Nurses Narratives Staff Nurse Estille Marjorie Armstrong

5/54   
AWM 41
Australian Archives 
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STAFF NURSE E.M. ARMSTRONG. 
  
A.W.M. 
LIBRARY 
Class No 373.2 
Cat V.B. 27.2.1941 
  
[940] 

Egypt 
Salonica 
N E. M. Armstrong 
64 
97 
  
1917 Egypt 
To 78 British Seven at 
Alexandria. "I must say here 
that all the time spent with 
Imperial Med. Officers and 
sisters I found them exceedingly 
nice." 
Salonica 
42nd British General 
missed all dysentery cases 
too busy to go [?on] much. 
British troops fighting in 
Bulgarian front came in 
in a very bad condition 
worked 2 years c̅ (=with) British. 
Australian Red Cross invaluable 
help when food was short. 
  
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 memoirs 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 so.  The diarist is almost always sincere in his desire to record  
accurately, but he is subject to no obligation or inducement to  
indicate whether he is recording his own observations or incidents  
told him by friends or heard at third or fourth hand at the mess-table.  
Thus, in some of the diaries in this collection, scenes 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 notes  
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."

E. M. Armstrong 
2/ 
64/97 
Salonica 

On the 30th of August 1917 I sailed by the Wiltshire
as one of a unit of sixty Victorian Sisters bound for
Salonica to work with the R.A.M.C.
We had a very pleasant uneventful trip across
to Suez calling en Route at Colombo where we had
twenty four hours ashore & were delighted with
what we saw of Ceylon.
At Suez we found that we were to disembark
& proceed to Alexandria where we were to go on
duty in various Hospitals.
I started work with six other companions in
the 78th General which was a new camp hosp.
just opened & staffed by a Regular English
Matron & 2 AIMNSR. Sisters. For a few days I
felt strange amongst the English Sisters & Tommies
but after a very short time felt almost at
home. I must say here that all the time spent
with the Imperial Medical Officers & Sisters I
found them exceedingly nice.
Shortly after our arrival the second attack
was made in Gaza after which we were very busy
with wounded Tommies. Convoys used to arrive
almost every night 3 & 400 at a time. Mostly
after travelling for about three day on Camels
Then in Trucks with only their field dressings
on, all hands would turn out to receive them
& they were glad to get a desent bath clean
clothes something to eat + drink + a good bed.
We were busy with wounded until nearly the end of
January when casualties became lighter. In
March we began to packup to go to up the line
to Deir El Belah a place which had been rail
head and general headquarters. for almost a year
before Gaza was finally taken I might add it 
 

II 
  
was seven miles from Gaza & about forty across 
country to Jerusalem. By the time our Hosp. moved up 
to Belah Jerusalem had been captured & Headqu 
arters had moved further up the line. 
The journey up from Alexandria was wonderfully 
interesting through Kantara where we crossed the 
Cannal & where I saw a huge Military camp
for the first time Kantara being details
for the British Army.
From Kantara to El. Arish one sees many
miles of Desert with here + there a lonely
grave & an occasional bod of Palm Trees, from
El Arish on one gets into fertile country + one
can realize what it was to the troops after
the long marches across the desert to see green
grass & shady trees once more.
In April when I saw Palestine one I quite
understood why it was called the land of
milk & honey. The wild flowers were the most
lovely sight I've ever seen. At first we were
short of water & rations were rather low, but
fortunately there was a good canteen where
we were able to get tinned food & biscuits
etc.
There were many interesting places about
which we used to ride to, such as Gaza, Kanne
[[Gunice?]], Rafa & the famous Red House where the
Light Horse Regts had many exciting engagements 
with the Turks. I saw the hill which Samson
was said to have carried the Gates of Gaza
to. These were many tombs Churches & Mosques.
of great interest quite a lot of the Churches were
built by the Crusadres. Unfortunately when Gaza
was taken The Great Mosque which had been 
 

III 
  
very fine was blown up as the Turks had ammunition 
stored in it & when it was shelled of course it was 
a case of "finish Johnney." 
After being in Palestine only two month I with 
the other Australian sisters was recalled to Alexandria 
where we had to embark to  for Salonica 
we were very sad at leaving as we'd got attached 
to the 78th & liked the life in Palestine awfully. 
The trip over to Salonica was pleasant although  
we had several scares over Submarines. We called into 
Milo & spent the day there hiding from "[[trinned?]]  
fish" went ashore & found it a most delightful 
little old fashioned island. 
On arriving in Salonica I thought from the 
water what a beautiful place & it really is very 
beautiful but after the first month there when 
you've seen the Churches, Mosques & the old 
Ramparts you realize that its rather a dull 
place. However at the 42nd General where I 
was we nursed nothing but dysentery & 
were always too busy & too far away from 
the town to see or hear much beyond our work. 
I found dysentery more interesting than I expected 
as there were so many different forms & so many 
complications. Later in September Influenza 
came along & what with the usual acute 
dysentery & in nearly every case malaria as  
well when a patient had two or three of these things 
he had practically no chance. This state of affairs 
lasted until December & as many of the sisters 
& orderlies were ill with Influenza life was 
trying at times. When Armastise was signed 
we were all very happy to think it was over 
but were so desperately busy that nothing

IV 

to matter very much. The boys had a small
rum issue & we sisters celebrated with a glass
of Port Wine. There were many causalities in
September & October in the taking of Grand Carowne
The position which the Bulgars had held so long
but although we didnot have wounded as the
allies advanced up to Bulgaria & Serbia we got
very acute cases of dysentery caused by the
water & unhealthy food eaten by the Troops.
We had many Tommies who had been prisoners
up in Bulgaria & they were in a very bad
condition when we got them told awfully
sad tales of the Bulgars cruelty to the civil
prisoners.
Early in the new year as most of the
troop were transfered & boarded home we
Australians were sent to England on 3 weeks
leave which we thoroughly appreciated
after our time in the Balkans.
And then while waiting to go home I
was sent to the 1st Aust. Gen. Sutton Veny
where after nearly two years & working with
the R.A.M.C. I was very happy to be once
again amongst Australians in one of our own
Hospitals.
Estelle Marjorie Armstrong S/N
A.A.N.S.
1st Aust. Gen. Hosp.
Sutton Veny
England.
 

Item control 
Australian War Memorial 
005172185