AWM41 1054 - [Nurses Narratives] Sister E Vickers Foote - Part 3

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Sister E. Vickers Foote A A N S
[[*AG Butler Col
3 AGH
[[?]]*]]
Earlier in 1915 - for A.I.F. wants to later

that she was detailed for service c̄ British:

there were with her about 60 or 70 ^nurses
the British. She came over on "Mooltan" May/15
Matron of ^No 3 A.G.H. [[?]] Wilson was [[?]] there but there 
was nothing much to do.
We wore the British Uniform, & had
British rates of pay.
We didn't get as much as the Austns,
[[I think?]] [[?]], we got all allowances but
did not get a [[?]] as if I had been
with the A.I.F. As regards status, we
were not classed as officers (which Australians
are) We had the privileges
as officers in travelling etc. And didn't
[[?]] the theoretical difference in status [[?]]
[[?]] us:- The fact was, we were a different
thing - neither officer nor O/r & were treated as officer.
We wore the British uniform: I started as a
Staff Nurse. We were then under [[?]] ORAM;
& attached to the G A I M N S  -We reckoned this
quite unfair by the AIF Defence Dept. - We had not
[[?]] to go with the British: I offered
to serve c̄ Austⁿ Hospitals: was only
told a few days before ^we left that I was ^to serve
with British, & that was the end ofit!
We disembarked at Alexandria reported
to   [[??]], [[?]] [[?]]
 

They used to [[?]] [[?]] [[?]]
& stated her only trunk. I think
The war Miss Oram impartial person
I have ever met. The Aust [[?]]
welcomed, & we all [[?]] very [[?]]
being with the British. The [[feeling?]]
was delightful towards the girls /English
"Could not do enough" for us. They

were all particularly nice to us; we were
billeted together a good deal at first, &
nothing could have been more [[?]]
than the [[relations?]]. They were told by the Matron
"these Austns have come many thousand miles from
home - Make them at home with you.
I went first to 17^th General at Alex. - a short
time only. Surgical cases ^nursed in tents - femurs serious
abdomen & etc. xxxx - The conditions there
were terrible - over crowded - No sterilizer - 
we had to do the sterilising
for this appalling lot of dreadful cases 
in a little saucepan - and nurse them in 
in  marquee tents. The cases were mostly
in an awful condition - Many of them straight
from the Peninsula. The
orderleys were good trained thoroughly men,
only not enough of them. One nursing
orderley, & 2 general duty orderleys to xx
two marquees of 48 24 beds in each.

There medical officers were scarce it seemed
to me - one M.O wd have several
marquees - You wd often not see a
MO, even for bad cases, till 5 pm.
They put the Austⁿ nurses into the marquees

This was a compliment. They thought a lot of the 

Austⁿ nurses & have

found that throughout; & was with 

them over two years. When individual

initiative was required, and

adaption to ∧^difficult conditions, we were

looked to. There were a big proportion

of Aussies ∧^{among the patients.} The Aussies were good patients.

There were crowds of New Zealanders :- more

than Aussies, at No. 17. The cases came

in by Hospl. Ships & transports (not 

many Hospl. Ships). No Thomas Splints

limbs, or old bits of board - & put up

roughly in field dressings. - Many,

not touched till they got to us. I can

understand this as I was on the Hospital 

Ship afterwards :- ∧^{and found that} you could only

touch the ∧^very worst cases. We were to

understaffed ∧^{on the ship for rushes.} The Med. Officers ∧^{at the Hospitals} had plenty

of work; and worked day and night. There

were no Austⁿ Med .Officers :- all British.

From No. 17, I went on to Hospital Ship "ASSAYE"

& was on her for 4 months, running bet.

Alex. and the Penninsular; calling at

Lemnos (Mudros etc.). We seldom did

 

a straight through trip from

Alex. & back, only 3 times

from Alex to Penninsula - (Suvla) 2 days

we nearly always called at Lemnos

to drop bad cases, - (if we thought 

they would do better) :- Otherwise

we put off the light cases, so that

they could get back to the line

quicker, when well.

We took all kinds of cases  but

mostly surgical - Awful cases of
wounds with Dysentery. It was 

ghastly when we were at Suvla -

(at the landing there) ∧^{but were} the only

Hospital Ship in port when the

landing was made. - We were

appallingly overcrowded. On 9^th Aug.

we took on bet. 8 or 900 & bad 

cases; & had only 6 nurses! on

the staff we had about 20 or 30

RAMC orderlies - The orderlies 

were pretty good; but xx ∧^you could

not leave them with bad cases,

though often it had to be done!

