Nurses Narratives Margaret Aitken

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MARGARET AITKEN.  
AWM
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CLASSN No 373.2
CATy VB. 27.2.1941   
[937]

Lemnos 
C.C.S. 
Sr M Aitken 
17/19 
No 3 AGH 
Wounded and dysentery cases 
no equipment, food bad, all tinned
stuff, bread uneatable, shortage of 
water, flies.
Patients very cheerful - 3 head cases 
(trephines) lying side by side - all 
recovered. Medical officers and
orderlies ill - smallest per cent
of those off duty were sisters (see 126/27)
No 3 AGH to France. Transported to 
British Hosp, Dieppe.
To American Hosp at Etretat to
take up a course of anaesthetics -
with 2 other Aust Sisters transferred 
to 29^th C.C.S. British near Bapaume 
March retreat - went to 
Canadian Hospital at Doullens
  
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." 

1
Lemnos
France
17.   19
Left Sydney with No 3 A.G.H. on S.S. Mooltan on 15^th May 1915 
Destination unknown - Had calm uneventful voyage 
Arrived England 27^th June. Went to Ivanhoe Hotel. Orders to 
proceed to France. Later orders were received to go instead 
to Lemnos Island. Left England on 19^th July. Half the Nursing 
Staff went on SS Themistocles & the rest on a Captured  
German vessel - "Derfflinger", renamed "Huntsgreen". 
The latter vessel was carrying a number of English troops 
mostly Middlesex & Welsh. Sailed with all lights out. 
Did not see any enemy submarines. Arrived Alexandria July 30^th. 
Spent three days there & then embarked on Hospital Ship "Dunluce 
Castle". Arrived Mudros Harbour on Aug 5^th Very interesting as the 
Harbour was full of ships of all descriptions. The large  
troop ships brought the men into the harbour where they were 
transhipped into smaller boats which conveyed them to Gallipoli. 
These boats usually left in the evening & were called "The evening  
Sacrifice". Soon after our ship arrived the O.C. Col. Fiaschi came 
on board. The Officers & men of the unit having arrived a few 
days before the nursing staff. As there was no Hospital equipment, 
it having been delayed en route, the Sisters were not allowed   
to go on shore immediately much to their disappointment
The next day orders were to tra_^nsship immediately to S.S. Simla
which was lying close by. On 8^th Aug. 40 Sisters went ashore 
& x rest followed the next morning. They formed fours, & 
amid cheers from the troops, marched up to the Camp  
headed by the "Bag pipes". 
The Camp of 3^rd A.G.H. was pitched on a hill overlooking 
the Harbour. There was no vegetation whatever to be seen & at  
one period or other it seemed to have rained stones, as 
they were every where. Bell tents had been erected - 
two Sisters to each tent. Weeds & stones were soon 
disposed of & the unpacking began. My first piece of furniture 
was an "onion crate," which was fished out of the sea & 
presented to me by one of the M.O.S., & very handy it was too

2 
Mattresses were issued to those who did not have camp stretchers 
& these were placed on the ground. Water was very scarce at 
first. In fact the first morning I washed and did my teeth in half 
a cup, but I was one of the lucky ones as some had to wash 
in sea water & as the boats came very close in, this was not the 
cleanest. Breakfast the first morning was very funny - of 
course I might add that the novelty soon wore off - it 
consisted of what the Troops call "Lance Corporal Bacon" - bread 
almost uneatable & marmalade, tea & a dixie. Everything  
was thick with flies. The "Mess room" furniture consisted of a 
"table" comprised of a plank on two boxes & onion crates for 
seats, those who could not get a box sat on the ground. 
The first lot of wounded arrived on the 9^th August, in the early 
hours of morning, in fact they had to wait while some of the  
tents were put up. As the equipment did not arrive for three 
weeks after the Hospital opened, everyone was rather working 
under difficulties. Some of the Sisters went to No 2 Staty, whose 
lines adjoined No 3 A.G.H., & helped with the work there as they 
had no Nursing Staff. Besides the wounded there were a lot 
of Dysentery cases. All the patients were on mattresses on 
the ground covered with blankets, which as the weather was 
fearfully hot were not the _^most comfortable coverings in the world. 
The food supply at first was very bad especially for medical 
cxses, everything tinned - bread awful, uneatable, at times 
water very scarce & oh the flies they were every where. 
In spite of all the discomforts the patients were wonderfully 
cheerful & happy. In one tent, which I had on night duty 
there were three head cases - "Trephines" lying side by 
side one was dangerous ill for some time, but all 
recovered. A large number of the Staff were ill. 
The smallest per cent of those off duty being the Sisters. 
The equipment arrived after three weeks & table cloths & butter 
caused great excitement in the Mess. 
As time went on, the general condition of the camp, water 
food etc improved - even the bread.

