AWM41 984 - [Nurses Narratives] Head Sister Jeffries

[6/20] 6/77
Butler Colln. AWM 41 WAR OF 1914-18
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HEAD SISTER JEFFRIES.

A.W.M.
LIBRARY
Classn No 373.2
[984] 
 

Egypt     S. Jeffries          66/28

[[?]]

Salonica

No 2 A.G.H.

August 1915 at Alexandria, from

Hosp Ship "Dunluce Castle" -

Lemnos to Cape Hellas, taking 

patients to Hellia, Alexandria

and England.

January 1916 to Salonica -

patients to Malta

To Valona took 450 Serbian

wounded to Tunnis, awfully

sick lot - 40 died - Typhus.

Took convalescent Serbians

to Algiers.

To No 3 A.G.H. -

April 1918 - the first two

days of the rush 114 major

operations were performed.

To No 2 A.G.H. - mostly

American wounded.

 

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 as 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

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

and what is not likely to be historically accurate." 

 

66/38

Head Sister Jefferies
46 [[?Chey Conet?]]
Chelsea

66/38
on Dec 5^th 1914 left Melbourne by the
Hospital Ship “Kyarrra” was attached to 
N^o. 2 A.G.H.
The ship called at Fremantle W.A. to
take on the W.A units. We were allowed to
go ashore & were given a very good time.
Our next port of call was Colombo. We had
nearly three days here, & most of us visited 
Candy during our stay here
We reached Alexandria on 14 Jan: 1915. & it
was not until the 20^th Jan: that we disembarked.
as it was uncertain as to whether we towere
to proceed to England. or remain in Egypt
we were taken by special tram to Cairo, & then
on to Mena House ^Hotel by trams. Here we formed
the 2^nd  A.G.H. Our Australian troops were
camped down in the desert at the back
of the Hotel.
On Saturday 3. 4. 195 our troops started at
midday to march out of the camp, and
all through the night, we could hear the
continual tramp, tramp, as the mached
passed our Hospital.  Next morning 
the camp presented a very desolate 
sight, & we realized that our boys
had gone forth do to their first
bit of real fighting.
 

2

On 1.5.15 we had our first convoy of wounded
every available space was used, & even 
the flat roofs had to be occupied.
The following morning (Sunday) it was
decided to send six of us, to open
Ghezeriah Palace. by the evening we had
to be ready to received 250 patients, fortunately
for us. the patients did not arrived
until the following day.
In three days time we had 400 to 500 patients,
on 5.5.15 extra help was sent.
I had to return to Mena House. The patients

& Staff were being gradually transferred 
to Ghezeriah Palace & Mena House closed
Later it was reopened as a Convalescent 
Hospital for N^o 2 A.G.H.
On 7.6.15 I returned to the Ghezeriah.

remained there until 24.8.15. when
I was sent to Alexandria. where I 
joined the Hospital Ship 'Dunluce Castle'
On 30^th August we proceed to Lemnos
& there received orders, to proceed 
to Cape Hellas. Until the evacuation

on Anzac on 20.12.15. we did
Transport work. At the Dardanelles
sometimes calling at Cape Helles
& other times at Anzac. Suvla Bay.
& taking our patients to Malta, 
Alexandria or England.
 

3.

After the evacuation of Anzac.
we took patients from the Alexandria Hospital
to Lemnos & transferred them on to

the ^Hospital Ship Britannia -
Next we went to Salonika on 2.1.16
& as there was already a Hospital Ship
there, we had a week to look
round before receiving patients
But after one or two visits, ashore
we had had enough of the
Town of Salonika.
We took our patients from Salonika
to Malta. Then we wondered what
our next move would be.
On 30.1.16 we had orders to proceed
to Taranto.  What we were to do
I knew not.  On reaching Taranto we.
were told that we were to help
for a month to get the Serbian 
sick soldiers away from Valona.
So proceed to Valona & there took
from 400 to 450 Serbian soldiers.
Never in all my experiences on
Active Service. had such sick
men to nurse. On the voyage
from Valona to Tunis (4 days)
40 of them died. There was a
varied opinion as to what disease
they were suffering from, but the
 

4

general opinion was that it was
Typhus . We took them to the
Military & Naval Bases of Tunis.
There we were Quarantined for four days.
after which, to we took convalescent 
Serbian soldiers to Algiers
on 2.3.16 we again returned to
Alexandria, & had three weeks
rest. The Harbour was full of
Hospitals Ships & we wondered what
was going to happen to us all.
But on the 23.3.16 we took a ship
full of patients to Sicily, &
there met the Hosp Ship Britannic 
& once again, transferred our
patients to her. The Britannic
on her next trip was torpedoed 
on 7.4.16 we took some 700 patients
to England. most of them convalescent.
reached Southampton on 18^thMay 1916
then we were all given
embarkation of Leave.
On May 20^th reported sick, & after 10 days
in Hospital, was granted one months
Sick Leave.
On reporting again for duty
I was sent to N^o 1 A.A.H. Harefield
on 17.6.19. Had charge of the 
Operating Theatre. 

