Nurses Narratives Sister Ella Jane Tucker Part 4

Our first theatre at No. 2 Aust. Gen. Hospital, Boulogne, 
had been built for a laundry.  It had a substantial cement floor, 
unlined walls, and numerous wooden rafters, a smaller room opening
into the larger, in which we did the sterilising and kept splints etc.  
The sterilizer we used for dressings, etc. was quite a good 
size, under which we placed a six burner primus, which had its good and 
bad days, the kerosene was often very inferior, and one couldn't resist 
a sigh of relief when the main part of the day's sterilizing was done  
For the instruments and gloves we had an ordinary one burner primus, 
and the trial of one's temper, when you were the only nurse, and had 
to take the case, and change the tables, the cases, to find 
when you went out,  your instrument primus well out, and your two or-
derlies away, bringing along yhe next case, of course these trifles 
only occurred when both tables were going, and both theatre sisters 
sterile.  In these early days clear and dirty cases were done alike 
in the theatre, of course as far as possinle, we did the clean cases 
first, but a convoy coming in, might bring a gangrene limb, or a sec-
ondary haemorrgage, or trephine which had to be operated on immediately 
and 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

 

[**] Index

E  /7

Acute Ward                                             I Anaesthetic room

X-Ray                                                          Acute Ward

Department                                             (56 beds)

Path etc,

Sterilizing room                                       Anaesthetic room

Theatre

 

Had two tables with two long rows of electric lights above, supplied 
from our own electric plant in the X Ray Department, this was very 
necessary 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 and 
patient were just wheeled into the X Ray room, the F.B. located and 
the patient wheeled back to the theatre, and the operation proceeded 
with.  The two acute acute wards also under the same roof, were kept for 
the worst surgical cases, after operation

We still had the primus problem, in the new theatre, but the two 
anaesthetic rooms under were a great boom, we were able to get through 
the cases so much more quickly.  The anaethetist getting the next 
case under by the time the preceding patient was dressed.

In busy times we found it necessary to have two sets of stretcher 
bearers, a sister and an orderly for each table, also a night sister 
and night orderly.  Frequently both tables would commence at 10 a.m. 
and continue worj, stopping only for meals, till 2 a.m. next morning.

The surgeons taking turns with their cases.  The wards were all working 
overtime, so the theatre nurses took turn 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 grangen gan-
grene tissue, ligating for secondary haemorrhage, 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 Admissionroom, with neither water or 
sinkz.  The smaller "foreign body" cases only were supposed to be done 
here, but when the work pressed oo heavily in No. 1 theatre, excision 
of joints, amputations, trephines, etcs. were frequently done there.

During that very cold spell in 1917, our radiators burst and all the water 
pipes were frozen, and for two days we had no water at all in the 
theatre, and until arrangements were made for carting it from Boulogne,

 1.

 

Initials P.A.

Date 11/4/19

2.

only absolutely urgent cases were done, we melted and strained the snow 
water for the instrument sterilizer, and washing our hands.  It was 
weeks before we could get the workmen for repairing the pipes, all the 
hospitals round being in a similar position, and we had to wait our 
turn, which was nearly last.  Meantime all the water had to be carted 
and 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 et.  During the winter of 1917, every spare minute we were 
making stock dressings and had every available cupboard packed full and 
jars of (Biniodide in spirit prep) catguta

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 and folding, 
folding and cutting.  Those were the times occasions I longed for a 
Red C-oss worker.  We tried getting them done in the Wards, but there 
were so many evacuations and convoys it was not satisfactory.  Another 
big problem was the glove mending, to have from 60 to 100 pairs of gloves 
at the end of a big day, and to find about half of them punctured or 
orn and 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 using Carrie's tubes for nearly every case, and ensol 
gauge dressing and spagnum moss.  We cannot give sufficient thanks to 
the spagnum pad makers, the sizes were so convenient, and it is such 
a comfortable dressing, absorbent wool was an article hardly used in 
our theatre.

