Nurses Narratives Sister Ella Jane Tucker Part 1

Conflict:
First World War, 1914–18
Part of Quest:
Nurses Narratives
Subject:
  • Nurses Narratives
Status:
Finalised
Accession number:
AWM41 1053
Difficulty:

Page 1 / 17

Buto Colle AmS1 worant apctun Rte SAUS TER E.S. WCKER. 243 CAS CaF n ne E 139 (623 8232
France 2 Tu 9 No 2 ACH Sheets during the rust you table going tie am tll 2 a.m, donp only for i 20 40 patients operated in eac day Wunte 1917- wates poge, ony agu cases dong Bisten welted and shren the snow for the istn Henerzee and wad in thet The Official War Historian of the Commonwealth Gorernment (Dr. C. E. W. Bean), after his dady of the collection of private war records preserved in the Anstralian War Memorial Library, wrote: M. T. AN STM Man 18 e 1 6 ac 6 t. Mcd A o 66 c d A a W be t1 r at i tndging whas Fam a t6
- 253 11 PIARIES. PERSONAL General. Extracts from Diary of a Sister while on Hospital Ship "Sicilia + Gascon. 8/4/15 to 2/2/16 of a
Iaar 8 25t Extrencts from My OLrat 8-4-15. Went on duty sill 9a.m. read exccisement amongst we swile Sirtus wlo lave been clooses so staff sh sicilia (Mospital skip) at 11 a. we get on luggage into dhe Comdyara at Mera Thouse, & deis Gould, omechus, & our lggage are stoned away in I notor anbulances; Tues of the Ameriearus arrive at the Station figh good sine, He shid gets a puirchue but arrives in time for she Sian. We are goived ad Cano Station by on future eteation, (an Spnial Sien) Colonel Biid, d lis sdoff of 4 Sissus, had a nice yourey through to elexandia, whr we were net by Col. Mearti A Gimlett, we were put uso a haveport wagen, I om luggage wts aoden, I sake so the wehaf, then a srian launch was awaiting us, whch dook ue so the Sicilia, The Indian Cidulis mere all lind up on dick so meet us. eyrmoor see was in seed, after wlid we expeard on stve hone, it is fitsed ups to cany about 400 patients se siing cots in see Acute W aids are very nice indeed, the convaticnt of b sence cases have wrs of souble bunks – There are 12 Australian Drdertis 12 Indian Vidulies, C nedical mew, a1f Sisue CLO9 A2 Indian aredical men. 5
9.-4.5. This morning we wold se srdalies doing Boal Brill, an anage of six patients mere uncoaded from H life bost, put ito see seving cot hoisted up an the side of the boat, I drapped through He open hatchway iss Hhe Maid below, in 5 nimbes - £409/8 12.4-15 Guas stir gunally on board slep the news gets around shat me are so sail, ad 12.30 up cares sn anctor& we are alraded so the Ing – Se is ratter a rellified old Ship, but no of is succumb to sea sickness We give eorderlies bandaging lesons I later on pac splents - We pad, & pad splints moring a afteroon, every day, the san to be hundreds of shem. we also get a gread stock of awnigs aut a scnilier. 13-4-15. Glue ar nuncious islands appeare Hhe sea a sky an much blaw this moring we lave boat- Station dull. Weare travelling very slowly 7f prots only, Hhe Captain aves it wast so get o Samos till soronor noning 14-4-15 6arm. Lemoos - ruggsd hills, my little grass, no hras, due a the, of the Sinist villages merlling anongt the bilrs. In sh onen baibou sew are above 6 gunboats, & 3 traneports, In she inne harbour shew sum so be hundreds of ships.
14-4-15. The captain alloned we sissus to go rand sre larbou in we laund, it has been sull a wandeful right so see 2o many battle chips I tranpores, de called, nundered, will as A a B in port. True was only one other hospital ship in the baibon the Salte, gie heard we arrind doo late do take 100 wounded to Menandia, so Hay wee sent by a prampat neliad. 1415. still wailig for orders in the larborn. Quire a aramy night, rafts & small boats fwoating all round te hailou; - at 4 a.m $.23. starded hoading, shee of the fo raft atracted to ha, had gon ariging, & is was aet sill 5p.n: shat in last of the wanderers war chorned home. I Me evening nine of the officers from A.T. arrived with a granaphoe, so present do the hospital ship 22.4-15. There are now three hospitalts slips in the harbou, Ger of the Clar Macgillory deffices cane so sake us for a nip ieoe, it was loly so feel dena firma again, wnd so the little village, we could see from the slip, it is situated in a glen bedien two very rocky tills He sheet very navror a very sseep, made of colble stores, will a dear wig now hee entre of she sat, she houses mostly 2 storey buill of stone & cemend, will sile wef, He houses are jammed ay closely sogether, &
