AWM41 1068 - [Official History, 1914-18 War: Records of Arthur G Butler:] Nursing - Personal Narratives - Extracts from letters of Staff Nurse C E Strom - 21 June 1917 - 30 September 1918 - Part 4

27.

reported to the heads, all is lost; onter fussation,

at the double. So we decided to seak out the padre immediately 

after breakfast - a little stimulation, in the shape of 

tea and army porridge, being, we thought, indicated - one

never feels at ones best on night duty before breakfast:

sort of hollow and hopeless.

Of course we told the night super. She is a sport; we

couldn't go back on her (so to speak) by not letting her

know what had happened, in case the matter were led into

the "office". She was greatly concerned: even the

dixie complication failed to lift the cloud. the vision

of those awful dixies, filled as they were with the

disreputable relics of a midnight supper - with fish tins,

tea leaves, peelings, and other trifles, equally

picturesque, the thought of them in the church tent, of

all places on earth - meeting the horrified gaze of padre

and all his flock of early worshippers - the contemplation

of these things hauled us back from the brink of despair.

I suppose it really should have pushed us over. We

laughed in the privacy of our tent - until we were tired.

Troubled as we were over the possibility of our having

"put to public shame" the whole of the unhappy night staff - 

"scandal" - weary & worried as we were, we found the

ludicrousness of the situation irresistible. If it had

been anything else- but dixies, dirty, old, black, smoky cookhouse dixies - the last word, surely, in inappropriateness. We searched high and low for the padre after

breakfast, but found him nowhere, so, returning to our

tent, we wrote him a note in our most legible writing, and

on our best note paper, telling him how dreadful we felt

about it all. The note we took all the way back to the

church tent, leaving it on the padre's desk. After that

we went to bed,.............. Ah well, it's all over now.

Padre came to see us last night, at our respective bell

tents, and was just bonza. He told us that he realized

our difficulties to the full; that it was hard that we

had no fixed place of abode on night duty; and had

consequently to be always sharing tents with some one

or other; that the church tent was but lent to him, just

as it had been lent to us = he was only sorry that it

wasn't possible for him to take up his quarters somewhere

else, that we might have it all to ourselves, it was too

bad that we had been so worried. Ani, best of all he

laughed over the fish tins! Dear old padre!

The historic tent blew down the other night, by the way;

but before it became historic. Half way through the supper

the sides started to cave in; all the tent pegs on one

side of the centre poles pulled out, leaving the pole

quite unsupported. It was a frightful night; the rain

came down in torrents, and the wind was fearful - it howled

round the tents and blew the rain in great gusts about the

heads of the hapless night staff, as they battled round

"fixing things up".

We happened that night, to have a guest to supper ....

An Australian who is with the Imperials called in, on his

last night before returning to the line, to have a final

cup of tea with us. It was his investigations which

determined the tent pole trouble; with his aid and

encouragement, the old tent decided to allow us to finish

our supper in comparative peace; which we did. Before

we finished up the guest of the evening got three cheers

(in very subdued undertones), and "For he's a jolly good

fellow" in the shrillest of whispers. His health was 

drunk in tea.............

28.

The wards were swamped. The water streamed over the

tarpaulins, the tent roofs leaked in all directions;

We paddled round from tent to tent hauling the boys 

beds out of the drips, and covering their extremities

with macintoshes. All the boots, blues, and haversacks

were hastily dumped on the lockers and empties, out of

the wet. It was the sloppiest, messiest, muddiest, night

I have ever put in!

We wore our wet weather rig out; macintoshes, gumboots,

and sou'westers. My irreverent troops hailed me as

"Skipper" and greeted me with loud "Ahoy". My anxious

enquiries as to their states of health and dryness were

met with lusty "Ay, ay Sir's" from all directions. I

felt like an advertisement for Skipper sardines. The mud

was everywhere. We slipped and slithered. And of course

the lanterns blew out; mine was hardly over in. If there's

anything which is worse than having one's lantern blown out

at every corner, it is to fall over a tent peg in the dark,

on to moist muddiness. I don't really know which is more

exasperating: either of them reduces me to state of wordless

wrath, and orderly (for I heard him) to a state of

word profanity.........

