AWM41 994 - [Nurses Narratives] Annie Lardi

6/85 

Butler Colln. 

WAR OF 19[?] 

AWM 41

6/20 [?] 

AUSTRALIAN ARCHIVES 

ACCESS STATUS 

OPEN 

ANNIE LARDI 

AWM 41 

A.W.M LIBRARY 

Classⁿ N^o 373.2

[994]

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." 

1 

A Lardi  Salonica 51/125 

In January 1917 after some months service in the 

Base Hospital at home we settled down to what 
we understood was to be six months service in 

India. By the time we left India, however we 

had completed nearly two years in that country. 

We were first stationed in Bombay at the Colaba 

War Hospital which in prewar days was the 

Station Hospital of Bombay. The nursing staff 

consisted of a few Indian Regular Sisters, some 

2. A.U.N.S.R, also Indian Temporary about

twelve Australian Sisters, and some V.A.D.s. 

Our Matron belonged to the Indian Regular Service 

and I have never get met her equal for splendid, 

organising power. I was in a Surgical Ward all 

the time I was stationed at Colaba, and we 

were very busy with wounded from Mesopotamia. 

Though the work was heavy practically the only 

difficulty we had to contend with was the climate. 

The Hospital administration was exceedingly good 

and the equipment all that one could desire. 

In June five of us got orders to proceed to 

Rawal Pindi for duty at No 18 British General 

Hospital. We had been most happy at Colaba 

and we were all very sorry to leave there. 

Rawal Pindi, which is 1400 miles from 

Bombay, is the second largest Military Station 

in India. In addition to the the Station Hospital 

there, No 18 British General Hospital had been 

opened for the Waziristan fighting. Very few 

of the wounded came through to us there however 

as they were kept at the Hospitals in Jank and 

Dera Ishmal Khan until they were practically 

convalescent. We had mostly bacteria, Dysentery 

and Malaria patients to nurse. Circuit House

the residence of the Governor of Punjab - was 

lent for an Officers Hospital in connection with 

No 18 British General Hospital. I was on duty 

there most of the time. We had an average of 

twelve patients at Circuit House, and our staff 

consisted of the M.O. (R.A.M.C) two sisters, four

2.
orderlies and native servants. The Monsoon Season was

in progress all the time that we were with No 18

British General, and the climate was very trying.

Circuit House was situated about a mile from

our quarters and we went to and from duty in 

an ambulance. The equipment at Circuit

House and the Hospital was very good, and the 

British Red Cross supplies adequate. This Hospital 

remained open only three months and was then

closed (I believe it has been reopened again 

in consequence of the recent Indian disturbances)

In October we were transferred to the

Station Hospital at Murree. Murree is about twenty 

miles from Rawal Pindi and is the Hill Station

of the Punjab. It was pleasant to get away 

from the Plains after nine months of heat,

and quite a novelty to have fires and blankets, 

after mosquito nets and punkahs. The 

Murree Hospital could accommodate about

100 patients including about 24 beds for 

Officers. We were fairly busy at the hospital

in Murree receiving convoys from the Plains

and despatching convoys of Tommies back

to their regiments. The Surgical Specialist

was kept busy with urgent appendix cases, 

and Liver Abcesses. It is surprising how

many quite young Tommies develop Liver

Abcesses in India. Enteric Dysentery and

Malaria cases filled the Medical Wards.

This Hospital being under the administration of the Indian

Government is badly equipped , and in consequence

one worked under considerable difficulties. The 

redeeming feature of the Hospital was the capability

of the Regimental Orderlies. The patients food

was fairly good also, but apart from that one felt

that one's work was rather unsatisfactory. I once

heard it said in fun by an. R.A.M.C Medical

Officer that the Surgical Specialist in an Indian

Station Hospital was expected to operate with a 

knife, fork and spoon for instruments.

 3.
At the beginning of November we were transferred

once more to Rawal Pindi, this time to the

Station Hospital where we worked for 12 months.

This Hospital which accommodates about 250

patients is under the Indian Government.

(The difference between a British War Hospitals

in India and a Station Hospital is most

conspicuous in that in the latter economy is

carried to what seems an absurd degree, while

in the former one can obtain anything within 

reason without any difficulty) We had 

some very hard work occasionally with epidemics,

while in between times there was not much to do.

When we arrived at the Hospital we found a 

good number of Malaria cases, and at 

the beginning of 1918 a Smallpox and 

chicken pox epidemic started. A little

later in the year we had to open up extra

wards and verandahs to accommodate

Sand Fly Fever patients. In June we

had what we will always remember as

Heat Stroke Week. For a week the thermometer

ranged form 116 to 124 in the coolest part 

part of the Hospital, and the troops started 

to come into Hospital unconscious with

temperatures ranging form 106 to 110.

We worked hard giving iced enemas, 

icing patients down, and giving hypodermic

injections. The Regiments in the Station

at the time were the Gordon Highland 

Garrison Btn., and the Somerset Light Inf. 

Garr. Btn. The Gordons paid toll heavily

and each morning we wakened to the strains

of "The Flowers of the Forest" played on the 

pipes, while after sunset each day 

we heard the same mournful tune as the poor

Gordons were carried to the cemetary.  Occasionally

there would be a Gunner's funeral or a 

man belonging to the Somerset's, but the majority 

were Gordons. As soon as the patients who

4.
survived were able to travel we sent them in

ambulances to Murree where the weather was

considerably cooler. Many of the poor Tommies

who survived were quite mental, though we

were glad to hear later that quite a number 

of them recovered when they went to the Hills.

The next epidemic was influenza which again

filled the Hospital to overflowing. I was in charge

of the Officers at the time and from the usual

20 patients we had to make room for 36 by

putting up a marquee. Several of the Nursing 

Staff developed Influenza, also two of the 

Medical Officers, and a number of the Orderlies.

Most of the native Ward Boys went sick, mostly

from fright. ( We found during these

epidemics the our staff was quite inadequate,

and by the time we were reinforced the

Hospital would be beginning to get back to 

normal. At the beginning of November 

we received orders to proceed to Bombay

under orders for the United Kingdom.

On the way across we were delayed three

weeks at Cairo awaiting transport, and

we spent this time on duty at the Citadel

Hospital. We landed at Marseilles, and

after a wearisome journey through France

landed in England feeling like blocks of ice.

Annie Lardi

Item Control

Australian War Memorial

005172239