 

E. J. TUCKER,

Sister A.A.N.S.

EXTRACTS FROM MY DIARY. 
8-4-15. Went on duty till 9 a.m. Great excitement amongst  
seven sisters, who have been chosen to staff the Sicilia  
(Hospital Ship) at 11 a.m. we got our luggage into the Courtyard  
at Mena House & Miss 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 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.  
  
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 - 
  
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, & 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 & 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 & sky  
are much bluer this morning. We have boat - Station drill. We are  
travelling very slowly, 7 knots only, the Captain does’nt want to  
get into Lemnos till tomorrow morning. 
  
14-4-15. 5.a.m. Lemnos - rugged hills, very little grass, no trees  
two or three, 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. 
  
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  
battleships & transports, the latter, numbered, with an A or B in  
front. There was only one other hospital ship in the harbour  the  
“Salem”, just 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 & small boats floating all round the harbour;   
at 4 a.m.  A.23 started hooting, three of the four rafts attached to   
her, had gone drifting, & it was not til 5 p.m. that the last of  
the wanderers was returned home.  In the evening 9 of the officers  
from A.1. arrived with a gramaphone, 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, & 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, & have numerous loop  
holes  for rifles, & the windows are all shuttered. 
  
23-4-15.  The Matron & the O.C. from the Gascon came aboard, to 
commandeer 4 of our Sisters, (Sister Marshall, Gibson, Peters, 
& myself).

-2- 
  
25-4-15. Red letter day. Shells bursting all round, we are off  
Gaba Tepe. 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  
9 a.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 x 76 patients in the Ward, & about 40 which I have on  
mattresses on the fore-deck, 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 temporarily, A apply pressure in  
other cases, where necessary, hoping that Colonel Hugo, 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  
paler faces down the long lines of bunks, in fear that haemorrhage  
might pass un-noticed, several times I go back along the lines of  
dressings, & find a dressing saturated, & have to apply more dressing 
& pressure, the boys are bricks, they smoke on, & patiently wait  
their turn, they think the old ship is heaven after the peninsula,  
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  
even forget that we hav'nt had a meal, till the steward says there  
is a cup of tea in the pantry sister-about 6 o'clock, 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 a.m. up, and 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 p.m., 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 nearly breaks your heart, to see them  
lying, looking hot & dirty, & not be 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 preceding one. Friday we dis-embark our patients,  
most of them go to Cairo, the worst being kept at Alexandria;   
we coal, take in water, & are ready to sail at 6.p.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 khaki.  
  
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 days trip; arrive at Alexandria on the 9th & 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 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 patients 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, & am 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 cutting up dressings,  
our gauze is almost exhausted, and we are having to use lint, of  
which there is still a large stock. In the afternoon 50 patients  
arrive by a Mine Sweeper, from Cape Helles, Fusileers and Indians  
mostly.  
  
27-5-15. Fresh orders, to transfer all our patients to the  
Dunluce Castle and to sail for Imbros, get our patients all ready  
for transfer, and it is 24 hours before the Dunluce arrives; after 
transferring our patients we sail for Imbros, 7.15 p.m. arrived  
there at 5. a.m.  
  
28-5-15. an island much like the rest of the Grecian Archipelogo  
an abrupt cliffed, very hilly country, scantily covered with grass,  
no trees anywhere to be seen, we took on quite a small number of  
wounded, and were sent again to Gaba Tepe to fill up; the patients  
were easier cases this trip, again went to Alexandria; and were given  
two additional Sisters for our staff.    
  
12-6-15. Have been 2 days at Mudros, and have our wards, dressings  
and splints all ready, and are waiting till the Sicilia fills up at  
Gaba Tepe, to take her place.  
  
