AWM41 989 - [Nurses Narratives] Sister Kellick - Part 2

climate trying & conditions also.
bey in Summer at Hortiach cd not go

for walks - Indoors without Escort - had
to be in by 6 pm even with Escort.
This was due to violence done to females
(Lady Doctors by another unit)
Recreation areas.  concert in various Hospls.
Our o/c wd. not allow concert parties. 

He was a regular & stiff against anything
They we had areas. concerts at convalesce. camp. 
next our. but 
Then o/c censored all our letters at first
later we were given the privelige of
Officers of franking our own letters as
was done in Egypt.
We were very self contained - very quiet &
slow - hard work & no great interest
Desperately dull. few visitors. but had a
Tennis Court of Med Officers, open to Sisters.
60^th At first had mess
At first we had Rations British. (once a

week biscuits & Bully)
6 days a wk. bread.
Health. After about 2 wks of rations we started
a Mess - Got decent crockery, improved
Health in later
(Sisters who report sick often boarded or
get sent home - they hate this so they
often may go sick & push through
without reporting)

Tennis Court
It was very difficult to get anything except
Rations in Salonique supplies very
limited - Butter unobtainable not an
ounce - nor margarine
Eggs 5d each.
In fact feeding very bad.
About end of 1917 the Red X Austn
in Egypt began to send us supplies of food 

5
generous & excellent supply - covered things
we cd not get in Salonique.
Later  1918 we were allowed 3/- a day by Austa
for Nursing - deducted the cost of  the British
rations - June/18 the Balce paid
to A.S.C who were allowed to sell tea
sugar - and sausages on to Sisters Mess
Milk Charcoal not to officers mess)
our Hquartes fetchd Brit Rations.
A.S.C. a/c
Balce pd. to Home Sister (Sr Sister in
unit) of each unit who spent
it as she wished for the mess.
Mess Sec. & mess President - the books of
mess kept by Home Sister & prob. in
the mess.  We had then the best mess.
Butter an inch once a week.  We were allowed
to buy same but it was very scarce.
Austn butter.
We bought Aust from E.F. Canteens,
Austn good biscuits in areas  Indian butter
Butter from A.S.C S6 6x  lb. cases.  Austn Butter
|| Often food was controlled in Eng. there was a
noticeable improvement in the supply of 
food in the E.F.C. Canteens
In native shops there was little to purchase.
& prices exorbtant.
There was an Italian Canteen from wh. we cd
purchase Italian was open to all troops
Good stuff but
expensive
perfectly- [[t...?]]
Exquisite
French Canteen no-one could buy except
French.

The mess was very satisfactory till Xmas 1918
when the allowance by Austn Gvt was
reduced. (to ? 2/3)
We began to have calls.
We were paid Austn pay by Aust Govt by
Austn pay Sgt. who lived in
Salonique.

I think our pay is better than British.  the
British allowances make up the pay to
something like ours but I think ours is better but
there is very little.
Brit. Staff N 40 & 60 Sister but they get officer allowances
||  Status they do not get the same treatment
by their officers as our Aust sisters
get from our Austn Med. Officers
though they are supposed to.
This is the individual officers.
They are a very mixed clan of nurses in
the Brit. Army.  they have no
educational tent in Brit. Training Schools
so the Brit. Army nurse finds her
own level.
The officers often gave more attention to V.A.D.'s
who were of higher Social Rank.
We had no ^nursing V.A.D.'s at all in our Austn
staff in Hospls at Salonique.  We had a
V.A.D. Cook a Red X kitchen that she
ran for patients.  (Brit. Red X)
Brit. Red X did very little on the whole
Very poor gift only - a bag with
Bag.  note papers - envelopes - box of sweets
few cigarettes - soaps - tooth Brush -
and a few of mirrors  few papers.
Health of Sisters.
We had a great deal of malaria.
A lot did not report - & dysentry which
did not report.
We had no deaths in Salonique except one.
in another unit.
A great many were invalided in by
(? Nos)
Genl Fetherston visited us in Autumn which
was in the best good time of
the year  - We reckoned we were well off
& huler fortunate.

