AWM41 999 - [Nurses Narratives] Sister Annie Low

6/90 

Butler Colln.
AWM 4 1
WAR OF 1914-18

[6/20]AA
[[?]] 21/42
AWM 4 1
AUSTRALIAN ARCHIVES
ACCESS STATUS
OPEN

SISTER A.J. LOW.
[999]
A.W.M. 

LIBRARY
Classⁿ N^o 373.2 
 

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 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 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  
experience and on internal evidence to guide him in judging what is  
and what is not likely to be historically accurate".
 

52./127
A.J. Low
India
Salonica
 In September 1916 with a number of
other Sisters I left Sydney by the
S.S. [["Koshgan"?]] en route for India.
On arrival at Bombay we were
sent off in batches to various British
Hospital for duty at once, as large
convoys of wounded & sick soldiers had
just arrived from Mesopotamia, amongst
them there being a number of troops
who had been through the long siege
of Kut-el-Amara, & were exchanged
prisoners. These men were in a very
emaciated condition & it was only after
weeks of care & good nourishment that
they were able to be sent by hospital
ships to England.
The transit of sick & wounded to
India was very trying, necessitating a
line [[?]] with trips from Bagdad to
Basra, ten days sea voyage from Basra
to Bombay, & then probably, further train
journeys to the various hospital; the
voyage from Basra to Bombay being
the most trying on account of the
continual & terrific heat, & certain months
of the year during the monsoon.
We were kept very busy in Bombay
for four months, but then a large new
hospital, "Deccan War Hospital" of 1200
beds was opened at Poona & a number
of Sisters were transferred there. The staff
consisted of an Australian Matron & 50
Australian Sisters, with all. R.A.N.C
medical officers & orderlies. Here we were
kept very busy, as, in addition to the
convoys from "The Gulf", there were a
great number of troops round Poona
which meant that many local cases
 

 were admitted
After the first twelve months or so
our work was mostly medical, the
hospital in Mesopotamia being so
advanced & well equipped that a
great number of the cases were nursed
in Mesopotamia, whereas in the beginning
all cases were sent to India.
We had a varied experience in nursing
diseases that we do not see very often
in Australia such as Malaria, plague,
Cholera & dysentery. A short time before
we left Poona there was an outbreak
of Cholera amongst the troops which
looked as if it might be very serious,
but owing to inoculation, strict isolation
the disease was soon stamped out the
actual cases only numbering about 60.
After two years & a month's doing
duty in India, 20 of us were sent to 

Egypt to reinforce Sisters going to
Salonika from there. On arrival at
Cairo we were very busy & not able to
have any time off for some days owing
to the troops coming down from Palestine
in large numbers with malaria &
influenza. We were in Egypt for three
months then about 100 of us (mostly
those serving in the East for some time)
were transferred to England & are at
present doing duty at different Australian
Hospitals & waiting for transport back
to our own homes.
Annie J. Low

Item control
Australian War Memorial
005172244