AWM41 1070 - [Official History, 1914-18 War: Records of Arthur G Butler:] Anonymous - Narrative of a nurse in the AANS [Australian Army Nursing Service]

AW 41

5/49

AWM 41

AUSTRALIAN ARCHIVES
ACCESS STATUS

OPEN

ANONYMOUS

NARRATIVE OF A NURSE IN THE A.A.N.S. (2)

[*AWM

LIBRARY

Class N^o 373.2

Col NB 27.2.1941

[1070]*]

45

57

No Name

Egypt

France

1915

No 1 A.G.H. Egypt

To No 1 British Hosp Étretat

cordial relations & British Sisters

To No 1 A.G.H. France Rouen

July 1916 - rush of patients - chaos

later on will organize

[*The Official War Historian of the Commonwealth

Government (Dr. C.E.W. Bean) after his study of the

collection of private war records preserved in the Australian

War Memorial Library wrote :-

"The private diaries in this collection furnish some of its most

valuable historical records, but, like all private memories which were

not compiled with any historical purpose they should not be

regarded as first-hand evidence except where it is certain that they

are as. The diarist is almost always sincere in his desire to record

separately but  he is subject to an obligation or inducement to

indicate whether he is recording his own observations or incidents

told him by friends or heard at third of fourth hand at the mess-table.

Then in sense of the diaries in this collection stories described with

vivid detail and without any warning that they are told at second

or third hand have been found to be completely inaccurate in

important details.  A certain number also have been written up

or revised long after the events, though doubtless usually from [[a]]

made at the time. In most cases the student must rely on his

experience and on internal evidence to guide him in judging what is

and what is not likely to be historically accurate."*]

No name

(1)

France

45/57

The second reinforcements (Staff Nurses 38)

Arrived at Heliopolis Egypt on June 16th

1915.

On June 18th fifteen of us were sent to two

Second Australian Auxiliary Hospital 

(Atelier) This hospital had been a work

shop so was not very suitable for 

a hospital but - was the only place

available at the time

Most of the cases we nursed were

sent on from No 1 Australian General

Hospital Most of the cases we received

at first were walking but as the

hospital improved and more staff

arrived more serious cases were

sent there

This hospital was kept open until

the beginning of March 1916. As most

of the Australians though were being

sent to France the hospitals were

closed about this time.

On 25th March 19176 the staff of No 1

Australian General Hospital sailed 

from Alexandria by the Hospital

ship Salta for France.

After an uneventful but very

pleasant voyage we arrived

at Marsailles on April 4th 1916.

As we had to wait for orders we

were  not allowed to leave the

boat for three days. We were

then sent to an hotel while

arrangements were made for

our transfer to Rouen.

On the 5th April we left Marsailles

by troop train which was most

(2)

most comfortable Only four sisters in

each carriage so it was possible 

to have quite a good rest.

On the 11th April we arrived at Rouen.

After a nights rest at the 12 British 

Hospital I with six others were

sent to No 1 British Hospital

Etretat. This hospital consisted of

three hotels almost on  the sea

beach. The ground floor in each building 

was kept for the worst cases. On the

second and third floors two rooms

were small and the stretches had

to be carried up stairs.

Convalescent patients were allowed

to spend more of their time on

the sea beach and very often most

of the beds were carried out.

In our time off duty we could play

tennis or golf or go out swimming or

boating. After spending seven weeks

at this hospital we were recalled

to our unit No 1 Australian General

Hospital Rouen as it was with

many regrets we left as we had 

made many friends.

On our return to Rouen we formed

No 3 Australian General Hospital a

tent hospital on the race course.

Eleven hundred beds & staff of

sixty Sisters at this time a great

many of the wards were empty

We had rather a quiet time until

July 1st then work started in

earnest. Emergency tents were put

up in every available spot. A

continual stream of patients arrived

3

by Motor Ambulance or train. The

latter landed two patients at the

entrance gate of the race course & they

then wandered into any hospital that

could take them in.

After about a week of this the work 

slackened a little we had then

time to look round and give the

patients more attention.

As time went on everything was much

better organized. The patients were evenly

distributed amongst the hospitals

Not at any time during the war did we

have such chaos as at the beginning of

July 1916.

Night duty in two tents was the most

trying work we had to do.

One Sister & one orderly had very often

seven tents to look after at night.

Not any of them connected. Fifteen 

beds in each tent. From two to

twenty patients were evacuated

to England nearly every night.

These patients had to be dressed

their splints reapplied if necessary

4

given nourishment and warmly clothed

before evacuation.

Convoys more often arrived at night

than during the day. All admissions

had to be washed or sent to the

bath temperatures & pulses taken

dressings done if necessary.

It was the night sisters duty to 

see that all patients were washed &

their beds made pulse & temperature

taken and dressings done as ordered

through the night: before 7am. After

two months of this one felt as

if they had earned their fourty

eight hours off duty and felt very

disappointed when owing to pressure

of work you could only have

twelve.

The winter of 1916-1917 I shall never

forget We lived in gum boots

Macintoshes & hats It was

impossible to keep the tents

warm as the supply of coal

was very limited water was

very scarce for the worst six weeks