AWM41 975 - [Nurses Narratives] Principal Matron Ellen Julia Gould - Part 2

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When N^o 6. closed down, we went to Ermelo in the 
Eastern Transvaal to N^o 35. Stationary. It was
a bare hillside at the end of sixty miles of
Block houses. We were nursing the sick from
2000 troops about there. Mostly typhoid and
yellow jaundice. Here we saw the start of seven
columns which took part in the last drive
of the war and here we saw the Boers come in
to surrender arms.
No bitterness on either side.
August.2. 1902 found us landing in Australia
from the Montrose - the Boer War Ended.
Again organisation proceeded apace and all the
states having become one Commonwealth decided
to have one Nursing Service. Our Section ∧ Military District N^o 2. still
intact, was merged into the present Defence Force A.N.S.
The Lady Superintendent became a Principal Matron
otherwise no change.
The Efficiency Staff in May 1914. was complete
and in addition there were about forty Reserves.
These were all Sisters who had been Efficient one or
more years since 1905.
As soon as war broke out we were sent out notices to all Efficient
and Reserve Sisters asking them whether in the event of
the Nursing Service being required they were prepared
for (a) Home Service (b) Oversea service. That year
Efficients, as was always understood, were to have first
chance. By the second wave in September arrangements
were almost complete and in addition to the Efficient Sisters
and Reserve Efficient Sisters, more than a hundred fully

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qualified members of the Austr_∧alianalasian Trained Nurses
association were eagerly awaiting involvement. The
draughts re-inforcements continued to come on throughout the war and
and Australian nurses found a very special niche for
themselves among their Khaki Comrades. None better
that the nurses know what the strain has been
on our men of all ranks.
On 29^th September 1914. Principal Matron Gould E.J.
Matron Johnston. J Bligh, Sisters Frater P. Killett A.M.,
Twynam I. and the Matron of the Tasmanian
A.A.N.S. who happened to be working on Reserve
in Sydney, the late Miss Walker J. were detailed
for duty on Transport "Euripides"; Sisters Pocock
A.B. and Marshall C for duty on the Troopship
"Argyleshire".
The luggage for this Nursing Staff went on board
on the 28^th but owing to delays rendered necessary
by the presence of the Raider Emden, somewhere
in Southern Waters, the Fleet did not leave
until later, 20^th October.
Meantime we had to practically disappear
so that our ultimate departure might be unnoticed,
Miss Creal _∧R. took over the duties of Principal Matron
from the 28^th September in N^o 2.Military District
and. very ably did she do it, as witnessed the
thorough way in which all details of equipment
were carried out, as each batch of re-inforcements
came forward.
I cannot speak personally of work in New South
Wales after this, as I left on the Euripides.

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IV  A.A.N.S. with 1^st Expeditionary Force
The Senior Staff was detailed to leave first and each
Troopship became in fact a moving Township containing
among other Institutions a small Hospital according
to the number of Troops and the Military Districts, from
which they came. In all there were 25. (Sisters on Fleet).
There were no drones, all took turns in nursing, irrespective
of rank, for influenza and pneumonia accompanied us,
as well as occasional cases of ptomaine poisoning.
There were a few surgical operations who did very
well and waves of inoculations, all requiring some
little attention from Sister.
The Staff took it in turns to do night duty. One only
went on before breakfast and the rest directly after.
The Matron did afternoon duty each day, while the
others rested for two or three hours.
We had two three berth cabins and a Private Sitting
room, which in pre war days was the day nursery.
Our meals we had in the Saloon at a specially
reserved table.
It was a busy ship and consequently a happy one.
On 4^th December we arrived at Alexandria and here
they requested a Sister to accompany some few sick
we were leaving there. Sister I. Walker was detailed for
this duty and remained some weeks.
On the evening of 5^th we arrived at Mena House a
large tourist Hotel adapted for a Hospital. I found our
frantic 2.A.A.N.S. Sister acting as Matron struggling
to look after eighty Patients. The next morning we
all commenced duty

