AWM41 1023 - [Nurses Narratives] Sister Pidgeon - Part 1

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SISTER  PIDGEON. 

A.W.M.

LIBRARY

Classⁿ N^o 373.2 

[1023]
 

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 souvenirs which were
not compiled with any historical purpose, they should not be

regarded as first-hand evidence except where it certain that they

are as.  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 of 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."
 

91/15

Sister Pidgeon.      Sydney Staff:  No3AGH [[AlParty3/4/17]]
Late winter o/c Children's & Surgical & Infectious
Blocks in Sydney Hospital at outbreak of war. 
Joined up for No2 A.G.H leaving on 15 July 1915.
Came as a sister.
The Govt gave us £20 I think: & the Rest gave
us £10 for outfit.
Had opt ∧set & and  ([[?]] are on [[?]] but

not much was since)
Uniform ugly uncomfortable for hot weather
I reckon I spent about £50 altogether.
the £30 didn't nearly cover what we
had to get [[?]] above pocket money.
We went straight on board from the Hospital the
Sydney Hosp sister. The Queenslanders
found me including Miss [[Torton]] Matron.
I was not in the [[Militia]] Reserves had no
from C & pn of [military?] Medical [nursing?]
We had to lecture the orderlys - they were almost
all totally ignorant of Medical & Nursing
work.  The [[?]] was a [[passenger?]] [[?]]
We had a lot of passengers & were very
crowded after leaving Bombay. The weather

is more [[?]].  We had 60 a more nurses

leaving the Q.A. they seemed to think they

were coming to the [AIF?] . They had big shock 

[?][?] & [?] at {Jag?] for [?] [Hop?] for

[B?] in Egypt.
We were [[?]] in Base Hospl. with [[?]]
[[Matron?]]. it was really very useful
he spoke [[?]] Hospitals [[?[[ & we all
[[?ted]] we were going to a[[?acted]]
[[?]] in France. Col Dick had been in
Mil Hospl in S. Africa. He told us
about getting stores
When we got to England we were told we were
going to [[?]] [[?]] as [[?]]  [[?]] us
appointed. 

We left on the Themistocles. There was an English
Bn. on brd 2000 troops [[? ?]] the
ships & other officers were [[? ?]]
as can be to us People on [[?]] were
awfully good to us  - [[Hectic managers]] or
[[Mr Willian]] of the [[?lack]] was esp good to 
us. Landed [[a?]] (calling at Malta
harbour for the day) [[b?t]] to [[?]] 17
[[? ?]] ward. they were
at the time light but had been very
hard worked. The first time we had
seen a Military Hospl. We saw
little nursing. I was doing officers cleaning.
We went on the Dunluce Castle
their were A.I.F [[? ? ?]].             
Six of our Sisters were taken to go
on a French Hospital Ship.
Sister Taylor Sister Barron in
Lemnos Harb^r When he had no
Sisters & they wanted them.
We [[?afted all the way from Malta to [[?]]
thro to Lemnos. The food was poor - the o/c & matron were
only good to us. [[? ? ? ? ?}}.
When we arrived at [[?va]] for coals
In the flashes of the guns & hear [[things]]
Every morning at dawn they sounded.
We were on bd. the Dunluce & of [[?]]
transferred to P&O - D had to go off
in a hurry to the Peninsula - they wanted
to take some of us  [[? ? ?]]
[[?]] to [[?]] & reckoned that he wd lose us & he
got us [[above?]] as quickly as he could.
I got the impression that they didn't expect we
would land as a [[?]] & that the [[?]]
or [[D?]] or something would split us up
& we wouldn't [[?]] as a [[?]] [[?]] of our
equipment was then [[?]] it was supposed
to be there waiting for us. The
Officers had already landed.