AWM41 1020 - [Nurses Narratives] Staff Nurse Lily M Payne - Part 1

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[6/19]   

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Butler Colln.

[*AWM 41*]

AUSTRALIAN ARCHIVES

ACCESS STATUS

OPEN

STAFF NURSE L.M. PAYNE.

A.W.M.

LIBRARY

Class No 373.2

[*1020*]

 

The Official War Histories of the Commonwealth

Government (Dr. C. E. 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 memoirs which were

not completed 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."

 

Page 1

LM. Payne

44/111

Salonica

I have been asked to relate

my experiences of active service.

Two years ago on the 12^th of June. I

was one of the three hundred sisters

who belonged to a unit bound for

Salonica although at the time we

really had no idea for which country 

we were bound, & it was not until

we embarked on board the Mooltan

that we discovered it was to be our

fate. A good many hearts sank as

we read the address handed to us

"Salonica expeditionary Forces".

for we all hoped it would be France

where so many of us had interests

in the brave boys out there. However

in the excitement of getting away

amid fond farewells & an

encouraging speech from our

Governor General Sir Munro Ferguson

we for the time at least forgot

all misgivings of where we were being 

sent. We left Melbourne at three pm

in the afternoon arriving at our 

Adelaide our next Port of call two 

days later. The people of this city gave

us a cordial reception on arrival which 

helped to soften our disappointment of

not going to France. We touched at

Freemantle for a few hours thence on

to Ceylon. Stayed at Ceylon for a few days

for coaling, during which time we went

ashore to view the beauties of this wonderful

little Island that we had read so

much about. After staying in Colombo

2

the night and part of next day we

travelled on to Kandy passing through

some beautiful country. Kandy

itself being picturesquely situated

amongst the hills; while there we

visited many places of interest

including a sacred temple of the 

natives, & the the world famed

Peredinina gardens., from these

gardens we drove rode back to the train

in rickshaws boarded the train

for Colombo again arrived there & spent the

night.  Next day we again embarked &

made our way towards Bombay. Nearly

every day we were called for boat drill

&  Nurses  told how to manage our life-belts 

& always we carried these appendages 

wherever we moved on the boat!

Arrived at Bombay stopping for a few

hours in which time we were allowed  

on shore & saw something of the beauty

of this Eastern city. Our next Port of call

was Aden, the heat at this time was

intense so we were only allowed ashore

a few hours. We reached Suez about 

four days later, where we left the boat

& boarded the hospital train for Alexandria.

This train journey was novel and interesting

in many respects passing through miles

of sun baked desert then into irrigated

areas with beautiful cotton & rice plantations.

It was only when we saw the soldiers

weary and sunburnt drilling & working

that we began to realize the seriousness 

of our mission. Arrived at Alexandria.

we were billeted at the different hotels for

a week. Then another long train journey

3

to Port Said where we embarked

on the "Gorgon” a small neat boat

bound for Salonica. The boat though 

small was very comfortable & everything

that was possible for was done to make

us comfortable. We were continually being 

warned of the danger of this passage & 

were never allowed to move without our 

life belts. Two submarines were sighted

the oil of another traced during this

voyage & one day the boat sheltered in

The Skyros bay.  As we neared the shore of

our destination nothing was to be seen 

but barren empty hills tall & menacing 

but as we came nearer the old city of

Salonica a few trees could be seen which

helped to relieve the dreariness. & on nearer 

view the old city looked very picturesque

with its red shining tiled roofed houses 

built near to the waters edge & the numerous 

tall white minerets dotted here & there & 

the historical White Tower standing

majestic surrounded with shrubs & 

trees. Some of the sisters reinforceing us ^later

disembarked at the White Tower but the

Gorgon cast anchor at the main wharf

facing the Venizelos the main street of the

city where we were met with a long line

by the embarcation Officer Captain King an

Australian attached to the Imperial staff 

out there & he had a long line of motor 

ambulance awaiting us to take us to the 

Hospital Station some twelve kilometers out 

of the town. We  our way out we passed

through the outskirts of the town which did 

not help to give us a very exalted impression 

of the surroundings. The streets were cobbled

 

4

narrow & dirty & the inhabitants in 

keeping with same. As ^we passed through, 

parts of the old wall which still remain 

were to be seen & a little further on we 

passed by a Turkish & Greek Cemetry 

& very near to these the little English burial 

ground where most of the victims of air

raids were laid to rest. We learned later 

that a sister of General Frech French had 

been buried there too. As the long line of 

transports swung round the winding road 

way made between steep hills it looked like 

a seperant serpent. I must say a word here 

for the motor drivers for they were excellent 

& the roads were often very narrow with great 

xxxx precipices yearning either side.

