AWM41 1001 - [Nurses Narratives] Staff Nurse Fay Mackellar

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AUSTRALIAN ARCHIVES

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STAFF NURSE FAY MACKELLAR.
 A.W.M.

LIBRARY

Classⁿ N^o. 373.2

[1001]

 

India
N. Mackellar
39/125

At Bombay heat intense

Australian Army uniform

impossible - an order later

made to wear white uniform.

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

Mackellar
India / Salonica
39/128

Embarking at Sydney on the S.S. Khiva May 17

and after calling at all ports we - (fifty four staff

nurses with Miss Dayell sister in charge) left Fremantle

at mid night June 5th.  Travelling without lights we

arrived at Colombo June 16th and spent two days

at that Port visiting the Native bazaars temples etc

and one ceased to wonder at "The call of the East"

At night the town was in darkness as well as all

boats etc owing to an enemy raider being seen in the

Indian ocean.  We sat on the deck till late at night

listening to the incessant chatter of the natives as they worked

the coaling of the boats was done by native labor - chiefly women

We arrived in Bombay the following Thursday at midday

the monsoons had broken in the meantime also our boats course

had to be altered frequently owing to the presence of raiders

& floating mines.  Soon after anchoring the Principal Matron

of the A.A.N.S. in India came on board - unfortunately

we were "not wanted" - apparently she did not

expect us and didn't know what to do with us

Eventually we with our baggage arrived at the

Victoria War Hospital - (Australian Headquarters at that

time in India for the A.A.N.S.) Wet hot tired and

fairly hungry - of course the first and most

important thing was to fill in cards with our

age qualifications etc but at last we got a cup of

tea well watered but very welcome for all that

now the great thing was a place to sleep or at

least to spend the night.  Happy thought (I don't

know who hit upon it) an empty ward.  Two

days before, a hundred Turkish prisoner patients

had been evacuated to the Hills.  The bed linen

had been changed - and it was somewhere to lay

2
our weary heads but unfortunately the rest was

not easy.  India is noted for its vermin and we being

fresh victims reaped the benefit that night.  Also

the electric fans had fused and the heat was

stifling.  We crowded to the windows till compelled

to move given the heavy rain as half of the

ward was occupied by Tommies and only a

screen separated us it was impossible to even

rest after 4a.m. as work is well under sway

in all English Hospitals at that time.  When the

native workmen were arriving at 8a.m. and we

and all our lugall kit had to be well away by then

& our mattresses rolled up etc.  After breakfast

we had to wait till 11a.m. when the Lady Superintendent

of all Army Nursing Sisters in India interviewed

us.  Then we were given a list of things such as bed

linen tray & breakfast set etc that we had all to get

Also our uniforms were most unsuitable being of heavy

material with high collars impossible to wear in

that heat.  besides making us look so obsurd in

that heat so the native Dursy's (or dressmakers)

were soon busy with lighter materials and we all

welcomed a few months later the order for white

uniforms to be worn.

Very soon we discovered the Lady Willingdon Club for

Army nurses.  "One cannot speak too highly of this home

for sisters here we spent all available time off.

Light refreshments could be had at any time

between 9 a.m. and 8 p.m. for a very small fee.

There were also large cool rest, reading and

writing rooms and every attention

we were five days waiting at the Victoria as most

of our unit with our Australian Matron were

going to staff the 34th Welsh General in place of

English Sisters who were transferred to

Mesopotamia.

3

I with a few others stayed for duty at the Victoria

but only stayed lasted there a few days as I reported

to the Colaba Military Hospital the following week for

duty.  The nursing staff of this Hospital was an Indian

Regular Matron with English and a few Australian sisters.

Everybody was happy altho very busy.  I went

on night duty at once.  This hospital just then was

very short of sisters - only having a staff of thirty odd

instead of fifty. There was a good deal of sickness

amongst the troops of the resident batt besides

convoys coming in continually from Mesopotamia 

generally only staying the night, leaving the very

worst cased - and going on to different hill stations.

The weather was at its worst muggy with almost

continuous rain.  The native servants had to be got used

to as they were soon got beyond control if they thought

they were not being watched.  Very seldom one went

on duty two nights running and found the same

patients in the wards as for one thing the

climate was so trying for sick that as soon as

possible they wee transferred to some hill station.

In July I received orders to report for duty to Deolali,

a 2nd class hill station 150 miles from Bombay.

I was exceedingly sorry to leave Colaba as I had

been very happy there - the Matron was in touch

with all her staff and we were like one happy

family.

The Hospital at Deolali consisted of long low stone

bungalows with 44 beds inside and 42 on the 

verandahs.  These bungalows had been xx used as

barracks and condemned by Kitchener years before

between each the stone bungalows wooden huts had

been erected after the same pattern holding 44

beds inside and but only thirty two on the verandahs

The hospital was equipped for 3000 patients

but the greatest number at one time in Hospital

was just over the 2000 that was September 17.