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Under the circumstances I decided to help and not
take over any official duties as Matron, until the arrival
of my own Hospital N^o 2. A.G.H.
I took over the Officers' Wards and one Sister was
detailed to work with me. The other Sisters were
detailed to various wards and the theatre by the
acting Matron.
We were kept busy and so was the huge Training
Camp.
On 20^th January the personell of N^o 2 A.G.H.
arrived. There were 96. Sisters and Staff nurses
(to every Sister two Staff Nurses) for N^o 2.
L^t Col Martin soon had the Hospital running
like a good ordinary Hospital.
The idea of Staff Nurses was entirely new to
Australia in the Army Nursing service and it is
due to the inate good breeding of the individual

members of our service that we came through
what was really an ordeal for so many
equally qualified nurses, to settle down to
work in the various ranks. Often, a Matron
in Australia, found herself a Staff Nurse in the
Army, under a Sister who had recently left
her training school and perhaps only been a
Sister a year or less.
The Spirit of Service however overcame the
Spirit of Rank and throughout the campaign
continued to do so.

But it was later when our Troops returned wounded
from Gallipoli that the strain came. Our Staff was also

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depleted and batches of ten and twenty Sisters

were detailed for duty to help N^o1. A.G.H. the

R.A.M.C. Hospitals in Cairo and Alexandria and

after the Troops left for the Mediterranean over twenty

were soon engaged on the Troopships and two on

the Train. This made the work in 2 A.G.H. very

heavy while at Mena after _∧April /May. The equipment

had been mostly packed and placed on Station

ready to proceed - ? when. 

Then the landing 25. April took place and we got

24. hours notice to be prepared for over 1500. beds

The Ghesireh Palace in addition to Mena House

had to be prepared in this 24. hours

The sisters available, 45, had to be divided. Ten,

with Sister Johnston. J Bligh went with some Orderlies

and prepared Ghisireh. Bands of Arabs cleaned

out the Hotel property and scoured and swept,

Fatigue parties brought and unpacked Equipment

from Station, Sisters made beds and supervised

arrangements generally. 850. wounded arrived

that next evening at Ghesirch and 600 at Mena

In two days another 40 12. Sisters had to be

brought from Mena. One sister for 150. at night

was too much, although they did it and most

ably assisted by orderlies succeeded, where one

could not have blamed much had they failed

I spent from 8 pm to 2 pm at Mena and then left

Sister Walker in Charge. From 2. pm to 8 pm I was at

Ghizireh and this left Sister Johnston in Charge

Never Matron had better assistance. - _∧In addition, local ladies

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rallied round us and about twenty took it in 

turns for a few hours each day to help arrange

flowers, prepare Beugers food, VC feed helpless patients

distribute little comforts and thus gave the trained staff

their chance to carry out their arduous duties. For

weeks no one went off duty except to sleep or rest

an hour.

Reinforcements came and went to various Auxiliary

Hospitals and Lemnos.

In September 23. original staff were detailed for England

and reinforcements took their place

A little rift in 2.A.G.H. late occurred in connection

with this. Some Sisters were sent out from Australia

They, in Army work were Junior and yet ranked 

over the Staff Nurses, who had been in all the heat

of the preceding months. 

Again good sense prevailed and they awaited

patiently until in December they received the

promotion they had so richly earned.

In February the Hospital once more packed

and in turns, the staff who wished, had a few days

in town to go to Luxor, Saccasoh or to the very

comfortable Red Cross home for nurses at Alexandria

The first few weeks after we arrived in Egypt we

missed many Hospital Comforts, but later when

the Red Cross Commissioners arrived the truly

splendid stores were unpacked and the distribution

organised. Up to the last day of the war it never

failed us. When our men returned from Gallipoli

they were minus most things principally toothbrushes

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handkerchiefs, handy bags, soap, cigarettes
and matches.
We could not get to handle our own stores, so M^rs
Harry Chisholm found out our plight and was
able through the kindness of ? to purchase a
supply.
Some of the most convalescent were invited to afternoon
at Sheppard's Hotel by the Rev: Gillam and M^rs Gillam
A new difficulty arose. Their fighting clothing was
impossible, new khaki could not be issued while
they were in Hospital. This left pyjamas the
only attire. These however had also had hard
bed wear and were scarcely suitable. A gentleman
offered to send up 50 good sets. They came and the
25. who were going the first afternoon dressed. and
went and enjoyed themselves.
Our men are truly gentlemen, otherwise could
they have risen above bright purple pyjamas, for
that is what they were..?
Colonel Springthorpe never rested until he
had organised some similar garments but
Khaki for such occasions.
Before we left Egypt a comfortable club was
established for nurses in the Town.
The administrators Lady _∧Lady Manon, Lady Maxwell &
others organised this. We Matrons were only asked
to sit on Committee in an advisory capacity.
After the Hospital was packed we worked
at the Race Course Hospital a week or two
and on 25.March left Egypt on the

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Braemar Castle.