5

on 16.2.17 was transferred to N^o 3 A.G.H
Brighton. My stay at Brighton was very
short. For on 18.3.17 the Canadians
to over the Hospital. And we
went up to London to wait until we
could get across to France
The nursing staff was billeted at the Hotel
York, London. And it was six weeks
before  we started for France.
On 27.4.17 we crossed Boulogne
then on to Abbeville. Our own Hospital
was not ready, so we were divided
up among the various Hospital
near. On May 5^th 1917 a few of us.
were recalled to our own Hospital,
& we started to get the wards ready
on August 1^st 1917 the operating theatres
were ready, & I was put in charge.
The following day we started work.
& for a week we were busy.
Then next rush of work was on 21.9.17
this last a fortnight
On April 4^th 1918. The Nursing Staff had
been reduced to 25. The Germans
had been shelling Amien, & it
was feared we would have to
evacuated Amiens.
 

6

The C.C.S.s had had to retreat & at the
time the Hospitals at Abbeville, were the
nearest to the Somme front.
On 4^th April. the advance of the Germans
was checked. & for five days, we
had a frantic rush. It was not
possible to get any relief, for all
the railways were busy rushing
troops and ammunition to the Front.
On the first two days of this rush
114 Major Operations were performed.
11. 5. 1918 received orders to proceed to
N^o 3. A.C.C.S. to take charge
The C.C.S. had recently retreated 
from Popringhe, where they had been
shelled very severely
They were now camped a
[Ko]quelberg for four months we remained
at this camp & except for an
occasional rush, had a fairly
quiet. For a few weeks most of
our patients were Americans of 
the 27 - 29 Divisions - at the time
they were trying to take Kemmel.
They  lost quite a number of boys.
We enjoyed nursing them, as
we found them so keen & bright.
The war was all new to them.
 

7

On 17.9.18 we moved forward to Haringhe,
just outside Rousburgge on the Belgium
Border. Had a very busy time.
The attack on Ypres started on the
morning 28.10.18, & by mid-day the patients
were rolling in. Then in the midst
of the work when the C.C.Ss were 
full one of the C.C.S. was burnt 
to the ground 36.C.C.S. This meant
extra work & on 3.10.198 it was
impossible to admit any more.
Fortunately the rush was just over
& the patients were sent to C.C.Ss
further down the line.
The Germans were retreating, so we
had to pack up on 24.10.198 &
move forward again. This time
pass Poperinghe & Ypres to Kogelberg
off the Menin Road.
We had to start receiving patients
before we were anything like ready
as fast as the Tents were erected
they were filled with patients
The Sisters had to rough it,
 

8

very much for a week or so, as every one
was needed for the Hospital.
All the orderlies were busy day & night
erecting Tents, & getting the necessary equipment
for the wards etc.
Besides having the wards full of
surgical cases extra Tents had to be
put up for Influenza & Bronchial
Pneumonia. Extra Sisters were asked
for, but as so many of the Sisters
were all at the time with Influenza
only four could be sent, where
ten at least were needed.
After the signing of the Armistice
on 11.11.18  & had to pack
up & moved forward.
Six C.C.Ss had been chosen
to go forward with the 2^nd Army
into Germany, & the 3^rd A.C.C.S was
one of the chosen ones.
The Nursing Staff was to be reduced
to seven & equipment for a 250
bed Hospital only.
On 16.11.18 we again moved off
to Alexandria. This time
as most of our patients were
medical cases the nursing was very light
 

9

14.12.18. Received orders to
report to Principal Matron Boulogne.
Was told to proceed to N^o25 General Hosp:
for Duty.  Remained there until
30.12.198 when I proceed to England
on reporting A.I.F. Head Quarters
was granted 75 days Leave.

Item Control
Australian War Memorial
005172229