 

4

Both primus's refused to work - there was no coke

or coal for the fire it was pouring with rain

eventually the poor sister succeeded in borrowing a primus

that would burn & she got her patient ready - then

he had to be taken nearly a quarter of a mile to the

theatre thro' pouring rain & brought back again

on an open stretcher yet one very seldom if ever heard

a complaint from our patients.

The number of sisters to each ward was three when

possible and two orderlies at night one orderlies to a 

ward & a sister had three wards with from 10 to 20

Marquee's generally well over 300 patients.  The night

sister in our ward could never do her round in

less than two hours as every patient in wards

as well as Marquee's had to be seen by 10 p.m.

in order to send a report to the orderly officer

by then. Malaria was always very prevelent on

this station and rules orders re mosquito nets

etc were very strict.  All nets had to be drawn &

tucked in by six o'clock no excuse was ever accepted

if this was not so.  Lights were a great draw back as

the only one supplied were barrack room lanterns

these being limited & much the worse for wear.

Unfortunately at the beginning of November there was a

case of smallpox in one of the ward - followed a few

days later by a case of Sep. plague in another

ward this being a very serious thing - as well

 as as almost unheard of thing amongst the European

troops - The whole station was isolated as well

as the contact being the whole station was out

of bounds to troops - and all contacts isolated.

the first plague case proving fatal with in

24 hrs and another patient developed it.

The hospital was closed except the officers

a few wards at the opposite end of the containment

& almost over half a mile away from the infected area.

 

5

All walking patients were transferred to a 

convalescent camp & cot patients taken to

the 44th British a new hospital just being

built about 2 miles from us as some of

the wards were finished & equipped & being

used for xxxal cases. These patients were

transferred and our patients took their

place.  No sisters being on duty at the Hospital

we went with our patients going on & off duty

by Motor Transports.  We were there for a fortnight

& by that time the our hospital had been fumigated

& re calcined we returned with our patients

after this things were fairly quiet except there

was nearly always a ward in isolation - odd

cases of smallpox always appearing.

July 1918 there was a slight mild outbreak of what

was known as Bombay fever (but apparently 

was the first of Spanish flu) This was followed 

by a terrible out break of influenza in September.

The first cases came from the 44th British

where orderlies were sleeping in overcrowded barracks.

They were admitted to the Malaria Wards no one

realizing the terrible scourge that was amongst us.

It spread rapidly especially amongst the orderlies

(infantry men having to be called up in the first

month) medical officers were the next. Luckily

the Sisters were the last to succumb but went

down to it rapidly then one case proving fatal.

The weather was at its worst hot with clouds of

dust & flies.

Patients developing the first acute form seldom rallied

over one third 30% proving fatal.

As the medical staff was so short there had to be

a routine order for all gen patients admitted

Cal gn V saline statin saline daily special ammon carb

mist 4 hrly asperin S.O.S. Inhalations T.D.S chest rubbed

B.D. Gargles B.D.

 

6.

A patient developing acute symptoms Brandy 4 hrly

alternately with Champagne.  N.I. Strych č Dig 4 hrly

or N.I. Strig č Atropine 4 hrly.  Nourishment 2 hrly

No patient was allowed to be discharged till his temp

was normal 14 days in acute cases 21 or longer as

at first these patients returning to duty too soon they

had relapses more than one proving fatal.  Inhalations

were not tried at the beginning of the outbreak but when once 

they were the chest symptoms improved & less orderlies

developed the disease as all on duty in the ward

were expected to take these inhalations.  By the

beginning of Nov the disease began to abate but

unluckily a convoy ^arriving at night & coming from Bombay brought

Cholera with them - one patient developing the symptoms

soon after being admitted and dying in a few hrs.

During the night contacts who had been admitted

to other wards developed the disease.  Two empty 

wards had to be reopened those developing the

disease going to one and contacts to another.

This made another drain on an already tired

our staff. (but luckily the staff did not develop

the disease) Six patients in all had it four

proving fatal.

16^th Nov I with others received orders that we

were to be transferred the over seas & to report in

Bombay the following day.

Embarking at Bombay Nov 18th on the Royal George

and arriving at Suez on             we received orders

to report for duty in Cairo I with 15 others

went to the 71st British Gen at Ghiza after

being on duty there a fortnight & expecting

to return to Australia shortly we were

ordered to report to Port Said & embark on the

Kaiser-I-Hind on the 26th December arrived at

 

 7

Marsailles and travelled across to Le Havre

via Paris we arrived in London on the 6th

and after 14 days leave we reported to

Dartford for duty. Being transferred to

1st A.G.H. Sutton Veny at the beginning 

of February.

"Behind the scenes" at a theatre has not

usually much attraction for the ordinary

persons who prefer to concentrate their

interest on the stage of illusion without

troubling about the working parts etc

so it has been in the great drama of the

war.  Those on whom the eye of the world

is on when the lime light falls are the

fighting men and women.  The work of others

just as necessary is so often overlooked

One can never regret the privilage of being

able to do a little to brighten & cheer the lives

of those who have left so much to fight

for us.

Fay Mackellar

Australian War Memorial
Item control

005172246