My bell tent almost came down. I was inside at the time,

but did not realise the calamity all at once. The tent

pole had a bit of a lean all the evening, but it

suddenly made up its mind to collapse altogether, and did

so - on my shoulders. My orderly had departed with a

lantern to see the M.O. home, and the one from the next

door lines heard my wild hallooing, and dashed across to

my assistance. Our united efforts got the pole somehow

to the more or less upright; we hammered in tented in

making the tent fairly habitable, it was pitch dark, and

pouring with rain all the time, of course - although the

pole refused to stay in the perpendicular, and wobbled

groggily about in the damp earth, the sides of the tent

flapped dismally about in the wind wherever the tents

ropes let them;  they were still flapping when I went off

duty. It was altogether a delightful night. Several of

the tents blew down. Nell's bell tent subsided somewhere

in the early morning, the the church tent fell about the same

time, the patients dining tent collapsed, two of the M.O's

bell tents sank on their too sanguine occupants.........

We Were all dead tired in the morning and crept off most

willingly to bed, leaving an irritated day staff to carry

on with the good work, amongst mud and moisture and on

sloppy floors. The sight of their wards was enough to

irritate the most philosophical. There was mud on everything,

the rain dripped dismally through the pantry roof;

the breakfast was late, the day orderlies had spent a

moist and miserable night, and mislaid their morning smiles;

the night staff - bad scran to them - had used up every

dry sheet in the place, and every available blanket - and

even then (vehemently) the beds were appalling, and as a

substantial last straw, it was marking morning, and

compensations in every walk of life, and we have our share

on night duty: first among them I should place the

unspeakable privilege of being out of sight when Authority

does its round.

The day staff has never appreciated the night staff since

the world began - and never will appreciate them: the

night staff will never appreciate the day. We greet them

courtesly: we wish them a pleasant day (or night)

29.

...........

On Tuesday week I had my first trip to Salonika. Had to

go to the dentist at the 43rd. a hospital down on the port,

.................... We visited the Expeditionary Force Canteen 

(mentioned in the prayers of the army as the E.F.C.), and

bought food supplies........ We got back to camp at half

past five, just in time for afternoon tea............

If only we could get over to France! but we're afraid 

there isn't a hope. We are not staying here much longer,

but whether we are going a few miles or a few hundred

miles, no one knows. We hear different destinations each

day............

We are off night duty, came off today. At present (10 p.m. Oct. 1st).......How 

we hate the thought of day

duty again!..............

6/10/17.

..........

...........It is a dreadful long time since I last wrote

to you, the days go by most alarmingly quickly! What

with washing & ironing, eating and sleeping, there isn't

much of our day left for letter writing, though we do

get a number of hours off daily..........

It's getting wintry here. The mornings are quite cold

and the nights bitter. It's dawn when we are called at

5.45 Jock rattles round with his tin plate and fork as

of old. We hear him start down at the first tent "A

quarter to six, Sister", rattle, rattle, rattle - a

snatch of a song in a merry voice - rattle, rattle - and

so on. Jack and his fellow Scot are two of the brightest

spots in the situation. They are just fine.........

We feel really sorry for the picket in the early mornings

when we see them departing after being up in the g

frosty nights watching over our compound. "Remember on

your knees the men who guard your slumbers", that's a

great thought , isn't it? Nell and I wish we could make

the poor old cold things cocoa at three a.m.! Four

French soldiers wandered into our lines the other evening:

they caused some excitement by strolling at the door of a

tent at the very moment when the inhabitants strolled through

the other. The guard - who had only just come on, -

seized them promptly, and they were borne jabbering and

gesticulating away. I suspect they were a bit muddled -

and more than a bit startled when they saw us...........

Same old spot.

23/10/17

.....

It's nearly three o'çlock on a bleak wintry afternoon

I am spending my three hours off in bed - that being the

 warmest place I could think of.......