13-6-15. Quite a lot of gun firing in the harbour this a.m. A  
Hun plane ventures over the 1st Casualty Clearing Hospital, and dropped  
several bombs round it, our battleships started peppering, but we  
saw her serenely get away. In the afternoon we sisters went  
in the ship's boat to the "Aragon" to take the mails; we hear  
things are very quiet at Gaba Tepe, the Celicia has been there over  
since we left, and still has only 87 patients, the ship's Captain  
decided he could safely let us go ashore, and visit No. 1 Stationary  
Hospital, it is prettily situated on the side of a hill, and is  
built mostly of small tents; we passed through a French camp to get  
there. Then there is a Greek Church in the background, and three  
of those picturesque windmills, of which there are so many on  
Lemnos, there is a young vineyard beside the camp. We had a most  
enjoyable time going round the different tents, the theatre is a  
typical Australian shanty and at the other side of a division is  
the X-Ray room, the general tydiness of the tents, and the "well- 
cared" for appearance of the patients, was a credt to the orderlies  
in charge. We were taken to the officers' mess for afternoon tea,  
fresh bread, baked on the premises, and butter; and enamel mugs,  
like young dippers, were arrayed on the table. It was delicious  
tea.  
  
14-6-15. We have orders to sail at 6.30 p.m.; the Captain promises  
a picnic on shore first. At 2 p.m. we start, a huge basket, and  
a large tin kettle proceed first into the boat, and then about 6  
of the ship's officers, or 6 Medical men, and Matron, and we 8  
nurses, we sail to the shore, then make our way over rocky land,  
through a barly and other cultivated fields, to a tiny Greek  
village, we pass through an open gateway, through a small  
enclosure, with fig trees, and an old fashioned well, and a square  
looking building, which we enter, found there about 20 little  
boys, and one wee girl, and a school master, who looked very  
non-plussed to have his home invaded by so many savages; we roamed  
round the village, and had the church unlocked for our special  
benefit; there were four rows of box-like pews, with the narrowest of  
seats, no musical instrument, stone floor, a pulpit half up to the  
ceiling, reached by very tortuous steps, numerous brightly  
coloured pictures on the walls, and crochet work curtains-  
everything is very primitive, women in the fields, cutting the  
barley with sickles, and tying it by hand. Donkeys with very  
home-made looking saddles, tethered in the fields, a high, stone  
wall surrounds the village. By 6 p.m. we are once again sailing for  
Gaba Tepe, where we arrive on the 15-6-15, we anchor near the  
Sicilia, she still has quite a number of empty cots, but is getting  
short of water, so is sailing. 

19/6/15 We have so far only about 90 patients on board, out of  
the eleven patients I only have two of the skulls died this  
morning 22-6-15. Still taking on patients slowly, have 186  
on board, have had 7 deaths already in my Ward, and have only 15  
men it is; shells are flying round ourt side.  
  
27/6/15. Arrived at Lemnos, exchanged 50 of our patients for  
100 of the Lemnos ones, in the evening we sail for Alexandria, a  
fairly busy and uneventful trip.  
  
3/7/15. We are once again amongst the Grecian Isles, am to 
do night duty in Wards 1, 2, 3; and the Officers this trip.  
  
4/7/15. A beautiful blue, Mediterranean Sunday morning, we  
sail nearer Cape Helles, than we've ever been before, see a  
couple of Aeroplaness alighting on Genedos Island;  pass the ruins  
of Kum Kala, just across the blue water is Morta Bay, and the 
remains of Sedulbaba; two hospital ships are off Cape Helles, and  
quite a number of transports. We see the "River Clyde" rammed  
fastashore.  
  
11-7-15. Have been just a week off Anzac, and our ship is only  
about half full.  
  
14-7-15. The ship is full, and we are sailingfor Mudros.  1,200 
patients have passed through our hands; we receive the patients  
during the nights and in the morning the lighter cases are sent off  
on the Mine Sweepers; Stay in Mudros harbour all night, in the  
morning orders come, to proceed to Malta, at 7 p.m. up comes the  
anchor, its a glorious sunset, the rocky islands and lighthouse  
look like fairy land, work seems easier, and the patients all  
lighter hearted now we are started.  
  