6
The Spring in Sal. is great
It is awfully hot in Summer at night bunked out
we were under canvas.  In winter it was
awfully cold, desperately cold - fuel was very
scarce.  ¾ lb charcoal per day per head
w. 1 lb wood
no coal obtainable
We cd. buy some charcoal -
We were at P. of War Hopl. in South Lembet
We had a recreation shack in Lembet
but Corpl  put us up a fireplace
In evactn of 1917-8 had a very cold time several
pats fainted with cold.  Dec 1917
We had to buy our own clothing from
ordinance - We bought better coats - wool - at
P of War Hopl.  We had any amt. of Australians
& all sorts of fractures in the Sanitary
Camps - at times - we were allowed
to go bathing  (Brit. sisters not allowed)
to go riding
(The months wh. were in Sal. in Summer
had bathing).
When we were in Sal. in Winter, Col
Reid and Gough visited us - mess
thrown open etc.  Plenty of fun in Sala
in water - Most of Co. went in an 
ambulance - wh. we cd. not get at
Hortiach. But we cd. not go
out at night except with escort.
We had more freedom in our mess than
British.  Our functions were much 
less formal than the British.
Sunday was a great day for talking
we cd have visitors to mess any day
& in the evening, to dinner.
So when we got up to Hortiach the following
summer we had a better time as
we knew more people &
had more sociability tho the distances were
against us.

Hqrs at Lembet very much CSCF
+ P. of War work & [[loving?]]
[ 50^th had Greeks for two wk. after
the big stunt ]
they were a very funny lot to nurse
7 . V. ]
The Turks & Bulgars.
Bulgars happy disposition - like
children - good lot to nurse - Many
sorry for themselves if bad.  Cried like babies
grateful for favours, anxious to help.
Turks & Bulgars abhorred each other.  they
never touch each other - get on opposite
sides - The Turks requested that we
cd. talk to Bulgars in their tongue & not
to T. in Turkish.  Turks are lazy -
with some exceptions: they are dirty.
It was more difficult to get a cont. Turk to
do anything than a Bulgar.  Wd not set
on [[ground]]  of Bulgars.
The Turks would not touch Bacon - great
resentment when they were by error given
Bacon.
The great feature of nursing these was their
hatred of the each other
The Bulgars did not seem to care which way
the war went.  Turks the opposite took it seriously
It was usually the Turk who stole & sold our
charcoal.
We had some Beri Beri among both Turks & Bulgars
The wasted type not oedematous type.
Aust Med Officers  One in our Unit - Capt. McLaren
Major Horsfall (RAMC)   Physiologist
Major Jones. Melb (50^th)
Capt Benjamin (RAMC)
Sydney.
(Snr Sister Hardcastle)

7  
50^th ) Hut Hopl. in Kalamaria near
52^nd ) remainder in Sal.a. & had Tomys all
the time except after big stint stunt end
of 1918 - 2 wks had Greeks
(Sister Wearne & Sister Major).
of 50^th
52^nd Ordinary cases
42^nd  Dysentery  had some waves.  they
longed to move to the Hills in the
Summer

60^th Brit.
[ 66^th - not required at end of Winter.  We returned
& were absorbed in Off. Hospl had a good
time as sister did not go)
In 1918 March xxxthat 60th
Leave  No ^official leave at all.  If a sister was
off colour went to Red X Hopl for a
week.
British H sisters for annual leave to
Brk England.  At end of 1918 Genl
Fetherston Claxxy promised us leave but it
did not come off.
At first Brit Genl allowed no leave to
Athens - later leave was allowed
to officers to Athens.  In Sept Nov. 
1918 Miss McH White went to
Athens with Miss Johnson (a Matron of
60^th after Miss Uren who got six months
leave to Adelaide) - Found things all
OK - & promised us
a week to see Athens
without prejudice to Fetherstons promise
of leave -
(Miss U. not T.G.)
& got away
at loggerheads with o/c]
Some of sisters from 50 & 52 get to Athens
a few from 60.
A week away altogether  It was in the
Winter. The leave was much shortened.

