AWM41 1034 - [Nurses Narratives] Sister Mollie J Ryan

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SISTER M.J. RYAN.

A.W.M.

LIBRARY

Classn N^o 373.2

[1034]

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."

36/131
Salonica
Ryan

I was one of twenty five N.S. Wales 

Sisters who left Sydney on Sept 2^nd1916.

Most of us had been waiting anxiously 

to come abroad, some for quite eighteen

months, so naturally when the

opportunity came along, and the

destination, India, we were delighted.

Australian sisters had been asked

for by the Indian Government, as

a loan. So our Defence Dept,

sent along a full unit of 100.

The first batch were of fifty left

a fortnight before us us, and 

on our arrival at Bombay, we

felt quite at home, as we

were cordially received and well

cared for by our principal

Matron, Miss Doris of Melbourne

who had taken the first fifty

over. and they were all Victorians.

Our trip across the Equator was

very trying indeed as we ran straight

into the S.E. S.E. monsoon, which at

that particular time was very scary

Also on board our boat, P & O. Kashgar

we had the full Medical Staff of the

No 14. A.G.H. Cairo, O.C. Colonel Blackburn

of Sydney so he took complete charge

of us as far as Ceylon.

He vaccinated and dosed us all

with anti typhoid vaccines, A.B.C.

and generally made us feel sick

and sorry at times, but the cheery

time we had on board and all happy

Australians helped to make up for

those off days.

We reached Colombo after seventeen or

eighteen days & had a delightful four

days there waiting for a transhipment

to Bombay, and there we parted with

No 14 staff. We all missed them ever

so much and for four days on board

the 'Malta' a chinese boat, for Bombay

we talked over all our happy times

on the Kashgar.

At Colombo we stayed at the G.O.H.

a most palatial hotel, and we visited

all the bazaars etc, did all the outside

trips to Mt Lorinia and round the

Cinnamon Gardens, explored every region

in fact, and had one delightful

day at Kandy the home of the

ancient Buddhist. There we saw

the celebrated spice gardens at Peridenhya

the most gorgeously laid out gardens, it

is understood, in the world, as they 

contain every possible herb, spice, and

vegetable to say nothing of orchids

and all horticultural specimens.

At Kandy we explored the Temple 

of the Tooth, one of ancient Buddhas

it is supposed to be enclosed in

a golden casket. We saw all that

part of the show, but caught not

a glimpse of the 'Tooth' itself.

Well eventually we reached Bombay

on Sept 24^th and felt the heat &

flies, & all the discomforts of a

severe monsoonal season. and ran

right into an epidemic of Cholera,

in which sad to relate, two of our 

Australian sisters had lost their lives.

Then again we were well dosed 

with anti cholera vaccine, which again

made us all very sick.

We were then posted to different War

Hospitals in Bombay, and some of our

unit left for the frontier.

Everybody was most kind to us in

Bombay and we were made as

comfortable as the weather would permit.

Twelve of us were sent to Freeman

Thomas War Hospital, a well equipped,

and most palatial building right in

the centre of the city, on the sea front.

Our Matron was an I. M. S. Matron,

and her staff was very mixed. There

were English, I.A.I.M.K.N.S.R. and Temporary

I.M.S. and V.A.D; and last but 

not least AANS but no orderlies,

there were six native servants to each ward.

We were kept very busy indeed there

until June 1917. after the Fnt & Baghdad

operations. Some of the wounds were

very dreadful resulting from exposure

to heat and insects, and Turkish and

Arab bullets give very bad results.

We had some very severe head cases

and quite a large row, in one

particular ward, of cases of complete

paralysis.

There were troops from every possible

British Regt in that hosp. and a few

Australians, wireless men and N.Z.

signallers.

We felt very much away from our own

boys at times, but were delighted to do

any possible thing we could for the British

Tommies at the same time. They were 

the nicest imaginable lads to nurse,

and appreciated to a great degree,

any little attention from an Australian Sister.

As most of these same lads, had been

through Gallipoli, (Lancs, and Welsh 

& Scotch Regts) with our Australian

boys, and knew to the fullest

what they were capable of attaining,

in fact, they kept us constantly

acquainted with the brave exploits

of our own boys.

In Ju 1917 I left for Poona, and spent

nine months at the Deccan War Hosp.

1000 beds, AANS sisters, R.A.M.C. 

Medical Staff, and orderlies.

In 1918 I went to Belgaum a delightful

plateau station in Mysore, to the

station hospital, of 200 beds, where we

had outbreaks of smallpox, cholera,

and many plague cases. This station

possessed the most delightful climate

I met with in India, and I spent

eight happy, interesting months

there, where people were most hospitable

to us, (only four Australian sisters, 

full staff there) We had a very nice

United Service Club there, golf, riding,

and tennis. From there I came to 

England in Nov 1918, after a most

interesting sojourn in fascinating India

No. 1.A.G. 16 June 1919        Mollie J Ryan A.A.N.S.

Item Control

Australian War Memorial

005172278