Before I left it was a great pleasure not only to know
but to be told that, our twenty-two who peregrinated
backwards and forwards on Hospital Ships had not
once been mentioned in any adverse manner. They 

were good nurses, hardworking and behaved like 

ladies! Being professional women, surely it was no wonder!

N^o 2.A.G.H and extra reinforcements numbering 119 quite 

appreciated the weeks rest which elapsed before we 

ended a roundabout trip to Marseilles We landed on 

Sunday 1. April 1916.

We proceeded some miles out of Town and the cobble 

stones gave one some idea of what the tired Patients after 

a long train journey might have to suffer in La Belle 

France.

Open drains in all the villages compelled one to pray that 

some day we might be permitted to return to our own 

Board of Health protected cities.

The Hospital site had been an immense Indian 

Camp the previous summer. The Hospital was mostly 

Tent and our quarters Huts.

There were hills on both sides narrowing up behind us 

and I always felt we were in the narrow end of the 

cup of a funnel. The draught in the tents and even in

some of the huts was difficult to manage at times, especially

when the wind blew off the Cevennes M^ts.

There the sisters decided they would like to try and live

on their rations. The C.O. gave permission. But good as

the ration was, it required supplementing in milk,

vegetables &c In a few weeks the general health of

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the staff began to suffer and when several contracted

sore throats a change was made, mess allowance drawn

and a contractor installed. We were busy here nursing

the Troops who although able to leave Egypt, were, on arrival

in France, not yet ready for front line.

However a few weeks remedied that. There were also

a few measles and such like.

It was not long before the B.E.F. Head Quarters cast 

a longing eye on the resting nurses and a letter came

from the Matron-in Chief (who had earlier trained at 

the Coast Hospital) welcoming us and casually mentioning

that their method of moving a large Hospital was to 

draft the Staff in batches of 10. to various Hospitals 

until such time as the Equipment &c was sent on

and preparation made for them in their own Hospital. 

This therefore had to be done and the relief to the

various Hospitals was great. My objection to the 

plan was the difficulty we always had to get our

Staff back in sufficient numbers to prevent serious

overworking.

There were not sufficient male staff trained to do Hospital

cooking, so at Marseille we called for volunteers and

two Sisters Lehman N, and Staff Nurse Richardson

also Staff Nurse and Lehman.... proceeded to train six

Orderlies. These formed the nucleus for the Kitchen

Staff at Wimereux where we next found ourselves

after travelling in a special train with all our equipment

and personnel for three days through France.

It was done comfortably and we arrived and took

over what had been a large convalescent camp in

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tents. We arrived on 30th June 1916, the Eve of Somme advances.

What had been the laundry was converted into

a theatre and in less than forty-eight hours convoys began

to arrive from the Somme battle. 

The wards would fill and empty again into the

Hospital ship at Boulogne two or three times in the

twenty-four hours at times. Those who stayed longer

were very sick and here again the Staff was indefatigable. 

It was only the thorough practical training they had,

received in Australia that enabled them to cope with the

amount of work entailed.

Day in and day out they worked, unselfishly and

cheerfully until they knocked up in a few cases.

Our own Head Quarters in London came to the rescue as soon

as they could and got them to return some of our staff

so that the others could in time have a rest.

The tents were gradually replaced by huts and before

the end of the year the Nursing Staff was housed in

four large huts, two in a cubicle. The Mess Hut and

Kitchen was available all the time. The cold was intense

but the Sisters were working on a very high plane

and made light of their share of trouble. The almost 

daily convoys of suffering Brothers checked any wish

to soon think of oneself.

The constant rumble of heavy guns, the occasional

air raid scare, the train loads of Coo-ees passing

up and down near the Hospital, all contributed to 

the general efficiency.
The end of the year saw many changes. Gradually

the staff in France were transferred to England and

those who had been working there over a year were