But the work done ∧^{by them} (unless in the

case of a few of the better 

trained men) wd leave room 

for great anxiety & risks.

 

 

No operations were done unless absolutely

required, & only with the

consent of the Consulting  Surgeion

Col. Tubby, who came on board

now & again in :- did a trip or

two, and got off. There was a

little operating theatre, but

poorly filled. not fit for major 

op. on any large scale.

Med. Staff - 4 or 5 Med Officers including

the O/C (Major Carthwaite). 

They were fair only: one or two all right,

the rest rotten. The O/C about 

the weakest thing I have run

across in the way of men.

The boats were as far as I could see

xxxxxxxxxx shockingly staffed. We

had no beds ∧^{for a large proportion of cases} : the men were lying

about on decks everywhere -

on [[?]] - two to a mattress

& so on. xxxx They died like flies :- we

had plenty of dressings - but fewer

& antiseptic lotions, baths etc.

but the trouble was they were

in such awful condition with 

Dysentery, as well as their wounds. You 

could'nt do much with them.

Our own living conditions ∧^{all right} : small cabins

2 in each: but comfortable

Messing was good - very good - a P. & O

.PTO

 

 

boat ∧^the messing was ∧^{as usual} good - Saloon of

P. & O. -

We could get milk and bread for the

patients; - we could get them

always hot soup & hot drinks :-

that was well arranged ∧^{by the Ships people.} We had

a fair supply of bedpans, but the

rush was so great  they were often inadequate.

The Wards were well equipped :-  the

deck patients  were the sufferers :

the trouble was lack of sufficient

accommodation. If we only had 

the compliment it wd have been all

right  : but a 400 boat, we 

never had less than 600 on.

I can't remember ever being

inspected by anyone, except the

Consultant.

I was 3 months on the "Assaye" then I went

again to No.21 GH ∧^{Genl Hosp} Alex. At first

nearly all surgical cases : ( then we got a

lot of Dysenteries.

We were shelled solidly twice ∧^{on the ASSAYE} that

when the troopships & men-of-war

sheltered round us : and drew the fire :-

once for an hour ∧^{we were} shelled : Once 

we were putting xxxx lightly wounded on

to another ship - the Turks thought

 

 

we were transferring troops, & shelled 

us considerably. The lighters were 

often shelled coming over to us. It was

terrible the shelling ∧^{on the lighters.} Shrapnel,

you wd get ∧^wounded men killed coming over on

the lighters. But I do really think the

Turks could have hit us if they liked

but it seemed as if they wanted

to warn us to behave! as a Hospl. Ship

The putting the patients on board was

always awfully well done. xxxx There was

practically no carrying they were slung 

in coffin-like things, in their stretchers

& put ∧^right down in the ward.

The cases was hardly disturbed at all.

That was about the most efficient

thing in connection with the work.

We were all Austⁿ sisters, except one

Irish girl - trained in Dublin -

Sisters Day, Howman, Gillebrand O'Cook

We came across some other Hospl.

ships - "Dunluce Castle" - "Salta" We

were seldom allowed on board.

We were not allowed cameras on the ship.

We never were allowed on shore - ∧^anywhere (Lemnos 

etc) after we left ∧^the port of Alexandria.

(My diary ∧^{which I kept} went down on the Mongolian

She xxx was  torpedoed, I was on board her)

At No. 21 (continued) [[?]] at this ∧^Hospl till June/17. I was

12 or 13 months there.

 

 

We had Dysentery & bad surgical

cases : I also with two

others, had Cholera cases;

which is the worst terrible disease

I have seen :- Cases would die on

their stretcher 12 hours after

they were taken ill. We dressed in

rubber ∧^costumes  with masks - overalls - &

rubber boots - : The vomiting was so

terrible we had to have masks -

Jacanet across nose and mouth, with

a wad of wool soaked with ∧^{strong smelling}

^Antiseptic. [[?]] We were isolated - none 

of us

were the worst for it. We had a Medical

[[?]] for it, Col. O'Sullivan of the

Indian ∧^Medical Service, ∧^He was the ∧^{O/C the Special Annexe,} & understood

Cholera xxx thoroughly: the cases usually died

or got better within 24 hours. The 

cases particularly  lived on Pot. Permang

two pints a day to drink as well as 

solid tablets. There was a transfusion 

of Saline (Hypertonic) into a 

vein - the cases were British -

brought in from camps in the desert

of in Egypt & in the immediate neighbourhood

went outside Alexandria.

We had about 30 cases altogether.

Matron was Miss Newton (Territorial)

She was a good sort. Discipline

was strict ∧^{Doors locked at 9 p.m.} but things were "OK" &

we were well looked after.