17-7-15. 5 a.m. In the distance is a dim, white shadowy  
looking coast, with lots of square looking white objects on it, and  
lots of greatstone walls, which a beautiful red sunrise throws  
into relief, soon number of houses come into view, and we are told  
that it is Malta. -We anchor in the Quarintine Harbour,  
everything is stone - great stone walls rising perpendicularly  
out of the water, great substantial looking buildings all of the  
same white stone. We anchor in the stream, and barges come  
alongside to receive our patients, unload from both ends of the  
ship, at the same time, a volunteer is called for, to go into the  
cradle, with a very sick pneumonia patient. I volunteer to go;  
it is a weird sensation being hoisted over the side of the ship  
and lowered into the barge, I go with my patients to the Blue  
Sister's Hospital, it is a steep, narrow, curvy road, the driver is  
a marvel the way he manipulates the corners.  
  
18-7-15. We Sisters rise early, and explore Malta, get back  
to the ship at 9.30 and find the Captain fuming, waiting to sail,  
orders had arrived during our absence to sail at 9 a.m. instead of  
10 a.m., as previously arranged,  
  
19-7-15. The roughest day, we have yet experienced, nearly  
everybody spent the day in their cabins.  
  
21-7-15. Lemnos once again, in the distance is the Argyleshire,  
with 49 Canadian, Scotch, and English nurses aboard, they are  
waiting to be sent to Alexandria, we leave Mudros at 4.30 p.m.  
and reach Cape Helles at 9.45 p.m. there are a couple of hospital  
ships here, The Gransalli castle, and a French one. Helles  
so far seems very quiet.  
  
22-7-15. No patients yet.  
  
2-8-15. Reach Alexandria with only 495 patients, did not finish  
unloading our patients till 5 p.m., commenced at 9 a.m. 

3-8-15   Went ashore for the day.

4-8-15   Sail once again, and reach Mudros at 5 p.m., on the 6th,
something seems doing, we can count 8 hospital ships, in the harbour, 
and there seem to be more than the usual number of other
ships.   The ships boat is lowered, and off go the usual trio,
(the Captain, Colonel and 2nd Officer)   to the Arogon for orders,
they do not return till nearly 10 p,m., we are all impatient, 6
hospital ships pass us, going out, it is a beautiful sight to see
so many together, going out like John Brown's cows.   The little
yacht Liberty goes 2nd, amongst the others, can make out the
Ionisn, Dunluce Castle, the Soudan.

7-8-18   We have our orders to go to Anzac;  arrive there about
qq11 p.m.   We are soon called up, scores of wounded are alongside,
the guns are so noisy, we cannot hear ourselves speak, we are
taking on steadily, by next evening have 600 on board, and run
to Imbros with them;  we are very busy, have some very severe
cases, we transfer half our cases on one transport, and the
remainder on another, and return the same evening to Anzac;
have not sufficient linen to change the beds, and do the best we
can, to hide the dirtier parts, and get the beds all made up;
and get as much dressing as possible cut and sterilized, we are
very short of gauze, and are having to cut up lint, we reach
Anzac in the evening, and in the early hours of the morning, we
are in our Wards, receiving wounded again, by evening we are full,
and again go to Imbros, we wait there a whole day, then the
Captain sails for Lemnos, we are workin expecting a transport
to take our wounded, then the Captain sails for Lemnos, we are
working awfully hard, to get the dressings done by midnight,
we wait another whole day in Lemnos, and still no word, of who is
to have our wiounded boys, then word comes to proceed to Malta, it
is a trying trip, we are short of water, the boys are black, and
so are the beds, salt water is not at all satisfactory for
washing, the patients all look so uncomfortable, cannot
possibly get time to make their beds, am dressing from early
morning till late at night, have several bad cjaw cases, who
need constant irrigation, arrive at Malta on the 16th, we load,
and take on water and provisions, and sail again the same day.