It has rained heavily for the last two days, but now the

light is more cheerful, and there are surely signs of a

clear up. The roads are one long mud puddle, the skies

are depressingly grey, and the hills are smothered in

mist. The tents are fairly watertight on the whole......

With the exception of our uniforms all our clothes go to

bed with us at night - we have found that otherwise they

are all cold and clammy in the morn.........We bathe at

nights now. There is a bath heater affair attached to

the bathrooms, and, though it doesn't always work

sufficiently well for us to have hot baths over there,

we generally manage t procure enough hot water to fill

the white bowl, and that is ample for a bath. It gets

cold very soon, though, this weather.

30.

Woollen goods are in vogue at present. Also macintoshes,

sou'westers and gumboots. Gumboots are cold to live in

but very handy these muddy days. We splash through the

pools of muddy water without need to even consider their

depth, of the cleaning & polishing question, a pail of

water and a hard broom brings off the mud in a jiffy.

The wards are fairly dry. The mud gets trampled into them

until the floors are caked, and some of the tents leak at

the seams, but most of them are pretty comfortable. The 

boys find life dull enough this weather, There is no

reading matter to be had - a few old magazines, perhaps,

play even ludo if they had it! - and one pack of cards 

doesn't go far amongst twenty-nine men. They get through

the days somehow, sleeping and smoking, and are calmly

and cheerfully resigned to the state of the weather. No

doubt they realise better than we do that this is but the

first breath of winter, and compared with conditions up

the line, of which we hear vividly from time to time, a

dry ward and a dry bed must be a treat indeed. We manage

to keep a fair supply of cocoa and coffee, and, though

the sugar scarcity is a bit of a drawback, and there is

nothing to eat, they are generally able to get a hot drink

between meals. these cold days would appear they need it -

especially the worn out malarias. There is a shortage

of all extras here, of course; food stuffs are difficult

to get hold of, and very dear. Biscuits are worth their

weight in drachmas, almost!

We are making use of the few things remaining in the red

cross bundles which came over with us. All my treasures 

have been long since distributed, alas, with the

exception of a balaclava or two - which we wear ourselves,

looking fearsome, but feeling warm and cosy within.

They are apt to prick ones face a bit, if knitted with 

thick wool. How would it be to introduce a good fashion - 

have them silk lined.

There are vague rumours of a general move on in the near

future. We don't know whether there is any truth in them,

of course, and as there have always been whispers of our

early departure in the air, ever since we first arrived,

don't feel very much interested............. Here it is

nearly four o'clock: we must go to tea and thence to duty

until half past seven. We always get on about a quarter to

if we can, in case there is a good deal to talk over with

the off-going sisters.

It is still cold and wet.............The wards are warmed more

or less with kerosene heaters nowadays: three to a ward.

They smoke invariably, and smell a bit, but the boys think

they're lovely. they make toast on the perforated tops,

when no one it watching -for of course the crumbs drop 

down into the lamp. In a few days, I expect, "this

practice must cease" notice will be served on us, and

toasting will thenceforward be a crime. The poor old

Tommies - they are always getting in fussations. I

have the liveliest fellow feeling for them all!.......

31/10/17.

....

............

We went to a concert last night, over to the nearest Con.

Camp. The theatre is open air, the stage being roofed &

three sided, while the audience were accommodated with

tiers and tiers of wooded steats covered with taupaulins

 and old blankets.

31.

Naturally the audience consisted of almost wholly of the

Con Camp boys, many of them lately discharged from our

hospital. There were a few English sisters from a hospital

further down toward the city; there were a few officers,

mostly M.O's., and there were "us". The concert was

somewhat better than the last one we went to, but they

are generally  patchy. The concert parties travel round

visiting each other's theatres; some of them are splendid,

others less talented and less select - but they are all a

great boon to the boys. It is great to hear the few

hundred Tommies joining in the choruses. They all sing,

they all know the words, and they all know the tunes.