have nueious loops beles for pifles, & the windows are all shulsered. 22/4/15 Gle Meaton & O.6 from The Gasion came aboard, so commandeer four of our Sistue, (Sister MMarthall, Gitso, Perus, & myself 25/4/15- Bed letter day. Shells builling all round me are off Gaba Gepe,l at, She soldiers have commenced to land, thee are ekee of Mar, & Transport Boats, in every direction sownd us, an orcarisnal. shell buists quite near up. The wounded conmence to come on board afout gan. four die in the first boad, that comes once, the patients just paw into the Waids; from the barges a boats. The majoidy of padints have first aid drssings, at quite a numberr of the boys are soaked through, the R.A.R.C, d Indian orderly between them, ged Ale mew 5 closhes off, & I stait straght away at dresing, Io resporsible for about 96 patients in the Wward, &t about 40 inticl I have on matherses on the fore- dick, will the ascirtance of a medical Stude get through all the dusigs by 2. a.M. have quite a nummler of conpound fractures whch, I put up suporaby, a apply prossue atter cases, when recessary, hopin that in Colonel Tougs will soon findot de Officers I get down so my Werd; but we hear be is working laid in she teate, so I duss or widl many anscious looks at the pale faces
10 down de long lins of burks in fear stat an hamovtage night pees un.nodiced, svnal Lines so bac stay the lins of davings, & and a dusing sadwrated, I have so apply now driving a pressure, the boys an buicks they smoke or, I pasintly wait seer sur, stey shirk He old ship is leaven after de surinculal all his dine in can lardly hear omselues speak with the bangng which s on outende, she ship just stines will He exha heavy repords, but wee are Onch doo buey so slink of whal is long on on and lod seat in las it lad a oeal, dill De Steward sstew is a cup of dea in ahe pandy sisse about 6 cclock. de last duering is finited about 2.20 a.m, I de men on nearly all sluping Mection comes indo Hhe Wed, and absolutely bundles mne off so led, at 5.30 on up, & in the Waid again; the Viderlies look after the seaing of the patients, me cast attenp so wash se or make shin peeds. I coe straight away as dressings, & go or salidly dill 10.30 pp dlue are 557 patients on board & only] mures, so shel we cast allmmg is as any thing alse for she new except then dussings, is really breaks your heard, so see sh lipiy, loskry had & dirty, I not be
11 a able do speage den, & make dum confortable. 26espril. We stayed in Lennos habour neaily all day, in she eneig pailed for clncarauat, reach then 11 p.m. Thursday 29th each day passig such like she proceding ore. Friday we disinbark on padients, nest of sim go do Cane, she want being kept at Alexandeia, ber coal, take in wase I ar ready to seil at 6 p.m Io was seeing all walking pasints go off Hhe pabliti ship, some with half then houses forn, athes widh guat day blood sdains or sheir Bharki Oer te resur yourney do Gaba Tipe, wee work said geving our wards ready, cald get clear pyjama suiss, pick out the clearest I about 40 pains of blood stained ous, with the adutes assistance in as on best so was in Sall water, d dhe day or the dick every spae minute is spent in inlg up drssings, a peding spents which she ships capender is making fo us, we are 00 days anchored off Gaba Tipe, taking or pasients, mostly ad night; we had not so many tis srip, but they were may senively 3 days wounded had over 40 deachs or on + hop arrive as ellexandria or the 19 once you wlosd on boys I return the same day. 155-15 Gave beer at Gaba. Fepe Since Sunday, recuring one padiente, in very sned
12 batchs, And on night duty sis sup, at the Acule end, of the slip Every right then are 2or 3 dealhes, sonetions 5or 6, its just awful flying from first on ward w another, & dreading so hear what see orderly gt have so dell you inter you get there, hor you wishd you could be in she 4 wards as once, the orderlies haveit had much training, but dhy do dhen very best, each night is a sighman, & Hhe patients faces all look so pale with the sickinng ship's lights, its such a relief so see them by daylight, 22.515. Hlave ber to edlexardiia, disclarged on patients, & an now returning do on previous distination $24515 strnie at Gaba Gipe, & are guveen orders to reduer to exendios Harborn, Meonday a.m, have a quiet sine culng up durings, ou gauge is abrost extansted, I we are having to are lint which Heir is still a large stock. In dle assuroor 50 patients arri by a mine Sucepe, from Cape- Helles, Furilues & Indease mosdlys 27-5-15. Threse orders, to trantfer all one patients do The DDunence Castle & to sail for Inbros get oue padients all ready for tranefer, I it is 24 hovs before the CDuntnce arrs; afew trawsin

