AWM41 995 - [Nurses Narratives] Sister G M Larkan - Part 1

Butler Colln.
AWM 41
6186
[[?]]
WAR OF 1914-18
AUSTRALIAN ARCHIVES
ACCESS STATUS
OPEN
SISTER G.M.LARKAN.
A.W.M.
LIBRARY
Class N^o 373.2
[[?]]
[[?]]
[[?]]
[995]

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 the most

valuable historical records, but, like all private memories 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.

Then, 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 have also 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."

1    126

To the Assistant Collator Medical History

In compliance with your request I shall

endeavour to relate some of my experiences

while serving with the Australian Army

Nursing Service.

I sailed from Port Melbourne

on Dec 26^th 1916 by H.M.T Mooltan

after sixteen months Home Service at the 

Base Hospital St Kilda Road Melbourne

The trip as far as Colombo

was uneventful we called at Adelaide

Fremantle & spent a day at each place

On Jan 9^th 17 we arrived at Colombo

& anchored out in the stream our O.C.

went ashore & got orders for us to land

& to our delight we learned we were to

spend three days in the Island of Ceylon

the day of our Island arrival was wet

& about 5pm. we were taken ashore

in small boats - on the pier we were

besieged by native throngs selling their

wares, changing money especially eager for

gold the price offered for it being 23/-

After much argument we were successful

in obtaining Rickshaws to take us to our

Hotels. 25 were to stay at the Gall Face

& 25 at Mont Laimia Hotel.

Our first night in the 

East impressed us very much & we

learned there was to be a dance in our 

honor. Some of us went just to put in an 

appearance as we were eager to go out & see

all we could of the East & its wonders

2

The first Native who made my

acquaintance was a snake charmer who

was eager to display the feats of two

large Cobras but nothing would 

induce one to view the beastly reptiles

Later in the evening our party four in 

number were introduced to some tea

planters & they took us in hand giving 

us a right royal time - we went in

Rickshaws to a Cinema on the roof

Garden of the Grand Oriental Hotel

the pictures were good but the seats

the most comfortable things possible.

They were swinging & gave with ones 

body After that we had supper and

then motored around Mt Lavinia by

moonlight everything impressed us very

much especially as we drove through

the filthy native villages the men woman

& children crouching behind their stall

with small kerosene lamps.

Next day we motored 

to Kandy the scenery all the way

was very beautiful & picturesque - we

were impressed by the tiny shops in the

native villages as we passed through

selling coconuts & bananas everything 

was new & wonderful to us.

At Kandy we stayed at 

the Queens Hotel & while there visited the

Temple of the Tooth & the Berydinia Gardens 

which were a blaze of colour we then

3

motored back to Colombo next day and

at the kind invitation of the Manager if the

Gall Face we lunched there - then at 3pm.

We again embarked on the Mooltan and

sailed at 5p.m. for India where we were

to make our Home for some months to

follow - We sailed without lights up the

Indian Coast as we learned a Raider

was in the vicinity. however we arrived

quite safely in the Bombay Harbour at

7am on the morning of January 15^th 17

The Harbour was very busy on that

day, five Hospital ships were lying not

far from us having conveyed sick and

wounded from Mesopotamia Also

numerous other craft of all description

& size were there.

Miss Davis our Principal

Matron & several of our friends met us

Miss Dunwoodie Lady 

Superintendent I.A.I. 7th N.S.I of the 3^rd

circle Bombay & area had previously

come on board & divided us into batches

keeping friends together for the various

hospitals - Eight of us were detailed for

Cumbala War Hospital under an English

Matron but as accommodation was limited

& several of the sisters there to leave for

Mesopotamia some days later we eight 

were sent to the Taj Mahal Hotel for

the time being - a really wonderful 

building with floors of mosaic tiles

4

standing in a beautiful garden illuminated 

with coloured lights in the trees the back

view from the Hotel across the Harbour

where the most glorious sunsets were

visible. Native servants were flitting to & fro

in and out of our rooms, the ways and

customs of the natives took us some time

to get accustomed to also the Eastern 

food but after about a week we had

quite settled down & were ready for work.

