Nurses Narratives Sister Ella Jane Tucker Part 3

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the few Naval patients we had, the rest of the 
patients were gradually disembarked and carried 
away in hand litters, afterwards we went ashore 
and had a most interesting time. next day the Gascon 
coaled, so the Captain permitted the Medical 
and Nursing Staff to go across to Algecires 
for the day, had a lovely day exploring the 
town & surrounding country. On the 10th we 
sail again for Malta & reach there on the 14th. 
We wait for the hospital ship Nevada to
unload & then take her place at the Wharf
The Submarine E.11. is in dry dock near by, 
& the Medical Officers & Sisters are invited 
by her Commander to go over her, we are 
most delighted to accept the offer. 15-X-15.  We 
embark 400 patients for England, my patients 
again are mostly convalescent enterics & dysentery. 
20-X-15.  So far have had a quiet uneventful trip 
called at  Gibraltar yesterday, & received orders for 
Southampton  24-X-15, Have had 2 ½ days of 
tossing in the Bay of Biscay, some of the 
patients have had a very rough time of 
it, did'nt feel particularly happy myself, 
especially one afternoon,  when a tray of 10 
mugs of arrowroot & myself, not expecting 
a sudden lurch of the boat all got mixed 
up together on the Ward floor, shrieks of 
laughter from the bunks, & sudden exit of 

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Sister.  25-X-15 arrive at Southampton at 11 a.m. 
& at 2 p.m. the last of our patients is off; the 
disembarkation is beautifully carried out here; by 3 p.m. 
the Gascon is on her way to London, where we 
arrive on the 27th, after a very rough trip, & 
anchoring nearly the whole of one day in the 
Thames, the ship is put into dock & we are 
allowed to explore wonderful England until the 
11th Nov. The Medical men & orderlies of the 
29th British General hospital, & all the 
equipment are on board, & we sail for Salonika.
13-XI-15.  Blowing great guns,  & the Sea washing 
all over the decks, we have 3 days of it,
25-XI-15.  Reach the boon of Salonika harbour, & 
anchor outside for the night, 26th raining & 
bitterly cold, at daylight enter the outer harbour, 
five hospital ships in sight (2 French) - we await 
orders. 27th Below 56° temp - Air 28°, all the hills 
covered with snow, a heavy white mist hanging 
over the water, the Battleships & transports 
look like weird phantoms in it. The Captain & 
our O.C, and the O.C, of the 29th hospital, put off in 
one of the ship's boats to go ashore after a 
couple of hours they return from the fog, to 
the ship, and not having found the shore, 
28th Still freezing, foggy & no orders, - 29th & 30th 
ditto 28th - 3-XII.15. Still waiting with the hospital 
aboard, go ashore in the afternoon. 

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4-12-15. On Shore in the a.m., about 70 patients 
arrive on the ship in the afternoon, & we had 
to turn out the 29th General Hosp. orderlies, 
they had to make the most of the deck, or 
anywhere else they could find room, next day 
more patients arrived almost all trench feet, & 
frost bitten cases. Some of the 29th people 
left us, to commence their camp. 6-12-15. 
The remainder of the unit left us, & we sail 
for Alexandria; reach there on the 10th & 
disembark our patients. Have 2 days there 
& embark convalescent patients for England. 
Three of our Australian Sisters leave the ship
there, & are replaced by 3 N.Z. Sisters. 2 p.m. sail 
get some distance out from Alexandria, & our 
engines give way. put back to port for repair, 
& on testing, they break again. 14th Sail again, 
the crew are so keen to reach England for the 
25th pass Gib 21st. a quiet easy, trip, the 
patients are all so happy, at the thought of 
"Blighty" 25th In the English Channel, & 
dossing well, we've been busy for days making 
up packs for the boys for Xmas. The ship 
provides the boys with a very nice Xmas dinner 
in the evening we have a concert in one 
of the Wards. 26th Dec. reach Southampton, & 
disembarked our boys. We are free till the 3rd Jan. 
4-1-16. We take 130 Hindoos & Mahomeds.

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8 Indian Medical Service Men, & 6 Native 
I.M.S men & the usual hospital staff. 
10-1-16. Passed Gibraltar, rough from there till we 
reached Malta, some of the patients are 
very sick, reached Alex. on the 17th, & unload 
our patients. Get the Wards well cleaned, 
& the beds well aired, & re-made. 
24th received orders to go to the Western 
frontier, even have steam up, orders countermanded 
at [[Lepinos?]] we wait in the harbour till the 
2nd Feb, orders arrive for the remainder of 
the Australian Sisters to be transferred to 
Cairo, & we are replaced by New-Zealand 
Sisters; after ten months of ship life. 

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Number of Trips on H.M.A.S "Gascon" 

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