Nurses Narratives Staff Nurse Annie C Cameron

CCS Sr A. C. Cameron  107  62 
1917 
3 H. C.C.S. 
Everything  [[adectates ext?]] to be 
moved 20 miles further on near  
[[Baupemaine?]], 48 hours to do it in. 
ME in [[Mastion?]] and Sisters [[working]]  
very hard. Plenty of wound.  
Op Theatre in large [[base?]], [[two doctors?]] 
Equipment very poor [[needed]] 
Commanding Surgeon of area came to 
operate. (15 artery forceps, 1 set 
of abd + 1 set of head instruments) 
Two more tables put in theatre 
op gloves very scarce, sisters 
spent all odd moments patching  
old ones. Assisting for the basic 
[[wound?]] as puncturing abd organs. 
Heavy [[shelling?]] all through. 
  

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". 
 

CCS 5- 107/62 
  
of the winter as most of the pipes burst 
then the water had to be carted 
some distance Military police were 
put to guard the tanks and before 
they gave out a bucketful you 
had to relate what you intended 
to do with it and what you 
had done with the last. 
On February, 26th 1917 I received 
orders to proceed for duty to the 
3rd Australian Casualty Clearing 
Station for duty 
I felt a cold and lonely human being 
as I set out at 3 pm to look 
for the 3rd C.C.S fortunately there 
was  an English Sister travelling 
in the same direction so I felt 
a little better. At our station 
we had six hours to wait for 
the next train We were the only 
women on this lonely dark station 
and the night was very cold 
The only place the Military Policeman 
could find to put us was 
the French ticket office. Which

[6] 
was rather more comfortable than the
platform. At 3pm 28^th we arrived
at Amiens where three more Sisters
were waiting to proceed to the
3rd C.C.S At 10pm the same night, 
an Ambulance arrived to convey 
us the rest of the way about 
thirty miles to Edgehill, about 
two miles from Albert
On our arrival at the C.C.S 12m.n. 
we were met by the G.C and 
several of the Medical Officers
who had a nice supper waiting 
for us a nice fire burning in our 
hut. 
The C.C.S had only just moved  
to this spot no patients had been 
admitted. The  Matron and other 
members of the nursing staff were on leave 
in England. 
The next day we prepared the 
 wards for the reception of 
patients. There were excellent 
orderlies in every ward so they 
had not left very much

7
for us to do. Quite close to us 
were 45 CCS and 5.6 (C.C.S are generally 
put in groups of three) In this 
group 45 CCS received for 24 hours 
or until they had three hundred 
patients then 5.6 did the same 
then it was the 3rd GCCs receiving 
day. On the night of the 1st  march 
it was the 3rd ACCs receiving 
day so we soon found we had 
plenty to keep us busy 
Our staff was Sister in Charge and  
six sisters but at this time 
Sister O'Dwyer with two other sisters 
had not arrived from England 
so we had to carry on as we 
were after the first twenty  
four hours one Sister collapsed 
& had to go to bed then 
there were three. The next day 
the others arrived from England 
so things were more easily 
managed. 
A week later our staff was  
increased to ten. We went

(8)
on in this way for five weeks. 
Then as the Germans were retreating 
it was found the C.CS must be 
moved on. We were given fourty 
eight hours to move our C.C.S to 
about a mile and a half beyond 
Baupaume. thirty miles from where 
we were. Every thing had to be taken 
by road. The orderlies and officers 
had to work all day and most of 
the night to do it. Some of the  
Medical Officers had a few blisters 
on their hands but it was done 
in the time. At 11am on the 9th 
April 1917 we arrived in our new 
home. We were the first women to 
be seen in that part of the world 
for a very long time The troops 
troops waved & cheered us as  
we drove along the road. 
Our new camp was just a sea of 
mud. No duck boards so we 
just had to put on gum boots 
and wade through. I tried galoshes 
but soon left them in the mud. 
 