During our first days in

Bombay we visited the Hindus cremation 

ground where the bodies are conveyed

on a bier very brightly wound in

coloured fabrics & the head decorated

with floral wreaths . the body is bound

on to the bier with a lattice work of

cord. Swarms of natives follow the

corpse and before the bearers convey

the remains into the Crematorium the 

native followers beat tom toms & make the

wierdest wailing noise which they

believe frighten the evil spirits away,

then incense is burned at the foot of

the Corpse while the chief Mourners

squat at the head smoking long stemmed

pipes "Hookers", the pire is then got ready

and the Corpse is placed on top & the

incense bowl broken & burned with the

body After the pire has smouldered the

dust remains are gathered & kept

in the family household.

5.

The Parsees have a different way of disposing

with their dead. the corpse is carried

through the street in a sitting position

the face exposed & the body is conveyed

in a sort of canopy to the Tower of

Silence which no one but the Parsees can

enter, the Public are admitted on a special

pass but are just shown a miniature

example of the Tower, the corpse is placed 

on a grating in the Tower & huge [[Mulchers?]]

(very large birds) are admitted through

a trap door they pick all the flesh

from the bones which are them exposed

& dried by the sun & face through the

Grating into the Tower.

We commenced duty at 

Cumbala War Hospital on Malabar Hill

the surgical cases there were very

heavy. In my ward mostly spine 

& head from Mesopotamia after the

advance on that. after three weeks

duty there we learned we were to be

transferred to Colaba War Hospital in 

Bombay. The English matrons decided

it would be better to keep Australian

sisters together so we were given Colaba

for our Hospital. The personnel of which

were L.A.M.C. the Hospital was in a 

very dilapidated condition when we

went there but after about a month

under Miss Hirapp an Indian Regular

Matron I.A.I.M.N.S.I who came to take

 6.

charge of us & whom we all adored

Colaba was soon in working order & then

said to be one of the cleanest Hospitals in

Bombay , it was situated on the sea front

& surrounded by sea on three sides so

Although the days were hot we always 

got a breeze some part of the day when

the tide came up & we were able to bathe

which was delightful in the evenings

though never safe to go in without a 

Topse during the day. The sun was

always so treacherous.

Our top wards which

were occupied by Officers overlooked

the Harbour & we would see all the ships

going & coming.

At Colaba I had charge 

of the Officers ward which was very 

grand. Lady Willingdon having furnished

it for us. One ward was mauve her 

favourite colour. The bed spreads were

buff colour with mauve bands & the

patients wore mauve pyjamas - the bed

linen was very good homestitched

linen sheets & pillow cases. Another ward

was pink & black & everything in

keeping, beautiful brass jardiniers

& palms & every day some one sent 

us cut flowers.

The officers dining hall

also was very fine beautiful crockery

cutlery & glass ware & two Butlers to

7

wait at Table. The sisters always did the

Flowers for the table & looked after the

Napery, we also had a billiard

room & piano in that ward & two

motor cars given by the wealthy Parsee

gentlemen for the officers use - the 

sick sisters ward was equally as

nice & we got sick sisters from all

the other Hospitals in Bombay.

On July 12^th 19 I received

orders to embark on the H.S. Takada

for Hospital Ship duty in the Persian

Gulf to bring back sick & wounded

from Mesopotamia never shall I forget

that awful time & the heat in the Gulf 

was quite beyond description & the 

monsoons were at their worst, however

we prepared to receive our patients

which we were to get from H.S. Erinpura

our ship being too large to pass the

Shatel Arch bar, so there we waited

& by wireless we learned we were to

get mostly heat stroke cases 300 British

& 200 Indian troops, so we were prepared

for a heavy time & got what we expected

our staff including Matron consisted

of 4 trained sisters & 2 V.A.Ds.

The patients were very ill & in a

collapsed condition we received them

My ward had 150 cots & I got all

stretcher cases, as fast as we would

get the worst into ice packs & administer