AWM41 1028 - [Nurses Narratives] Sister Richmond - Part 1

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SISTER RICHMOND

A.W.M.

LIBRARY

(Case) No 373.2

 

(1028)

125/25
Lemnos

Sr Richmond

Lemnos  heavy

work, working 20 hours a day

 staff - finding

patients dead  for

quite a while.

Transferred from Guilford Castle

to H.M.T.S. Neuralia took 

patients off torpedoed battleship

Goliath, also battleship Trimph

 and "Majestic"

Malta with 8 bad patients

and  only 5 nurses

At Anzac August 12^th -

Turks shelled ship afterwards

Sent apologies for mistake.

 

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."

125/25
No 3 A. A. H. Dartford

Kent - Aug. 25 1919

Sister Richmond

To

Lt Col. Butler

In answer to your request for my 

experiences I enclose the following.

Leaving Sydney on Nov. 25th 1914 on

H.M.A.S Kyarra, after calling at

Melbourne and Freemantle we

arrived in Alexandria Jan 14^th 1915.

In Alexandria we had to await

orders for a few days and on the

18^th proceeded to Cairo to Mena

House at the foot of the Pyramids

near to where our infantry were

camped. We had not been there

long when a septic pneumonia

broke out amongst the troops and

we were busy for a time. When

we became slacker other

hospitals needed help so we 

were sent to help in different

parts, eight of us were sent to the

 

Citadel, the English Garrison Hospital,

a place full of historical interest

The sisters home had once been 

the palace of Mehmet Ali

On April 21^st, I, two Sister E. Chapman

Sister Spalding both A.A.N.S with 

an English Regular had orders

to proceed to Alexandria for

transport work. On arriving

there we found ambulances

ready to meet us and were

conducted to the Guildford Castle

which was waiting our arrival

to start. It was staffed with one

I.M.S. crew the whole thing

being a gift of the people of India

furnished to perfection in every detail.

Every kindness possible was shown

to us.

On the morning of April 24^th 1915

we arrived at Lemnos in Mudros Bay

which helped to show more clearly

the interest and beauty of our

 

surroundings. The whole harbour was

filled with transports and battleships

and other craft waiting for the

attack. At 2pm the a long line of

battleships headed by the Queen 

Elizabeth proceeded to the Peninsula

From 6.a.m. to 7.a.m. the next

morning fully thirty transports and

two hospital ships (Gascon and

Cecilia) proceeded on their way,

it was a wonderful sight. More

French Cruisers came into the harbour

during the day. We heard all the

time the noise of the guns and 

realised something big was taking

place.

We were restless to get to the 

scene of action our turn coming

at 7.a.m. on the 26^th arriving

at the entrance of the straits

(Sadel-Bahr) at 11:30 am. taking

our place all in the midst of

the many ships. British, French and

 

Russian Battleships bombarded the 

forts throughout the day and heavy

fighting continued. The first lot of

wounded arrive alongside in a

lighter at 2.p.m. about 15 men

all terribly mutilated the first in

a moribund condition. The sight

almost parailzed one, the first

efforts seen of a battle, but there

was far too much to be done to

pay any attention to one's feelings.

At 8p.m. 150 more stretcher cases

arrived and so they kept coming

until we had over 500 cases on

board. Even then we could not

leave for the other ships had

returned full and we had to 

act as a base hospital, so when

patients had a certain amount of 

surgical treatment were transferred

to transports and sent away.

On April 30th a balloon ascends mean

us to make observations of the

 

enemy positions. Immediately after the 

ascent numerous shells and shrapnel

are fired from the shore and about 

to fall very near us. The rumour

of an aeroplane attack by the 

enemy make it necessary for us

to go a mile distant for safety.

Work was very heavy, we did at least

20 hrs a day, going until we can 

go no longer. There are only four

sisters and twelve orderlies,

with Hinduos. Not one of we four

could be spared for night duty

anxiety kept waking us up, and

causing us to go and see how 

things were. In doing so I have

found patients dead, perhaps for

quite a time, undiscovered, not 

due to neglect but because of the 

shortness of staff. Our deaths by 

May 1^st had been 31 and so on 

the 2^nd we were not sorry to 

be returning to Alexandria, with

 

so much of the of the British 

Army which we hoped might 

get better treatment at the base.

Arriving at Alexandria at 11a.m.

May 4^th disembarkation commenced 

but oh! such a muddle, hospitals 

had been opened and there were 

no staffs to run them and so 

orders were given and countermanded
and some double compound

femurs were moved and removed 

from their bunks to the stretchers 

as a result. Finally about half 

were sent to Port Said as there

was not sufficient room in 

Alexandria. This was the first 

load to reach this port and 

the people were most enthusiastic 

and considering conditions had 

shown great powers of organisation 

The ambulances were not many 

small and drawn by donkeys 

and when they gave out 

butchers carts were resorted to. Then

by some mistake on the part of

the military the light cases were

sent to the regular hospital and 

the more severe to some schools 

used temporarily run by just the 

one trained nurse (who was a 

married woman) and lay helpers. 

No sooner than the patients had 

departed we received word to 

proceed to Cairo as the Guildford 

Castle was wanted for India. It 

just seemed the last straw we 

were so tired and it was worse

to be met with word on arrival 

at Cairo to return by the next 

train to Port Said as orders had 

been changed.