Butler Colln.     AWM 41   6|59[6/20] 
AUSTRALIAN ARCHIVES 
ACCESS STATUS
OPEN

SISTER E.J. TUCKER. 
  
A.W.M.
LIBRARY 
Class No 373.2 
Cat

[*1053*]

 

France   Sr E.J. Tucker   8/49 
No 2 AGH 
Theatre during the rush - 
2 op tables going from 
10 a.m till 2 a.m, stopping  
only for meals. 20 - 40 
patients operated on each day. 
Winter 1917 - water froze, 
only urgent cases done - 
sisters melted and strained  
the snow for the instrument 
sterilizer and washing hands 
in theatre. 
  
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". 

 

93
E 253/1/11
Diaries-Personal-General
Sister & J Tucker, her experiences as theatre  sister at No2 A G H Boulogne

129. 

P.A
INITIALS [[?]]
DATE 11/4/19

 

253 1 1 
DIARIES. PERSONAL 
- General 
Extracts from Diary of a Sister while on 
Hospital Ships "Sicilia" & "Gascon". 8/4/15 to 2/2/16. 
  
Sister Tucker AANS 
orig. & one typed copy 

 

A51410   [[ePo. 2.?]] [[???]]
E253/1/11
Southall 
3-4-18.
4379 44 2

In reply to a paper received from 
Lt. Col [Butler.A.A.M.C.?]attached are copies
of extracts from my diary while on Hospital Ship,
am sorry that the photographs I collected during
that time, were all sent to Tasmania, nearly
2 years ago, & they still hav'nt reached home.
Re my time as Theatre Sister at
No . 2 . A . G . H. I did not keep a diary during
that time, & the theatre record book, is at 
Boulogne, so I'm unable to write very little 
on that subject. Hope some of the material
may be useful. 

Index alphabet.
EJ. Tucker.
Sister A.A.N.S.
For Colonel Butler.
to await return.           

 

1
Our first theatre at No. 2. Aust. Gen. Hospital Boulogne, had
been built for a laundry, it had a substantial cement
floor, unlined walls, & numerous wooden rafters, a smaller 
room opening into the larger, in which we did the sterilizing
& kept splints etc. The sterilizer we used for dressings,   
gowns, etc, was quite a good size, under which we
placed a six burner primers, which had its good &
bad days, the kerosene was often very inferior, & one 
could 'nt resist a sigh of relief, when the main part
of the day's sterilizing was done. For the instruments
& gloves, we had a ordinary one burner primus, & the
trial to one's temper, when you were the only nurse,
& had to take the case, & change the tables between
the cases, to find when you went out to find your 
instrument primus well out, & your two orderlies
away, bringing along the next case, of course these
trifles only occurred when both tables were going, 
& both theatre Sisters sterile. In these early days
clean & dirty cases were done alike in the theatre, 
of course as far as possible, we did the clean
cases first, but a convoy coming in, might bring a 
gangrene limb, or a secondary hemorhage, or trephines
which had to be operated on immediately, & it
was marvellous the good results we had.
We were so glad to get into the new
theatre, it was one of those Canadian shacks,
well lighted with windows on three sides 

 

