cold, and snow falling almost every day. She mentions the new officers hospital, which was opened three-quarters of a mile from the main hospital. It takes 100 beds, and there are also wards for officers, of twenty and twenty-four beds at the main hospital. Sister Price says they were very comfortable and all very happy and well with one or two exceptions. They were expecting to move the hospital futher up to the front any time.

Sister Marie Wilkie, A.R.R.C, wrote from Brockenhurst . She and Sister Nixon (Mrs. Plowman) had gone to Buckingham Palace together to be invested, and were afterwards presented to her Majesty Queen Alexandra at Marlborough House. Queen Alexandra is very frail now. Sister Wilkie has been theatre sister at the central section, Brockenhurst, where a great deal of work is done. The theatre block is most conveninently built, the theatre being large enough for two tables to be in use at the same time. Sister added that during long winter they had been able to get in some skating, the patients also enjoying ic. All the sisters had had some leave, and Sister Wilkie had spent hers in Jersey, which she much enjoyed.

Sister Brandon writes from the Corinthic. She and sister M'Nie being only passengers, are called the I.W.W. nurses, I.W.W. standing for " I won't work." The two sisters on the staff are called the " working nurses." They seem to have been a very happy family on this boat.

(The following is an extract from "The Evening Post.") LONDON, 15th May. Staff-Nurse N. E. Affleck, from the Brockenhurst staff, is under treatment in the hospital for acute dyspepsia. Staff -Nurse F. Hart, 22/393, is at Brockenhurst from the 3rd N.Z. General Hospital, Codford, with granular pharynigtis. Staff -Nurse M. M. Coates, 22/355, has been at the convalescent home at Sandwich, but has now been discharged to duty.

Staff-Nurse A. P. Don, 22/330, is now fit for duty alter a spell at Sandwich. Miss Edith Fairchild, Q.A.I.M.H.S.R. (Wellington), who has seen long service in France, has been appointed matron at the Belmont Hospital, Sutton Surrey. Sister A. Inglis has been appointed sub-matron at the Forest Park Section. Staff-Nurse Eddie has been promoted to the rank of sister. The valuable work performed by Sister A. Wood, in charge of huts, h&s been brought to the notice of the Secretary of State for War. Miss Clark is in charge of the massage department at Hornchurch. Mrs. G. Barclay (Dunedin), wife of Major G. Barclay, is to have charge of one of the homes in connection with the No. 2 N.Z. General Hospital, at Walton. Miss May Palmer (Wellington) came ashore some little time ago from the hospital ship Asturias, which has since been sunk. She is now over in France.

Miss Constance Maclean, daughter of Mr. R. D. D. Maclean, has lately been transferred from the French line in Compiegne to a canteen in Calais. Staff-Nurse J. N. Erwin, 22/117, on the Brockenhurst Hospital staff, is laid up with appendicitis. Some little time ago I sent out to New Zealand a paragraph stating that Miss Agnes Allan (Waiapu Hospital) was on the staff of the 32nd General Hospital at Amara, in Mesopotamia. Some time later there arrived at the hospital from New Zealand a parcel of comforts which it was requested should be distributed for the benefit of patients. Miss Allan had by this time been invalided to India, but the parcel was received and distributed by the matron, and the contents were very much appreciated. A letter has since been received, showing that the sender was Mrs. R. Aitchison, of Kaitangata, who believed that by sending the comforts to the care of a New Zealand nurse they would be more certain of being distributed where most needed.