Some times in the wards, a handful of them will decide to

"hold a concert" and forthwith thy will sing every

singable song in their repetoires, accepting suggestions

from the crowd of listeners around them. sometimes in the

surgical wards at the M.N. the lads used to have sing-songs,

but although they were merry gatherings, these are merrier,

there is a spontaneity and enthusiasm about the Tommies'

singing which could surely be nowhere excelled. They all

sing as if they loved to sing:...........

Even the most stupid of songs (and dear knows soe of them 

are stupid enough) seem to develop a charm when it is sung

by whole-hearted crowd. The words are nothing, somehow

one doesn't consider them al all. But the commonest tune

when followed by a dozen earnest voices, takes on a new

wistfulness. I love their little concerts, but they

always sadden me - perhaps because one cannot help by

feeling somehow that every man is thinking of home. The

poor old weary malarias never say much; but they lie

looking out on the grey world - just wondering and

looking.

It was full moon last night; we walked home from the

concert across the fields. It was pretty cold, but we

hurried. The quiet old hills stood out mistily on

either side of the camp. There is something very

peaceful about this place at night, and especially when

there is a moon. We'll hate to leave it all .............

There was almost a tragedy in our tent the other night.

One of the Heads did around, accompanied by the home-

sister and a lantern ............. the reason for "inspection"

the P. Matron and Home sister had just returned after

visiting an Australian hospital unit some distance away;

where they had found that the previous night a sister on

night duty, not being well - had been taken to her tent

& put to bed in it alone. The night superintendent had

settled her in bed tucking the mosquito net well in - 

which fact saved her life as she was awakened by a man

raining blows on her head with a tent peg. If it had not

v been for the peg catching in the net and the O.C. happened

to be up, and heard the screams and shouted, - she 

would not be alive now. As it was she was terribly

injured and was years in getting back to normal. No

Sister was afterwards allowed to sleep in a tent alone......

The object of the visitation was to see whether we were

all in bed, whether all under our nets, and whether or not

any one of us happened to sleep in a tent by herself.......

I must write a note to the Professor who sent me a parcel

of books for the boys, bless him! Books are valuable

things to have about one in a place like this..........

1/11/17.

............

November again, how the year goes... We are having 

sports this afternoon and an extra superfine afternoon tea

32.

as a return to the numerous officials of different camps

who have from time to time invited us to their concerts,

and post concert refreshment. We have been making

jellies, and trifles and what not for the last so many

hours: there is a wonderful array of food awaiting the

hungry visitors....On the night of the mess meeting, held

to arrange matters for the gathering, Nell and I forgot all

about the approaching ceremonies, and went to bed. The bell

went, and we made enquiries, and considered the situation.

Finally deciding to stay in bed and chance the discovery.

Naturally we were put down for fatigues. Hence the jelly

activity, and hence, also, being on this afternoon.

For I write this on duty. Nell is on for two wards and I

for two, the rest of the line sisters being away at the

sports. They will return anon to let us off in time to

see some of theproceedings. There is nothing much to do

here; all the up patients have gone across to the

jollifications, and my six patients are all asleep. I

must turn to and make them some sergeant-major soup in a

few minutes "against" their awakening (The soup is Red

Cross, in little tins - and is greatly appreciated).

(Two days later) This has been waiting since Thursday for

further attention. It is late now, long since lights out;

I shall be well straffed if my candle glean is observed

by the Powers that be, but I don't think it is very likely.

We have kerosene heathers in the tents now - one to each

tent. They are great. We light them about seven o'clock,

and put them out before we got to sleep. They make a

wonderful different in these chilly and draughty

dwelling places. A bowl of water heats on the top in no

time, we are now quite independent of the eratic bath-heater

And the supper menu now includes toast, let me add to &

hasten to tell you that we always close the perforations!

Toast and beef dropping - what more could anyone desire?

The dripping is quite a recent addition to the bill of fare;

We have had no butter since we arrived - have almost

forgotten what it tastes like - and of late the boys have

had none either, but when the cold days settled down with

us and the introduction of fat seemed a necessity, dripping

made an unexpected appearance in our midst, to our great

satisfaction. Jam's all very well, but it is cold.