19-815  We are making great headway on the return trip, have the
Ward looking spotless once  again, and a large stock of dressings
cut up - we are nearing Mudros, receive orders for Cape Helles,
and reach there 6p.m., a couple of officers only come on board
during the evening.   The Gallicia, and a French Hospital Ship
are near us,

20-8-15    The Gallicia has siaailed, and we are commencing to load
very slowly, not more than a dozen in a boat load, and they seem
only to be sending them across twice a day.

25-8-15   Still receiving very slowly, about 100 only on the ship,
Scotch boys predominant so far in my Ward.

29-8-15   We are in Mudros with 945 patients, they are all over
the decks, there are a great many very sick boys lying about on
deck, it is very difficult to find less sick boys in the Wards
to exchange places with them, have several enterics, the ship's
people are giving a helping hand;  the Purser has taken the task
of feeding the patients on the Boart, and top deck,s it is such a hop
relief, I cannot get round my men in the Ward, and well deck
properly.

3-9-15  Have transferred over 200 of our patients to the
Delphinger.   At Alexandria 4 of our Sisters are replaced by 4
others from No. 2 A.G.H., are 3 days in port this time, the ship's
people are working hard all the time .

4-9-15   Left portm, have on board 8 Imperial Sisters, who are to go
to Mudros, to join a transport ship.

7-9-15   Once again at Anzac, am doing night duty this trip.

10-9-15   Had a very quiet night, no patients arrive after 10 p.m.
are flying the Blue Peter half mast, to signify boat half full.

12-9-15 Ships is full, at 11 p.m. we sail for Lemnos, the
relieving ship arrives as we leave, she is a N.Z.H.S.   We travel
at half speed, so as not to get to the boom at Mudros, before
sunrise.   We have sent to the shore all our Indian patients,
also the diphtheria patients, and take the remainder of the
patients to Malta, it is an easy trip.

16-9-15   Arrive at Malta 7 a.m., visit the Red Cross Stores,
and get quite a lot of things for our patients.

17-9-15   Early a.m. we leave the P. & 0. Buoys, and once again
are off to Lemnos,

18-9-15   A very rough day, everybody appeared for meals, but
everybody is more or less quiet.

19-9-15   Passed the Temple of Minerva, near the Gulf ogf Athens,
could distinctly see the rows of columns, all that remains of the
once grand structure.

21-9-15   Arrive in Mudros Harbour, it is too rough to launch the
ship's boat, so receive our orders by signal from the Aragon, and
sail next day for Cape Helles.   The Hospital Ship we are
relieving meets us, as we leave the harbour.   Helles is fairly
quiet, we hear only a few distant guns, we anchor near two French
Hospital Ships.   We are only 3 days receiving our compliment of
patients.   The Good Old Majestic keel upwards, is only a stone's
throw from us, the shore is a mass ofdug-outs and tents.

24-9-15   Arrive at Mudros, receive orders 6-30 a.m. on the 25th
to proceed up the harbour, and tranships 300 of our patients to
a transport, the majority of the patients are Dysentery and
jaundice.

