AWM41 1039 - [Nurses Narratives] Mary Grace Sheean

Butler Colln.     AWM 4 1        6/45    [[?]]

[*AWM4 1*]

AUSTRALIAN ARCHIVES 

ACCESS STATUS

OPEN

MARY GRACE SHEEAN.

A.W.M.

LIBRARY

[Case] No 373.2

[1039]

 

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 as 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

experiences and on internal evidence to guide him in judging what is

and what is not likely to be historically accurate." 

 

Salonica

43/131

Left Melbourne in August 1916 for India to

nurse British Troops, arrived India in Sept

1916. Was here detailed to the Victoria War

hospital where I remained untill

July 1917. The first few months we were 

very busy with surgical cases from

Mesopotamia, for the last five months

we had Turkish prisoners of war,

surgical again, this was a very heavy

time indeed. The climate of India is

very trying, but our hours were good

three hours off one day & the next day

off at 1 o'clock, with one whole day a

month.

Left Bombay July 1917. to join up with 300

nurses from Australia for Salonica

to relieve the Canadians there.

Stayed in Egypt ten days, five of which

I was on duty at the 15 B.G.H.

Arrived in Salonica in August 1917.

Here we were sent to the 52^nd B.G.H.

Kalmaria a hut of hospital of 1000.

beds. Mostly medical cases, malaria

etc.

In May 19.18 transferred to the 42 B.G H,

"Dysentry" & canvas. 1.500 beds.

here the work was very heavy.

The summer was very hot & the

winters extremely cold-.

Left Salonica Feb 19.19. Arrived

Sutton Veny March. 19.19.

 

Mary Grace. Sheehan

 

 

Item control

Australian War Memorial
005172283