There are many increasing rumours about our impending

departure. /we don't want to go a bit; we love the hills

and the sunsets,.......but of course we cannot stay much

longer, for winter will soon be here. The cold and wet

weather we have already is but a slight foretaste of

the chilliness ahead. We are called half an hour later

now - at 6.15, but even then it is dark and chilly.......

Somewhere else a few miles away,

15/11/17.

.....

We have moved at last, after many weeks of varied

& persistent rumouring; but only the matter of a few

miles, and to a pot infinitely less charming. We are

quite near the city on the hill, three miles away, about;

we have a splendid view of the harbour and the city on

the hill, we are in the midst of depots, camps and

hospitals.......The atmosphere here is about fifty times

more enervating, there is mud everywhere, and the flies -

.... The boys slog about in the mud, their boots a

picture of misery; our skirts flap around about out

ankles, they get so highly caked! We abbreviate them up

to the top of our gumboots as a slight preventative

measure - with a golfer on to hide the pinning-up they

33.

look quite respectable; we wear gowns in the wards here.

Alas, it is not the same hospital.  The English sisters of 

the hospital we are with now went on to some place or

places unknown with the staff of our old well-beloved 66;

.....We had notice to quit last Saturday - had about three

hours notice to pack up and leave.  Jock called us in the 

grey morning with the usual cheery rattle, and at the

usual hour;  but what news met us when we arose!   The

C.O. had received word during the night that the hospital

was to be evacuated that day.  The unhappy medical officers

had to get to work to fix up all the transfer papers, the

patients having to be distributed amongst several

neighbouring hospitals.

We went on duty to find all the wards in disorder.  The

mattresses and bedding were all rolled up; kits were

everywhere;  orderlies and the night staff were flying

round settling the bed patients; and the boys sat about,

looking very weary and unsetted and greatly perplexed ....

we bustled round with the rest, tying up bundles and

sorting out charts, until the hour of eleven thirty, when

many of us got word to say that we were to leave for the

new site at two o'clock, and were to go off duty and pack

up forthwith.  Which we did.

Packing up is a mild term.  If you could have seen our

bundles and suitcases, trunk holdalls and rolls of bedding,

boxes and hastily constructed packages ..... and finally .....

got us all into the waiting ambulances, and waved us

goodbye!

We arrived dusty and pensive; got our luggage together in

the first empty tent we came accross, and unpacked, yarned

and whistled ..... Next day we were on duty and cases rolled

in from all the hospitals to which they had been transferred

during the move.  Naturally things were only middling.

The wards were unequipped in most instances, the beds were

still waiting to be made up.  This being a dysentery

hospital the diets are entirely different; the diet sheets

at first got us hopelessly mixed ..........

Friday, 16th.

..... Have had dinner.  You should have seen us.

Two long tables were filled with the bewrapt staff;  the 

illuminations were candles in Australian Red Cross lime-

juice bottles, placed at intervals, the wind howled round

the tent ..... After dinner we got our half kerosene tin

(which one of the orderlies got for us at 66) filled with

hot water at the cookhouse, have had bonza washes all

round, and are now in bed, with our feed on cosy hot water

bags, ..... we are still a month from midwinter ....

23/11/17.

..... For the last three days I have been doing the 

idle invalid stunt, and still another day lies between me

and duty.  I've got a cold ..... severe enough the M.O.

thinks to warrant my keeping out of the mud for a few days.

.....

We have electric light on in the tents now.  It makes

such a difference in the long evenings and dark

mornings .....

6/12/17.

34.

6/12/17

..... 

Yesterday we had a half day and went into Salonika.  It

is not nearly such an expedition here as it was up in the

hills.  We could walk in if we felt very energetic.  A car

is placed at the disposal of the sisters on Wednesday and

Friday afternoons;  it is an ordinary ambulance, carrying

seven sisters, but, officially at least, no more.  As soon

as one decides to go into Sal. (as we are wont to call it)

on a certain day, one puts down ones name in the car book;

should there be more than seven names down the last down

are "not in order", and don't go.  There is always a

possibility of course of somewhere someone dropping out

at the last minute, on account of a half day disappointment

for instance, so frequently it pays to be number eight.