                                         acute Ward               anaesthetic room.
X - Ray                                                                         Acute Ward.
Department                                                                (56 beds.)
Path. etc                                                      
                       Sterilizing                          anesthetic
                          Room                                   room.                                       
                                        Theatre

Had 2 tables, with two long rows of electric 
lights above each table. & two large emergency 
lights, suppliid from our our electrical plant in the 
X - Ray department, this was very necesary, when
air raids were about.  The X- Ray department
being under the same roof as the theatre, was
most convenient for certain cases, where it was 
difficult to locate the foreign body; the 
table & patient where just wheeled into the
X- Ray room, the F.B. located & the patient 
wheeled back to the theatre, & the operation
proceeded with. The two acute Wards, also
under the same roof, where kept for the worst
surgical cases, after operation.
We still had the primus problem, in the new
theatre, but the two anaesthetic rooms were a
great boon, we were able to get through the 
cases so much more quickly, the Anaesthetist
getting the next case under, by the time the 
proceeding patient was dressed.
In busy times we found it necessary to 
have 2 sets of stretcher bearers, a Sister, & 

 

3
& an Orderly for each table, also a night Sister 
& Night Orderly, frequently both tables would commence
at 10 a.m, & continue work, stopping only for meals,
till 2.a.m. next morning ; other Surgeons taking
turns with their cases. The Wards were all
working over time, so the theatre nurses, took
turns every second night, to stay on till the 
work was finished, 20 to 40 patients were often
operated on in the day. The principal work
was extraction of foreign bodies; amputations,
trephines, excisions of joints, excising of 
gangrene tissue ligating for secondary haemorrhages 
abdominal G.S.W. In the busier times
we opened up what was termed the "Bush
Theatre, a large room at the back of the 
Admission room; with neither water, or sink.
The smaller "foreign body cases" only were supposed
to be done there; but when the work pressed
too heavily in No.1 theatre; excision of 
joints, amputations, trephines etc, were frequently 
done there. During that very cold spell in
1917, our radiators bust, & all the heater
pipes were frozen; & for 2 days we had
no water at all in the theatre, & until
arrangements were made for carting it from
Boulogne, only absolutely urgent cases were
done, we melted, & strained the snow water
for the instrument sterilizer, & washing our                                          

 

4  
hands, it was weeks before we could get the workmen 
for repairing the pipes, all the hospitals round being 
in a similar position, & we had to wait our 
turn, which was nearly last.  Meantime all 
the water had to be carted, & kept in tubs in 
the sterilizing room, fortunately the repairs 
were completed when we had the rush of work 
coming in from Bullecourt, Messines, Vimy Ridge 
etc.  During the winter of 1917, every spare 
minute we were making stock dressings, & had 
every available cupboard packed full, & jars 
of (Biniodide in spirit prep) catgut.
I always had an anxious eye on those 
stock dressings, it was sad to see them 
diminishing, notwithstanding the hours, we 
used to sit up, in our cubicles at night, 
long after "lights out"  cutting & folding, 
folding & cutting, those were the occasions 
I longed for a Red Cross worker.  We 
tried getting them done in the Wards, but there 
were so many evacuations & convoys it was'nt 
satisfactory.  Another big problem was the glove 
mending, to have from 60 - 100 pairs of gloves at the 
end of a big day, & to find about half of them 
punctured or torn & the clock saying nearly 
midnight, or long after.  But these were mere 
details, in comparison to the interesting work 
we were seeing.  At this time we were

 

5
using Carrie's tubes for nearly every case, & eusol 
gauze dressing, & Spagnum moss.  We can't 
give sufficient thanks to the Spagnum pad 
makers, the sizes were so convenient; & it is 
such a comfortable dressing, absorbent wool was 
an article hardly used in our theatre.