On our next trip another sister 

was added to our list somewhat 

of an invalid sent I think for 

the recovery of her health. However 

it appeared to make very little 

 

difference for what we did was just 

like a drop in the ocean to what 

should have been done. We took on 

many men from the torpedoed 

battleship Goliath. On our return 

again to Alexandria we had much 

the same kind of experience and 

so found ourselves at Port Said 

once again.

This time the Guildford Castle 

was really transferred to Indian 

Service and we were sent to 

H.M.T.S. Neuralia, a finer vessel 

but not fitted for hospital work 

so had to proceed to Alexandria. 

Here a number of rough wooden 

bunks were put hastily in and 

with a red cross flag were 

sent to Lemnos. This time we had 

many from the ^torpedoed Battleships Triumph 

and Majestic. We went to Malta 

with 860 patients and 8 nurses 

Another trip reaching Cape Helles

on June 26^th we were placed near 

the shore just near the remains 

of the Majestic to find a big 

battle proceeding. The Turks 

were making for a gun on the 

Cape firing from the Asiatic side 

and the British Hospital being 

in line caught it and killed 

several patients. With glasses one 

could see the men falling and the 

poor horses galloping around 

after being wounded. We nearly 

filled and were sent to Lemnos then to 

^Anzac getting many of our own boys and 

New Zealanders. On return again 

to Lemnos General Barti joined us 

and so went to Malta Alexandria. On our 

next return trip we were sent to 

where the Royal Edward had 

been torpedoed the night before 

going round and round the wreckage 

to see if there was anyone alive 

Our staff had by this time increased 

 

to ten, five English and five Australian

the other two being Sister Anderson 

from Perth and Sister Madeline 

Wilson from Queensland.

When at Anzac on Aug 12 the we 

found the Turkish machine guns 

turned right on us one night 

and as I was on duty with the 

deck patients had some anxious 

work for the men were packed 

everywhere one was hardly able 

to walk amongst the stretchers. 

One boy whom I had attended 

to and recovered his wound was 

struck again in the leg. I sent 

for the M.O. and on coming up 

was just missed by a piece going whizzing 

between his legs. We moved farther 

away and the next day the 

Turks apologised for what they 

said was a mistake. On this 

return we were sent to where the 

Royal Edward had been torpedoed 

 the night before to see if there were 

any alive. We sailed around the 

wreckage but our search was in 

vain.

On Aug 23^rd we arrived at Suva 

Bay where a new landing had 

been affected and took on wounded 

very quickly, and then go went to Malta 

again. On our return on Sept 2^nd 

we received a wireless to say that 

the Southland had been torpedoed 

being about twenty miles distant

ten miles sth of the Is. of Strati

We made rapid speed and as 

we drew near saw a vessel 

well listed and boats full 

of men about. We made great 

preparations in the wards for drowning 

men and all had to wear 

lifebelts. It was exciting the cheering 

from the boats and songs, we 

were not near enough to see 

the uniform but the old "Cooee"

 

let us know we had come to 

Australians aid. When we had 

stopped the life boats were 

immediately dropped into the 

water already manned bringing 

back those that remained stayed on 

board except just a few who 

remained to take her into Lemnos

Other vessels arrived later taking 

different boat loads. There were 

few with us much the worse 

for their experience, and the 

talking and questioning that 

took place made a deafening 

sound. Colonel Millard ^a General 

in charge were one of the number. In 
the afternoon the Southland was able to proceed 

to Lemnos, and we did the some followed 

later in the evening. The next 

morning the Transylvania came 

alongside with further Southland 

survivors, and great was the 

anxiety and questions as to the 

fate of friends. Lt Linton with us found 

that his father, Brig. Gen. Linton 

had died soon after being rescued

from a mine in the water in 

a mine sweeper. We took on board 

all these men, two dying soon 

after arrival.

Our last trip was to Anzac and 

returned to Alexandria to discharge 

our patients. We then took on a 

large number for England over 

100 enteries and on Nov 27^th 

reached Southampton. We were 

granted ten days leave as our 

ship had many alterations to 

be made and after many weeks 

of uncertainty proceeded to 

Liverpool to join her again and 

even then had to stay in Liverpool 

until Dec 30^th leaving Birkenhead 

on Jan 8^th. On Jan 18^th after leaving 

Malta we had word to go to the 

assistance of the Marere which was 

 

being chased by a submarine

Putting on full speed ^we soon arrived 

at the seat of action. The ship 

was still well up in the water, 

three or four small boats were 

seen, and every now and again 

at a distance the submarine 

appeared. Soon after stopping, the 

boats came to us with sixty-seven 

men all crew but two who 

were passengers. She was a cargo 

boat on her way to England 

which had at one time brought 

over some of our troops but had 

then left only tallow and sturt

marble for the Commonwealth 

buildings. The crew had had to 

surrender, their gun was of no 

use as it only carried 1000 yds 

and the submarine had their range

The men had been fired on 

even when they were in the 

boats. Soon after the arrival of

the men the firing started again 

but the f the range seemed bad and

as the Marere was seldom hit 

A signal sent to us was not answered 

promptly so firing was sent our 

way to show what the result 

would be soon afterwards we 

steamed away our last view 

of the old vessel showed the 

submarine had come right up 

and the men had gone on board 

to sink her The Cpt of the Marere 

remained below for he could not 

bear to see such results.

We returned to Alexandria and 

as the Peninsula had been 

evacuated were not needed 

further and so returned to our

units in Cairo.

Richmond

(Will give more if required)

[[During on 5 days?]]