Officially, and to all appearances we wear correct uniform

into the city.  That is to say, we leave our golfers and

uniforms behind and travel in costumes or great coats .....

At 1.45 the car honks up and we all clamber into it .....

It is about three miles from here to the city; here they

all talk in terms of kilo's ..... There is every kind of 

soldier, Greek infantrymen for the most part, but three

are numbers of French as well;  an occasional cluster of

Serbs, Italians, and the dusky French Colonials, and here

and there a Russian officer, with a Northern face and woolly

cap.  Some of the uniforms of the officers are very gorgeous: 

reds and blues, gold and silver.  They lend a

grateful touch of colour to the drab streets ..... The

rule of the road is keep to the right here: very muddly

for the British driver at first, one would think .....

The photographic supply shops which we patronise largely

have more or less fixed prices, everything is frightfully

dear.  Films which would be a shilling at home are anything

from three francs (2/6) - which is considered cheap, to

five francs;  printing paper is in proportion.  Food we

never buy, except biscuits in tins or packets, and

chocolate in slabs.  The E.F.C. provides one with ample

scope in that direction:  it stocks all sorts of food

stuffs - tinned, or packaged, of course.  There several

branches of the E.F.C. scattered about the city area,

and several Y.M.C.A. canteens, where the prices are

fixed - and reasonable.  With the exception of these

stores, and the Army Ordnance where one buys personal

apparel and hatpins, none of the shops are British .....

It is always a tiring trip to the city.  We load

ourselves and our miscellaneous purchases into the car again

at the appointed hour, and are whirled rapidly back to the

hospital ...........

It has been cold indeed lately.  The mornings are

frightful; ones fingers and toes are painfully frigid.

The thermometers are frozen in the carbolic these mornings;

the quinine freezes sold in its bottle.  Doing the charts

is a penance; my pen feels like an elongated icicle.

The lads sit around the kerosene heaters and do their best

to keep warm; they are great lads on the whole - just at

present my ward is suffering from an exception, who, we

hope, will depart by the next hospital ship.  It is

astonishing the difference one ill-tempered, rebellious,

and cantankerous customer can make in the most level headed

of communities.  Once anyone starts them off with a 

grizzle there are so many things which they consider worthy

of notice that they never know when to stop!  I can't

blame them for grousing really, for I cannot deny that

they have much to put up with, but I do wish they'd keep

35.

their old growls to themselves, and not drag the whole

ward into the depths of despair with them.

Peter has just brought the afternoon tea round to the

night sisters one of whom is in our tent.  Up at the

66th, if you remember, we had to arise and procure our

own, but here the wintry weather has necessitated new

regulations.  When he had poured out the sisters and

given her her due ration of bread & jam, he came over

to me;  I admit I looked wistful - our tea is up at the

mess tent, but we needn't get dressed and gumbooted until

4.45 if we go without or get it elsewhere.  "Where's your

cup Sister?"  he said ..... We are a long way from the wards

here:  my wards are the furthest of all, right down the

hill.  It is a chilly walk back up the hill at half past 

seven, ..........

31/12/17.

..... 

.......

The Christmas festivities are over - though

we are to have a fancy dress supper in a day or two in

return for the dinner the M.O's gave us.  Christmas day

was bright and clear with some sun, and the snow on the

hills around glittered gloriously.  The boys hadn't

much of a Christmas, though they were all very cheerful.