 

6
London
Gallipoli  253-1569-1

Extracts from my Diary                                            
8-4-15.  Went on duty till 9 am.  Great excitement 
amongst we seven Sisters, who have been choosen  
to staff the Sicilia (Hospital Ship) at 11 a.m  
we get our luggage into the Courtyard at Vera  
House, & Meirs, Gould, ourselves, & our luggage  
are stowed away in 3 motor Ambulances;  
Two of the Ambulances arrive at the Station  
in good time, the third gets a puncture, but  [*CJ 409/8 1*] 
arrives in time for the train.  We are joined  
at Cairo Station by our future Matron, (an  
Imperial Sister), Colonel Bird, & his staff of  
4 Sisters, had a nice journey through to  
Alexandria, where we were met by Col. Martin 
& Gimlett ; we were put into a transport  
waggon, & our luggage into another, & taken  
to the wharf, there a steam launch was  
awaiting us, which took us to the Sicilia. 
The Indian Orderlies were all lined up  
on deck to meet us; afternoon tea was  
then served, after which we explored our  
future home, it is fitted up to carry  
about 400 patients the swing cots in the  
Acute Wards are very nice indeed, the  
convalescent & less severe cases have rows of  
double bunks - There are 12 Australian Orderlies,  
12 Indian Orderlies, 6 Medical Men, & 12 Sisters  
& 2 Indian Medical Men.                           

[*C4069/5.*] [*P.A initials CM? Date 8/4/19*]

 

7
9-4-15. This morning we watch the orderlies doing 
Boat Drill, an average of six patients were 
unloaded from the life boat, put into the 
swing cot, hoisted up over the side of the 
boat, & dropped through the open hatchway 
into the Ward below, in 5 minutes - [* E409/8*] 
12-4-15. Great stir generally on board ship, the 
news gets around that we are to sail, at 
12.30. up comes the anchor, and we are attached 
to the tug - She is rather a rollified old 
ship, but none of us succumb to sea-sickness. 
We give the orderlies bandaging lessons, 
&  later on pad splints -  We pad, & pad 
splints morning and afternoon, every day, there 
seem to be hundreds of them. we also get a  
great stock of dressings out & sterilized. 
13-4-15.  There are numerous islands appearing, 
the sea and sky are much bluer this morning. 
We have boat-station drill. We are 
travelling very slowly, 7 knots only, the 
Captain doesn't want to get into 
Lemnos till tomorrow morning. 
14-4-15.    5a.m. Lemnos -  rugged hills, very   
little grass, no trees, two or three, of the  
tiniest villages nestling amongst the hills. 
In the outer harbour there are about 6 
Gunboats, & 3 transports,  In the inner 
harbour there seem to be hundreds of ships.

 

8 
14-4-15.  The captain allowed we sisters to go 
round the harbour in the launch, it has been 
such a wonderful sight to see so many battle ships 
and transports, the latter, numbered, with an A or B 
in front.  There was only one other hospital ship 
in the harbour the "Salem",  first heard we arrived 
too late to take  150 wounded to  Alexandria, so they 
were sent by a transport instead. 
21-4-15.  Still waiting for orders in the harbour. 
Quite a stormy night, rafts and small boats 
floating all round the harbour; - at 4 a.m 
A23. started hooting, three of the four rafts 
attached to her, had gone drifting, and it was 
not till 5 p.m. that the last of the wanderers 
were returned home. In the evening nine 
of the officers from A.1. arrived with a 
gramophone, to present to  the hospital ship 
22-4-15.  There are now three hospital ships in  
the harbour. Ten of the Clan Macgillory Officers 
came to take us for a trip ashore, it was  
lovely to feel terra firma again, went to the  
little village, we could see from the ship, it is 
situated in a glen between two very rocky hills 
the streets very narrow, and very steep, made of 
cobble stones, with a drain running down the 
centre of the street, the houses mostly 2 storey 
built of stone & cement, with tile roofs, 
the houses are jammed very closely together, &

 

9 
have numerous loop holes for rifles, & the windows are 
all shuttered.   23/4/15.  The Matron & O.C from 
the Gascon came aboard, to commandeer four 
of our Sisters, (Sister Marshall, Gibson, Peters, and myself) 
25/4/15.  Red letter day.  Shells bursting all round, 
we are off Gaba Tepe, shells bursting all round 
us, The Soldiers have commenced to land, there  
are Men of War, & Transport Boats , in every direction 
round us, an occasional shell bursts quite near us. 
The wounded commence to come on board about 9a.m. 
four die in the first boat, that comes over, the 
patients just pour into the Wards; from the barges  
& boats.  The majority of patients have first aid 
dressings, & quite a number of the boys are 
soaked through; the R.A.M.C, & Indian orderly 
between them, get the men's clothes off, & I 
start straight away at dressing, I'm responsible 
for about 76 patients in the Ward, & about 
40 which I have on mattresses on the foredeck; 
with the assistance of a medical student, 
we get through all the dressings by 2. a.m.  
have quite a number of compound fractures, 
which I put up temporaly, & apply pressure 
in other cases, where necessary, hoping that 
Colonel Hays, will soon finish the Officers,  
& get down to my Ward; but we hear he 
is working hard in the theatre; so I press on 
with many anxious looks at the pale faces 