26-9-15   Return again to Anzac, and by the 29th are again full, ad
and return to Mudros, where we transfer several cases of diphtheria
and scarlet fever to land, and the Indian patients also, and then
sail for Malta, we had one very rough day, had to pack all our
mixtures and surgical things in the cupboards round with sheets,
and tie the dressing tables with bandages to the various
supports in the ward, water arrowroot was the main article of
food this trip, had 96 patients in my ward, and they were nearly
all query enteric and dysentery, our tin milk was getting short,
the majority of the patients were sea-sick; the slightest
movement of the sea always upset the Indian Orderlies;  and the
moment your back was turned, they would vanish and lie down
behind one of the doors, felt awfully sorry for them, but we were
too busy to do without them, it was a continual run away, and if you
did not find them behind one door, you would find them behind
another, set them to work once again, and continue with what you
were doing yourself, and in ½ hour you would have the same
performance all over again; we reached Malta on the 2nd, and are
told all the hospitals are full, and must take our patients on to
Gibraltar, one of my patients bought a couple of canaries and gave
me  one, do not know how I am to look after them, it took nearly
5 days to reach Gibraltar - Scores and Scores of Marines came on
board, to disembark the few Naval patients we had, the rest of the
patients were gradually disembarked and carries away on 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 Algeciras for the day, had a
lovely day exploring the town, and surrounding country.   On the
10th we sail again for Malta, and reach there on the 14th.   We
wait for the hospital ship Nevada to unload, and then take her

place at the Wharf. The Submarine E.11. is in dry dock near
by, and the Medical Officers, and the Sisters are invited by
the commander, to go over her, we are most delighted to accept
the offer.

15-10-15 We embark 400 patients for England, my patients again
are mostly convalescent enterics and dysentery.

20-10-15   So far have had a quiet uneventful trip, called at
Gibraltar yesterday, and received orders for Southampton.

24-10-15   Have had 2½ days of tossing in the bay of Biscay, some
of the patients have had a very rough time of it, did not feel
particularly happy myself, especially one afternoon, when a tray
of 10 mugs of arrowroot and myself not expecting a sudden lurch
of the boat, all got mixed up together on the ward floor, shrieks
of laughter from their bunks, and sudden exit of Sister.

25-10-15   Arrive at Southampton at 11 a.m. and 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, and anchoring
 nearly the whole of one day in the Thames, the ship is put into
dock and we are allowed to explore wonderful England until the
11th November.   The Medical men and orderlies of the 29th
British General Hsopital, and all the equipment come on board, and
we sail for Salonika.

13-11-15   Blowing great guns, and the sea washing all over the
decks, we have three days of it.

25-11-15   Reach the boom of Salonika harbour, and anchor outside
for the night.

26-11-15   Raining and bitterly cold, at daylight enter the outer
harbour, five hospital ships in sight (2 French) we wait orders.

27-11-15   Ocean 56 temperature, air 28, all the hills are 
covered with snow, a heavy white mist hanging over the water, the 
battleships and transports look like weird phantoms in it.   The 
Captain and 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 returned from the fog, to the ship, and not having found 
the shore.

28-11-15   Still freezing, foggy, and no orders.

29th, 30th ditto 28th. 

3-12-15   Still waiting with the hospital avoadaboard, go ashore in the 
afternoon.

4-12-15   On shore in the a.m., about 70 patients arrive on the
ship in the afternoon, and we had to turn out the 29th General 
Hospital 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, and frost-bitten cases.   Some 
of the 29th people left us, to commence their camp.

6-12-15   The remainder of the unit left us, and we sail for 
Alexandria;  reach there on the 10th and disembarke our
patients.   Have 2 days there, and embark convalescent patients 
for England.   Three of our Australian Sisters rleave the ships 
there, and are placed by 3 N.Z. Sisters, 2 p.m. sail, get some 
distance out from Alexandria, and our engines give way, put 
back to port, for repair, and on testing, they break again. 

14-12-15   Sail again, the crew are so keen to reach EngalndEngland for 
the 25th, pass Gibraltar 21st, a quiet easy trip, the patients 
are all so happy, at the thought of "Blighty". 
 

25-12-15   In the English Channel, and tossing well, we have been 
busy for days making up parcels 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.

26-12-15   Reach Southampton, and disembark our boys.   We are
free till the 3rd January.

4-1-16   We take 130 Hindoos and Mahomeds, 8 Indian Medical 
Service men, and 6 Native I.M.S. men, and the usual hospital 
staff.