This being a dysentery hospital, the diets could be

extended very little; and this being a tent hospital, the

wards couldn't be decorated to any extent.  However, they

had a rum issue, which pleased them mightily, and all the

delicacies which the cookhouses and Red Cross kitchen

could provide, and their respective medical officers

would allow them to eat; and they decked the wards up

with all the greenery we could get hold of (an A.S.C.

officer played the fairy godfather to our wards, bringing

us a waggon load from the frozen hills); and we sale toit

that there was a plentitude of smokes.  We provided

chocolate, cigarettes, matches, soap, and chewing gum,

and biscuits (it cost me a cool fifty francs altogether)

the M.O. supplied boxes of cigarettes and cigars, and

the Red Cross, per medium of matron's office, distributed

its little bags, one to each man.  In lieu of stockings

we collected their pillow cases, and carefully ticketed

and filled them in the bell tent - tucking in sundry

extra trifles for the most deserving cases (i.e. the

cheerful, and the aides-de-camp).  Their red handkerchiefs

(one of which is issued to each Tommy as he enters

hospital - and is used mainly for decorative purposes,

they pinned on their beds with the family photographs on

them.  We strolled round, the two orderlies and I, when

we had time, and admired Mrs. Jones and the children, and

little Willie Brown and his small sister, and all the

sisters and query sisters of Gunner Smith - and all the

other picture galleries as well.  A few touches of cotton

wool here and there added charm to the old red screens;

each one wished us well from a different angle.

Unfortunately for the artistic efforts of the multitude

the supply of wool had to cut down very low, not only

because of the scarcity thereof, but also because of the

possibilities of accidents of a fiery nature.  Still, we

were quite gay:  you wouldn't have known our sombre

habitation of two days before.

Since last I wrote I have been moved from one line to

another, the reason thereof being obscure.  It is

frequently necessary, in these days of stress and

strenuosity, to send a given member of a given community

36.

away for a change of scene; we don't despatch them across

the continent - we merely send them to another line .....

We are greatly disappointed with the result of the

conscription referendum; that it should have failed the

second time! We all turned out to vote about it, one day

before Christmas, going over to the 52nd for the purpose.

What the voting results were here we do not know -

naturally there were a large number of no's, but we think

the yes's were in the majority.  I wish they'd send some 

of the anti-people over here to experience this charming

weather, and to see how the poor old boys have their

places until they are really fit again.  Doesn't Australia

want the war to end? ..........

17/1/17

..... 

Early in the new year we had snow.  It was just

dreadfully cold. the snow fell all one day; not gently

as it falls in the civilized parts of the world, but in a

fierce blizzardly fashion most unpleasant for everybody.

All who could went to bed; it seemed the only sensible

place to go to. The wind whirled and whistled round the 

tents; the snow sifted through the joints of the tent in

the uncanny way snow has, and piled itself, in our absence,

in dainty heaps on our wardrobe and beds. The gale drove 

the snow in great drifts against the tents, and on the

further sides of the roads, it was several feet deep there.

Fatigue parties were formed to clear away the drifts from

the doorways of the tents, the medical officers, bless

their hearts, doing their bit with the rest............

After the snow...comes the mud, The mud is extra

here.........It gets all over us, our clothes, our tents,

our belongs, it gets trampled into the wards by the

feet of the multitude, getting so trodden that gets like

concrete, one day's mud upon another until the whole

layer is inches deep.........we procure shovels, and

institute fatigue parties, who do their bit towards

ridding the tarpauline of its many coats. It is rather a

difficult performance, even in the best regulated fatigue

parties the shovel is apt to slip - and there's a hole in

the flooring which wasn't there before. We're careful

folk, and hold in high regard all property of His Majesty's

Army, so these tragedies are rare; when they do occur,

despite all efforts.........set to work to heal the

breach, or at least disguise it so that it won't be

likely to be discovered in our time.........

All morning there have been bugle calls and whistles,

sirens have been blowing in the harbour, foggy noises have 

been coming, from all directions. the fog has cleared away

a little now - the sun's doing his best, poor old feeble

thing. Oh, for a slice of Australian sun.........

We are taking French lessons Nell and I, from Franco-Greek

Mam'sell who wads over to us once a week. She is young

and charming, well educated and Frenchy, and very

entertaining withal. We learn at the rate of eight lessons

for twenty frans, which is cheap. Mam'selle comes to

our tent during the afternoon, and takes tea with us in the

middle of the lesson. She is horrified to learn how much

tea we drink in a day...............

The mails are generally delivered about seven o''çlock

in the evening .....The letters are bundles together at the

Base Post Office, each person's being tied up with string