Nurses Narratives Sister E Birkin

5/58

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SISTER E. BIRKIN.

A.W.M.
LIBRARY
Class N.  373.2 

[944]

Sr. E. Birkin
10/58 

Egypt
Hospital Ships
C.C.S.
1915 To No 1 AGH 
1916 No 1 Stationary Hosp. Ismalia
wounded from Romani stint.
Hosp. badly provided with injectables &
cool water. Red Cross very helpful.
Sept 1916 Hospital Ships "Felilia"
Indian Med Service, British
Regular Matron, 11 Australian Sisters.
British M.D. and matron most
considerate - very happy relations.
Ai British Hosp Middlesex -
conditions disagreeable - British
Matron disliking Aust. Sisters
& diggers.
To No 2 AGH - Heres to C C S.
spirit of comradeship among Sisters
made the heavy work endurable.

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.

E Birkin     France      10./58

Leaving Sydney in November 1915 by
the "Orsova" with 110 Sisters, we had a very
satisfactory trip to Port Tewfik, there being
very little sickness aboard. rations &
provisions provided being of good quality
& the general comfort all concerned being
considered
On arrival I was detailed for duty
at Ghezirah Palace Hospital Cairo this
hospital is beautifully situated & was in
great favour both with the patients & staff
though possibly not quite as well provided
for as could easily have been.
Being transferred to Ismailia in Egypt
/16 where no 1 Stationary Hospital was
located between the edge of the desert
& the outskirts of the town, the work was
mostly medical cases which usually
responded to the better care available.
After the stunt at Romani on Aug^st
the 4^th /16 wounded arrived by hospital
boat down the canal from Kantara where
they had been brought by train a distance
of twenty eight miles from the battlefield these
were mostly Australian & New Zealand
troops suffering from rifle shots
The general condition of these troops
was remarkable they always tried to make
light of their wounds regardless of its nature
their chief aim being to get back to their
unit before the next attack, when the
 

when the
2
medical officer said some of them would be
sent to Cairo for Convalescence & Rest he was
besieged with requests that they should be
returned to the Regiments, their health was
splendid & their skins as brown as berries
with no surplus flesh but great heart
The hospital was very badly provided
for in a matter of vegetables, & cool water was
inprocurable which would have naturally
relieved the patients who made repeated
requests for it, the Red Cross did their best
to relieve the lack of vegetables by the issue
of preserved fruit which in a measure
relieved the want
In September 1916 I left Alexandria in the hospital
ship “Letitia” belonging to the Indian medical
service, this was a real pleasure as the
boat adaquatly provided for & the matron
Miss Low an English regular (with eleven
Australian Sisters) did all in her power for
our comfort + I feel very grateful indeed to
her for the way she treated me
There were some Indian doctors & orderlies
as usually the "Letitia" only carried Indian
troops. this trip they were mostly Lommces, one
Digger, a New Zealand private, & three Australian
officers
On this boat I did night duty in the aft
wards where the patients were a mixed variety
There being a most Interesting assortment of
head cases goitres & c!
When two days out from Southampton
a T.B patient died & was given a Sailors
grave. This ended what otherwise was an uneventful
voyage though a great quantity of wreckage
 

of wreckage

3
was sighted of recent victims
on arriving in England was sent to an English
Hospital in Middlesex a beautiful building
containing over seven miles of corridors so
it was quite unnecessary to go outside in
the cold for a walk
The wards looked very pretty with their
highly polished floors, beautiful flowers. ferns.
etc, but unfortunately the Sister incharge did
not fit in with the surrounding harmony as
she was old &  cross & unlike most Scotch
she was not at all fond of Australians so
Sisters & Diggers alike shared her displeasure
A relief arrived when I was detailed to
No 2 A.G.H France then at Wimereux in Jan
 /17 of where the intense cold had burst the col
water pipes & the scanty supply available
had to be carted or from melted snow
Here the cases were mostly surgical & the
work though interesting was heavy as it so
constantly happened that the hospital was
very short handed. the nurses being sent from
there to the G.C.S. to relieve pressure after during a stint
It was with decided pleasure one noticed
the great spirit of comradeship & unselfishness
exhibited to one another which has so largely
been responsible for the grand work they have
accomplished
Here the air raids caused no end of
worry besides giving us no chance of rest after
unduly heavy days the effect on the condition
of the patient was most detrimental to progress
Mys Gray was matron & it is only giving
honor where honor is due to say she never
spared herself when either her patients where
either he concerned or in the very best interests
 

best interests
4
of her Sisters & it was with great pleasure
when with No1 A.G.H some months afterwards
we heard she was coming as Matron in Charge
Being invalided to England from No 2 A.G.H I was
afterwards sent to No 1 Aust Aux Hospital at
Harefield there the nursing was surgical
cases sent from British Hospitals ,& from
here was sent to No 1 A.G.H Sutton Veny
E. Birkin
Sister
 

Australian War Memorial

005172189*