40' & 42^nd lot of leave & good deal
of advantage.
In March 1918 Hortiach again. - Spring the
country is gorgeous then the wild flowers extraordinary
colouring is wonderful
No Surg. work all malaria,
Officer block 100-120 beds.  The Hill
Hospl for officers.  They began to
[*X*] concentrate officers - interned
Officer Hospl is very difficult.
Influenza epidemic at fearful pneumonic-
[[?]] - patients  to con. camp & must
transfer to make room for most
urgent cases from front.
Pna very prevalent : at same time as stunt.
No sisters with Pna
O/C wrote letter of appreciation to the Matron
Miss Sorenson.
(Miss S got on very well)
We supplied one surgical team
Major Griffen RAMC
3 Sisters . ( Bowman. √
                   ( Rudge (had 
                 . ( Grubb √
[*Casual Contact
with Austn British
Hos Sister (ht/9?)
& met more closely
got on all - o.k.]
We had a splendid time at
the no 4 London - they were
charming to us.  At others
eg Epsom it was the reverse.
Sister Marshall junior Staff Nurse
[*best of Sydney Surg Team*]
went at
wards with
On the whole the
relations betn
Brit. & Austn
were what
the individuals
made it

8
In Austn went not expecting to nurse Austn
instead nursing British.
Sister Haggard - (Vic?)
Got a/c of performance of 12 'night' in which
(sisters were allowed to appear.
(At 52^nd
We had an German professor as patient.  Flying
Corps - a great chap.  Capt Green brought
him down - relations very good betn Flying
Corps - took things well.
Hospitals went in up to Jan 1919
Then 60^th was taken over by British
sisters.
We were attached to 50^th
Few wks. later 42^nd did the same &
sisters went 42 52^nd
4 (mnths?)
Big leave - parties sent away.
We got leave parties of 3' & 4's in
beginning of Decr
Big batches of leave till Jan 1918
after word that we were to be re-called.
We handed over 50^th to British sisters on
the day we came away.
& 52^nd at a earlier time
Austns sent away from Salonica
end of 1918

WRAY AANS
Sister Wray AANS (No 2 Unit)
1917 Aug. on Osmanieh for alex.  At alex
for 3 wks.  Duty at various British
Hopls, 15, 21, 19.
To 50 Genl (5 Canadian) Landed Wed. - took over
[Hutted) Thursday - Miss Campbell Matron -
Took over 300 pats.  They went to Eng.  to look
after Canadn pts in Eng
Convoys began to come in with malaria.
5 Surg wards.  Eye Centre & 3 dys wards
(before dys were isolated in a special 
Hospital in 42).
1500 pats in winter full all winter
(Kalamaria) All sorts of cases from
surrounding camps at base Salonika.
Only a few pnas (contrast this winter
1917-8 when pna was fearfully prevalent)
Full to Ap - May 1918 -
Condemned the huts for summer -
left us with 3 wards & took in to the 300
"History Dysentery" cases - got
staff of 30 Sisters - rest sent to 42
& 60 (dys etc) & a prisoner
In Sept began to get convoys again
opened up with Greeks 1500 full Aug 1918
Few dys to start with - then about
a fortnight later the surgical Greeks.
500 about - in 2 dys - most of them
had been opd. on but we had 48 hrs.
without staff - 2 tables going - (2 complete
staffs in diff. rooms)
Mostly (F.S.?) fractures - used Thomas &
a big wire splint -
All considered  - (anzc?)
Prisnrs Turks Greeks to Can/Depots
British to Can. camp.

9
The Greeks were terrors - the dirtiest lot they ever
seen.  - 45 Greek dys. in 1 ward was the worst thing
I have had - would'nt stick to their diet - they got
sour food - could'nt get them to take their Quinine.
Couldn't keep them in bed - they would walk about
had very little control.  Couldn't keep order
especially if thr standing up when the m/o
entered
Worked part of the time with Greek m/o - they
went in an entirely diff. treatment
had to get at the Greeks through the
Interpreter - 3 interpreters,
Mostly got a Greek orderly who wd get them
to talk a little English - e.g. to get along.
These chaps were not good as orderlys - cant
get them to scrub never go down to scrub e.g.
Sept - Oct Nov - Greeks - got rid of Greeks.
In Nov/18 got convoys of British
troops - Broncho pna & Influenza.
& got them right through -
& awful no. of deaths.  cases coming
in dying -  & out 14 days -  many
died on admission - wd come down
on Lorries.
The trouble was got on ahead of supplies
& they had been on anything - bully
& biscuits & exposure & flu was rampant.
They abated about Dec middle.
Then we got a new lot mostly transfer
from India.
Mess. | at first 10 drachmas a month
& rations.
at first 2/3 a day.
then 3/- day.
then from Nov. 2/3 a day again
Had a very fun mess.
2 waiters                          ( for 72 sisters
2 in kitchen & 2 cooks  ( 1 Batman for the 70