10-1-16   Passed Gibraltar, rough from there till we reached
Malta, some of the patients are very sick, reach Alexandria on
the 17th and unload our patients.   Get the wards well cleaned, and
the beds well aired, and re-made.

24-1-16   Receive orders to go to the Western frontier, even have
steam up, orders countermanded at 6 p.m., we wait in the harbour
till the 2nd February, Orders arrive for the remainder of the
Australian Sisters to be transferred to Cairo, and we are
replaced by the New-Zealand Sisters;  after ten months of ship
life.

NUMBER  OF  TRIPS  ON  H.M.H.S.  "GASCON".

 

Date	Departure	No. of Patients	Arrival.	Date
1915				1915
April 19th	Alexandria	557	Lemnos	April 22nd
"    24th	Lemnos		Gaba Tepe	"   25th
"    25th	Gaba Tepe		Lemnos	"   25th
"    26th	Lemnos		Alexandria	"   28th
"   29th	Alexandria		Lemnos	May    2nd
May 2nd	Lemnos		Gaba Tepe	"      2nd
"    5th	Gaba Tepe	514	Alexandria	"       7th
"    7th	Alexandria		Gaba Tepe	"     10th
"   17th	Gaba Tepe	447	Alexandria	"      19th
"   20th	Alexandria		Gaba Tepe	"     23rd
"   23rd	Gaba Tepe		Lemnos	"     23rd
"   27th	Lemnos		Imbros	"     27th
"   28th	Imbros		Gaba Tepe	"     28th
June   3rd	Gaba Tepe	518	Lemnos	June  3rd
“     4th	Lemnos		Alexandria	“     6th
“     8th	Alexandria		Lemnos	“     11th
“   14th	Lemnos		Gaba Tepe	“     15th
“   26th	Gaba Tepe	508	Lemnos	“     27th
“   27th	Lemnos		Alexandria	“     29th
July   2nd	Alexandria		Gaba Tepe	July      4th
“    14th	Gaba Tepe	499	Lemnos	“      14th
“    15th	Lemnos		Malta	“      18th
“    19th	Malta		Lemnos	“     22nd
“   22nd	Lemnos		Cape Helles	“     22nd
“    30th	Cape Helles	481	Lemnos	“     30th
“    30th	Lemnos		Alexandria	Augus.2nd
Aug.   4th	Alexandria		Lemnos	"      6th
"       8th	Lemnos		Gaba Tepe	"     8th
' 9th	Gaba Tepe	6647	Imbros	" 9th
" 10th	Imbros		Gaba Tepe	"10th
" 11th	Gaba Tepe	498	Imbros	" 11th
" 13th	Lemnos		Malta	" 16th
" 16th	Malta		Lemnos	" 19th
" 19th	Lemnos		Cape Helles	" 19th
" 25th	Cape Helles	341	Lemnos	" 25th
" 27th	Lemnos		Imbros	" 28th
" 29th	Imbros	925	Lemnos	" 29th
" 30th	Lemnos		Alexandria	Sept 1st
Sept 5th	Alexandria		Lemnos	" 7th
" 8th	Lemnos		Gaba Tepe	" 8th
" 12th	Gaba Tepe	465	Lemnos	" 13th
" 13th	Lemnos		Malta	" 16th
" 17th	Malta		Lemnos	" 20th
" 21st	Lemnos		Cape Helles	" 21st
" 24th	Cape Helles	526	Lemnos	" 24th
" 26th	Lemnos		Gaba Tepe	" 26th
" 28th	Gaba Tepe	474	Lemnos	"28th
" 29th	Lemnos		Malta	Oct. 2nd
Oct. 3rd	Malta		Gibraltar	" 8th
" 10th	Gibraltar		Malta	" 14th
" 15th	Malta	392	Gibraltar	" 19th
" 19th	Gibraltar		Southampton	" 24th
" 24th	Southampton		London	" 26th
Nov. 11th	London		Salonika	Nov. 24th