News from our Nurses Abroad

Kai Tiaki : the journal of the nurses of New Zealand, Volume XII, Issue 4, 1 October 1919, Page 158

News from our Nurses Abroad

News from Sister Fanny Wilson states that she had her embarkation leave, and spent it m France, and she expects to.return to New Zealand very soon. She had a pleasant day at Arundel Castle at a reception given by the Duchess of Norfolk to the members of the Overseas Club . The Duchess escorted the party over the castle, and aftetwards entertained them at lunch. Sister remarks that the wonderful old places m England and Scotland make her feel as though she was m church. She has learnt to respect tradition a great deal since she has seen some of the beautiful old homes and their contents, We can quite sympathise with this feeling of reverence when among places that have been part of history for centuries. Sister Wilson also visited Sir William Treloar's Cripples' Hospital, which is for T.B. bone cases, which seem to do very well.

Sister's short account of her trip vO the Continent is of interest : — " I must tell you a little about my trip abroad. I went to Paris, Nice, Monte Carlo, Brussels, Antwerp , Ostend , Zebrugge, and Cologne . In France they gave us all passes enabling us to travel lst-class for quarter of the usual fare, and our fares dring the whole fortnight did not quite reach £4. We stayed at the Y.W.C.A. and the Officers' Club. The Americans practically own Paris at present. They were very entertaining and

amusing, and extremely kind to us. The padre who visited New Zealand with the American Fleet was our special guide and philosopher and friend, and we appreciated his help very much. They have a V.M.C.A. and two branches, one the ' Knights of Columbus' (Roman Catholic), and the Jewish Welfare Branch. Each branch has unlimited means at its disposal, and they give unstintingly to all and everybody m uniform. They run free trips with a guide to any and every point of interest round Paris. They took us as their guests to many places, Paris is very gay and very fascinating."

" Belgium is not very devastated, but Northern France is a ruin, and they have suffered very much. On the old battlefield sites the gorgeous wild flowers are blooming thickly m among the barbedwire entanglements, the sandbags, and deep down m the trenches and dug-outs is a blaze of red poppy and blue cornflower. We saw the two concrete ships at Ostend and Zebrugge."

Sister Ruth Gilmer writes that she was to leave Cape Town on 3rd September, for England m the Kenil worth Castle. Sister unfortunately contiacted influenza on the way Home with the German prisoners and had to remain behind m South Africa m hospital ; she is now better but not feeling very strong when she wrote.