 

10 
down the long line of bunks, in fear that an 
haemorrhage might pass un-noticed, Several times 
I go back along the lines of dressings, & find 
a dressing saturated, & have to apply more 
dressing and pressure,  the boys are bricks, they 
smoke on, & patiently wait their turn; they 
think the old ship is heaven after the 
peninsular, all this time we can hardly hear 
ourselves speak, with the banging which is 
going on outside, the ship just shivers 
with the extra heavy reports, but we are 
much too busy to think of what is going 
on outside, even forget that we have'nt 
had a meal, till the Steward says there is a cup 
of tea in the pantry Sister - about 6 oclock. 
the last dressing is finished about 2.30 a.m; 
& the men are nearly all sleeping. Matron 
comes into the Ward, and absolutely bundles 
me off to bed; at 5.30 am up, & in the  
Ward again; the orderlies look after the 
feeding of the patients, we can't attempt  
to wash them, or make their beds. I commence 
straight away at dressings, & go on solidly 
till 10.30. pm; there are 557 patients on board & only 7 
nurses, so that we can't attempt to do 
anything else for the men, except their 
dressings, it really breaks your heart, to 
see them lying, looking hot and dirty, & not be  

 

11 
able to sponge them, & make them comfortable. 
26 April. We stayed in Lemnos harbour nearly 
all day, in the evening sailed for Alexandria, 
reach there 11 p.m Thursday 29th; each day passing 
much like the preceeding one.  Friday we dis-embark 
our patients, most of them go to Cairo, the worst  
being kept at Alexandria; new coal, take in  
water, & are ready to sail at 6p.m. It was 
pathetic seeing the walking patients go off the 
ship, some with half their trousers torn, others 
with great dry blood stains on their kharki. 
On the return journey to Gaba Tepe, we 
work hard getting our wards ready, cant get 
clean pyjama suits, pick out the cleanest, 
& about 40 pairs of blood stained ones, with 
the orderlies assistance, we do our best 
to wash in salt water, and then dry on the 
deck. every spare minute is spent in cutting  
up dressings, & padding splints which the 
ship's carpenter is making for us; we are 
two days anchored off Gaba Tepe, taking on 
patients, mostly at night; we had not so 
many this trip, but they were very severely 
wounded, had over 40 deaths on our 3 day's 
trip, arrive at Alexandria on the 19th, & 
once again unload our boys, & return the 
same day. 15-5-15. Have been at Gaba Tepe 
since Sunday, receiving our patients in very small

 

12
batches, am on night duty this trip, at the  
Acute end, of the ship. Every night there are  
2 or 3 deaths, sometimes 5 or 6; its just 
awful flying from first one ward into 
another; & dreading to hear, what the orderly 
might have to tell you, when you get there, 
how you wished you could be in the 
4 wards at once, the orderlies hav'nt 
had much training, but they do their 
very best, each night is a nightmare, the 
patient's faces all look so pale with the 
flickering ship's lights, its such a relief 
to see them by daylight; 
22.5.15. Have been  to Alexandria, discharged 
our patients, & are now returning to our  
previous destination 24-5-15. Arrive at  
Gaba Tepe, & are given orders to return to  
Mudros Harbour, Monday a.m, have a quiet 
time cuting up dressings, our gauze is almost 
exhausted, & we are having to use lint, 
of which their is still a large stock. 
In the afternoon 50 patients arrive by a 
mine sweeper, from Cape Helles, Fusiliers & 
Indians mostly. 27.5.15. Fresh orders,  to 
transfer all our patients to the Dunluce Castle 
& to sail for Imbros, get our patients 
all ready for transfer, & it is 24 hours  
before the Dunluce arrives; After transferring

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Jacqueline KennedyJacqueline Kennedy
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