3 
The Officers on the Battleships & Destroyers in the Harbour were 
very good to the Sisters & took them over to afternoon tea & dinner 
& always gave them some bread etc to take home with them. 
One Sisters who was very ill in the early days, had two slices  
of bread given to her by a friend & this she kept wrapped in a 
piece of paper in her locker & ate it at intervals. 
The Hospital wards were all Marquee's & latterly were very 
nicely fitted up. The whole camp was nicely laid out & 
very clean. The Troops made "Rising Suns" & various other 
things & stones outside their wards. 
After some weeks a "Rest Camp" was formed on the opposite 
side of the Harbour & the Troops from the Peninsula came 
backwards & forwards for a rest. They organized Sports  
& concerts which made a great break in the monotony of life 
as beyond walking to the surrounding villages, there was 
nothing else to do & nowhere to go. 
Xmas Day passed off very happily. Lots of the Sisters 
made the Xmas puddings for their wards & as far 
as I know there were no casualties. 
In the afternoon the Nursing Staff gave an afternoon tea 
to xll & sundry which was well attended. 
Of course by this time we were able to procure stores 
from the ships in the Harbour as well as those ordered  
from London. The Sisters had their Xmas Dinner on  
Boxing Day & thanks to the Home Sister, who had one of  
the hardest jobs in the Hospital, it was very good. 
New Year's night there was a Concert, Supper & even 
a nice dance. The latter was not a great success as 
tarpaulin on the ground is not the easiest floor in the  
world to dance on.

4 
Of course after the evacuation of Gallipoli there was no longer 
any need for a Hospital at Lemnos. The Patients who were 
still ill were evacuated to Egypt or England in the usual 
way & the rest rejoined their various Battalions. 
While in Hospital, the Troops who were to be invalided to 
England watched very anxiously for the Acquitania & the 
various other Hospital ships to enter the Harbour. 
As soon as they were sighted there was great excitement & glee. 
On the 13^th January orders were received to leave Lemnos for 
Egypt the next day. Everyone was in the throes of the packing 
up when another order came through to leave that afternoon
Eighty Sisters proceeded to South Pier & after waiting for three 
hxs for the Lighter which did not arrive, & being nearly frozen 
had to walk back to the Hospital again. Had a scratch meal & as  
all the tents were dismantled & beds packed, they slept the best  
way they could. The next morning they finally got away & went  
on board Hospital Ship "Oxfordshire". Everybody on board 
Sisters & MO's etc. were extremely kind & could not do enough 
for us. We sailed from Lemnos on 20^th January in spite of 
all the trials & discomforts everyone was very sorry to leave. 
We arrived in Alexandria on 22^nd January. Disembarked 23^rd  
& proceeded to Cairo by Hospital train & were sent to the Heliopolis 
Palace Hospital for a few days. Then 3^rd A.G.H. opened up at 
Abbassieh in part of the Barracks. The wards were large & airy 
& the general conditions very good. The work was not very 
strenuous, but of course now & again there were busy times. 
The patients were brought up from the Desert by Hospital Trains 
& were mostly medical cases. After being here for eight months 
the unit moved to Brighton England. The Hospital was an  
English one & taken over as it stood by 3^rd A.G.H. 
It was well equipped & very comfortable. The great difficulty 
there was keeping the place darkened at night. The police were 
always ringing up & coming up to say that there was a light showing 
somewhere.

5 
The Hospital was equipped for about 14,00 beds & was always busy 
especially the Surgical Wards. One Surgical Ward was composed of 
fourteen rooms & contained ninety patients, mostly big dressings.
The Sisters lived in a School almost 10 minutes walk from the Hospital 
It was a pretty comfortable place, but fearfully cold, there only 
being one small fire in a little sitting room in the basement. 
One floor was heated by hot pipes but the other two were fearfully cold. 
After being in Brighton for some months it was decided to move 
the Hospital Staff to France. After being for nearly six weeks 
at a Hotel in London we finally went across to France
On arriving at Boulogne the Sisters were detailed to various British  
Hospitals as the 3^rd A.G.H was not ready to receive patients
After being six weeks at No. 16 Gen Hospital Le Treport I finally  
fxxnd my unit again with the rest of the Staff from the 
other Hospitals. On receiving my promotion to Sister I was 
transferred to a British Hospital in Dieppe. After being there 
for six months I was moved to the American Hospital at Etretat 
to take up a course of Anaesthetics. After that with two other  
Australian Sisters I went to 29 C.C.S. (British) just out of  
Bapaume. This was in March 18. At the time of the retreat I 
went with the Staff of the CCS to the Canadian Hosp: at 
Doullens - We worked in the Theatre there for two very busy months 
& then returned to Dieppe once again. After another six 
mxxths there the Staff was moved to England & went to 
No 1 A.A. Hospital for a fortnight. After which we were 
moved to Sutton Veny. We lived at the British Hospital there 
& worked at No 1 Imp Clearing Hospital (A.I.F) 
The Influenza was raging at the time & numbers of the Troops 
died. We had the great misfortune to lose our Matron 
Miss Miles Walker, whom we had been with for some time & 
who had been very good to us all. 
After some time the Military Hosp: was taken over by No 1 A.G.H 
& is still being carried on.   
Margaret J. Aitken 
26.6.19

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Australian War Memorial
005172182