We noticed the drivers glanced at us as 

we spoke in amasement, and at last 

one boy remarked to the sister sitting

beside him, "Isn't it funny you can 

speak the same as us language as us 

we thought we would not be able to 

understand you Australians." It amazed 

us to think these English boys knew so little 

of our country. However they soon got to 

know us & I believe appreciated what service

we were able to render them. After a 

very dusty ride of we at last reached 

our hospital a canvas town stretching

nearly a mile in length situated in a 

valley between high mountains; to the left 

about a mile distant could be seen a 

picturesque little village nestling at the 

foot of the Mount known to us later as

Mount Kol Hortiach. Browsing on the 

hills were numerous flocks of sheep &

goats sending forth music with there little 

 

5

tinkling bells. This part of the

country was much greener & looked

more promising than some we had

passed through for most of it looked very

barren & sun baked; being the 27^th of

July it was about the hottest time of the

could have season out there. The

middle of the day usually registering

110 to 115 deg. in the shade daily - we were

as dusty & thirsty, bound by the time

we reached the camp & we all decided

we would not wish to visit the city very 

often. No one seemed to take much

notice of our arrival. The medical

staff & orderlies watched us descend

from the cars from the distance & no

one bothered to help us sort out our

luggage & carry to our tents. A sisters

convalescent camp next door really

came to our assistance first & a

friendly little V.A.D. Cook gave us

a sip of lime juice to quench our

thirst & warned us not to drink

any water from the bath taps for some

of us were so thirsty we were making

a raid on the bath rooms standing

near by. At last some orderlies

were sent over to help us settle our

belongings into the bare tents some 

with not even a tarpauline covering

the grassy floors. The next thing to be

considered was tea to satisfy the

inner man. This did not take very

long to arrange. None of our heavy

kit had been brought from the boat

or our kitchen & dining equipment

so you may imagine our meal was

 

6

both primitive & novel, our

drinking cups were enamel bowls

huge vessels holding a pint & half.

but we were so thirsty & hungry we

did not mind & ate ravenously our

first meal of bully beef with fairly

good bread not biscuits as we

expected, for by this time the fever

for active service was very keen on us.

After our happy if very xx xxxx

novel meal was ended we again had

the novel experience of drawing

blankets & ^mosquito nets which the hospital

kindly lent to us till our equipment

came to hand. Then we trooped to

our respective domiciles. the E.P.G.P. 

tents which each accomotated four - then

we felt real soldiers when we spread

our ground sheets & blankets on the

ground for our beds & made pillows of

our clothes; the next amusing thing

was to attach our mosquito net to the roof

of the tent & swathe it over our blankets

for it was an order no one must sleep

without a net. It was long after midnight

before the camp settled into

slumber. Next morning we were not

feeling such couragous soldiers every

one began to groan about the discomfort

of the night one sister rolling up her 

blankets was heard to exclaim "no

wonder my bed was so funny look

at this strange creature which proved

to be a half grown ground land tortoise.

After partaking of another primitive

meal much the same as the previous

evening we were taken by our Principal

 

7

Matron Miss McHardy White to

inspect the wards. of long marques

each accomodating twenty nine

patients. Principally Malaria &

Dysentery cases, the poor boys looked

very sick & in need of womanly

care, the wards had been open a

fortnight previous to our arrival &

only orderlies were in attendance &

most of these untrained men who

knew very little about nursing the sick

The Matron realizing the necessity of

our service very soon detailed the

nursing staff to the different wards. &

we set to work in real earnest to do

what we could to help the poor

patients, in helping to alleviate their

sufferings we very soon forgot the

discomforts of our own lot. At first

we found them a very depressed

discontented disconsolate lot of men.

& wondered why we had been sent

out to them but we had not long to

be out in Salonica before we fully

understand & sympathised with the

poor Tommy in Salonica for his life

was not a bright one by any means.

What with disease monotony  & the

lonliness to say nothing of the hardships

for two & three or more years without

a break of even having a respite of

from camp life not even an English

speaking people to converse with other 

& than themselves & the sisters & some

of them had been so long without

seeing woman they dreaded coming down

 

8

to hospital for fear they would not

know how to behave themselves.

We found them very excellent patients

& always willing to help the sisters

& very good to their comrades.

This was a field hospital of about

fifteen hundred beds it was one

of the four hospitals out there staffed

with Australian Sisters. At first we

had the malaria & dysentery patients

together but the spread of infection

became so great it was found

necessary to isolate the dysentery cases

This was done by wards ^being placed some

distance away 

from ^the main hospital but it was

very difficult to keep the infection

from spreading & at last it was decided

to form a hospital compound for these

case alone. The 66 hospital had been

open for three months & during that

time thousands of cases had passed

through our hands & there seemed so little

result for our work nursing malaria

for no sooner the boys recovered from

an attack, a few days elapsing they

would get another, the temperature ranging

from 102. to 106. with bursting headache

& aching back & the only thing we

could were able to do for them was to

give large doses of Quinine & Aspirin

by the Medical nurses order. This

induced a profuse skin action which

relieved the discomfort. Often at this

stage, the patient would not be able to

take the Quinine by mouth given in large

doses of XV & XX grs. four hourly at first