AWM41 989 - [Nurses Narratives] Sister Kellick - Part 1

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Butler Colln

AWM 4 1

WAR OF 1914-18

[6/20]AA

[[?]] [[?]]

AWM 4 1

AUSTRALIAN ARCHIVES

ACCESS STATUS

OPEN

SISTER KELLICK.
A. W. M.                

LIBRARY
Classⁿ N^o 373.2

[989]

 

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 to 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 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." 

 

Notes on working AANS

at Salonica 1917-8

by Sister Kellick AAN 

& S. Nurse Wray AANS
Taken down in HMAT

Wyreema by Col A C Bath 

 Jul 1919 

Salonica Nurses A.I.F.

(1)

Sister Kellick - (2 pips)

was in 1915  "Orsova" to Eng. ^England via Egypt.

Lent to British - reported to them in [[Ismailia?]]  

White (Col. Harland was with us
on Orsava  We reported to Col:
Norris - Genl Williamson -
Lent to British - & some 30 more.
We were first to be lent to Brit.
& some more after.
xx Soon after a large Div of Austn
Sisters lent to British to nurse there

there were no Austn troops to go

 & they were not Employable for
AIF. as no AIF units existed.
In England - except Harefield
wh war first started.
We worked with British
We had an [[?bd -]] also 7 hr on the
Orsova  the staff of 2 Hospt. Ships
Kanowna & Karoola
also 3^rd unit of sisters called
"Aust" - Convalesc. Depots. but
on arrival found no unit to
go to. Col Harland we thought
was to be with us in Con. Depot
Major Mills A.E. also with us
Norwich War Hospl. It was apalling
No Austn patients were there.
There were Austns in the Northern Hospl.
There were 6 at O's in the Hospl.- the
Nurses were crude - got together from
everywhere - [[but?]] O'S were better than these
nurses. There was a tremendous
nursing staff - it was the rule in
British Hospitals at that time
 

Then the [[CGS?]] her. [[?]] [[?]] was
[[??]] White was their P.M. & he
had offices at [[ery?]] Rd by then
(it was [[?]] at [[? St]]
There was a lot ∧of nurses from Egypt there &
20 Genl Hospl staff not wanted
We were then reallotted to by Englands
Hospl. [[?]] to 4th London Genl at
[[Dunwich?]] Hill (2500 beds) [[?]]in
Wandsworth (3rd London Genl) I was
at 4th London Genl
It was well [[kept?]] nurses & tremendously
overstaffed w nurses
Ward 29 beds
        | 1 Charge [[sister?]]
        | 2 staff nurses
Day | 2 V.A.D
        | Orderley
        | Ward Nurses
        |Staff nurse
Night | V A D to 2 wards

            | Orderley
[* A land Medical
staff 1
M/O to 29 beds
full time
same part
time*] 
Surgical Medical - not much
acute work - [[?good food?]] was
sent to "War Hospitals". Which was
a [[??]] - it was
thought by the M/O's that it was
to keep in with the War Hospitals.
by the war office so they sent
them the bad cases [[good work?]] wh. 
was & often not well done.
I was in 1916 March on transport to
Austn (the [[Araic?]]) - Capt XXX
fixed her up. Major [[?]] [[?]]
was Surg^l. Started from Liverpool
[[Cape?]] [[?C]] [[?]] had the [[?]]
up. [[???]] Austn [[??]]MO
 

2
Not acute. Same cot cases.
Bunks 2 tier - 300 cases.
Some officers patients 10-12
1 MO Capt [[?]] & one other.
Lieut Smythe.
Six nurses (Miss Richardson
was on her way back to Austa.
She came out with Genl Fetherston &
was palls with his daughter -
She was not to bright.
[Put the Gun off at Dacca 4.5
[[?Gen]] around to Dacca - boats
coming back wd pick up the
8 when at sea without [[?]].
In Austa 2 was at first - then
on the coastline with Reinfs.
(Rev [[?Harly]] on bd. / we had several
meningitis in bd. -
Capt [[Geo?]] Bill i/c  Capt Hughes
Capt Wills ([[???]]) N.C.Os
& 2 others  x 3 sisters
Cape Rorte - Genl Hospl we were
to go to [[Somme?]] with 14 AGH.

But arriving in Eng. found Staff

for 14 AGH went to Egypt

& that [[?]] went & stayed there

Some [[tm?]] after were left with 14th

[[in?]] Egypt [[preventing?]] our arrival.

We [[?]] him confess if Genl

[[?H]] wd [[?]] us to [[??]]

(14 after was all made up of

sisters betw. in transport).

but the [[???]] wd [[?]]  time.
wd have nothing to do with any

14' Genl Hospl. prefer the

time had had a row bc 14

[[? ? ?]]

 

Genl H had had a row with Egypts

Genl H.

The only time [[?]] to [[?]] we

sisters thanks for [[?]] who was to

marry Major Fraichi.

[[?]] to Egypt in latter end of /16

to 14 AGH. [[?]] was Lt Col. [[?Thwaites?]]
Blackburn was his 2nd I/C.

It was at [[?Abanea]].

An unpleasant thing happened there

Miss [[?Criel]] was Matron.

A [[?]] new staff nurses  quite new

from Aust^a.

Mn Criel [[?picked out?]] her own

new [[?]] into [[?tions]] war

us - the [[?]] nurse [[?]]

to [[?]] of us [[?]] that to Aust^a

I was sent out to [[?front]] w [[??]] 1917

 I saw men [[??]] they were

[[P?]] right & the old [[?]] Col.

then others all right in [[?Prague?]]

Precedence. The X Willarhra

In our [[?]] way a naval man

Cr. Beauforte. ([[??]] train

we took our [[?]] & wounded the

Clearing Hosp. - A lot of

M[[?]] cases - part [[?]]

etc. had oftern found a Col

[[??]] & Capt [[?]] 

NZNC who did all the work

Capt [[?]] - a lot of bad cases

over time died [[?]] did well

We worked up here 3 wks

at [[?Aden]] on [[?account]] of raiders

in the Indian Ocean (? The Wolf)

[[?got]] out all right.

We had only 2 tier bunks - we [[?]]

them [[?]] up for spinal cases

 

3

At Aden- we had box

[[?ca?]] to load & [[o?ing]] them

out. landed [[??]] to

get [[?]] the limber for spinal

cases.

From a bad [[?]] 10 ops

went to B[[?ubarn?]] by troop

train - 1917 then I
[[???]]
[[?]] Robertson [[?]]
[[?]] I still [[//?]]
[[?]] - & [[?]]
[[?]] of [[??]] a
[[??]] back. [[?]] to
[[?]] back at once.
[[?]] 
We didn't know that we were
[[?]] to Salonica - it was
kept [[?]] as we they thought
[[??]]
[[?]] is the First Salonica [[?]]
3 [[?]] -