(9) 
The huts were all up but only floor 
boards for the theatre and abdominal 
ward had arrived & more of the 
huts had only stretchers on the  
ground. 
Two hours after our arrival the 
patients began to come in Our 
CC.S was the only one there so 
the worst cases were sent in the  
minor ones sent in the trucks on the  
light railway to the C.C.S further  
back. 
Another Sister and I were sent on duty 
in the theatre. 
The theatre was a large tent with 
two tables & space for two 
more. Equipment very scarce. 
Not more than fifteen artery clips 
one set of abdominal instruments 
& one set of head instruments 
Soon the perioperation ward was 
full of cases waiting for operations 
the staff of Medical Officers was 
found quite inadequate to cope 
with this rush of work.
 

[10] 
Several medical officers from a field 
ambulance came over and stayed until 
a Canadian & British Surgeon arrived 
at 12mn. Two extra wooden tables  
had by this time been put in the 
theatre. As the nursing staff was 
not large enough to allow any 
more Sisters for the theatre 
two orderlies assisted with 
the smaller operations but the 
difficulty was to find sufficient 
instruments for each table, but 
the Surgeons just made the best of 
it. Gloves at this time were most 
difficult to get so that any spare 
moments we had, had to be spent 
patching old gloves.
 After about a week of this we  
were allowed to have all the  
instruments gloves  etc we 
required.  The Consulting surgeon  
of the fifth  Army frequently 
relieved Col Newland our  Chief  
Surgeon for some hours so  
realised how difficult it was to

11 
manage with the equipment we had 
At the end of a fortnight. the work 
slackened a good deal the patients 
were evacuated & we received orders 
to have every bed possible available 
At this time two more C.C.S. had 
pitched their camp quite close 
to ours so thing's had much improved 
On the 3rd [[of?]] May at 3.45 another 
 attack began the guns just shook 
the whole place the noise was so great 
from the guns we could hardly 
hear ourselves speak. We were only 
three & a half miles from the  
firing line. 
At 8am the minor wounded 
began to arrive. 
Every thing was ready. Dressing 
tent arranged for walking cases 
Receiving tent for stretcher 
Cases. Resuscitation Ward for 
all collapsed cases before 
operation so that every thing was 
working very smoothly by 11.20 
the CCS was full so the next 
 

12 
C.CS had to receive. Several hours 
later an Ambulance train arrived 
which took away the minor which cases could which did 
wait for operations. not need operations. So we went on 
from day to day until the battle 
was over. 
The only patients we received at this 
time were Australians. Such a cheerful 
lot of boys I have never seen With 
the most dreadful wounds they scarcely 
murmured. Thankful for every little 
thing that was done for them & each 
one thinking the others were much 
worse than he was. 
In July we received orders to close 
the C.C.S and move north. So every 
thing was packed and the nursing 
staff (Sisters) were sent to a British 
Hospital at Frevent. We stayed 
there about a fortnight doing duty 
This was a most beautiful hut 
hospital with every convenience 
We then received orders to proceed 
on our journey at [[22?]]              we 
found the C.C.S was not ready for

(13)
us. We were to report at 63 to 62 
C.C.S await further orders. We stayed 
there about a week were then sent 
on to our own C.C.S by this time 
our staff of sisters had increased 
to twenty four. On our arrival we 
found the C.C.S still unprepared to 
receive patients & as the C.C.Ss 
joining us 32 & 44 had more work 
than they could do they asked 
for surgical teams to be sent 
to assist them. I was on a team 
detailed for 32nd C.C.S arrived there 
at 4pm. I was told by the sister 
in Charge the table I was to have 
and that I would find all I  
required there. 
I looked at the chaos & wondered 
where I would find anything. 
There were already four surgical  
teams working & soon learned 
they had helped themselves to 
the best of every thing so I 
took what was left which wasn't 
very much. 

(14) 
The surgeon I had  had only recently 
arrived at the C.C.S. so I had not 
worked with him at all. I soon found 
he had not been use to doing penetrating 
abdomens with only one sister to assist 
him & would forget that I had only  
one pair of hands to hold retractors 
sponge and thread sutures with and  
another little things he might want  
me to do. At 8am next morning 
I went off duty - for sixteen hours I 
had assisted with only penetrating 
abdomens. As our own C.C.S was ten 
minutes walk along a lonely road 
I did not have time to have any 
nourishment there & 32 C.C.S. did 
not supply any to visiting teams 
I felt rather hungry at [?] [?] 
[?] I then went to bed and 
was called again at 3.20pm to  
be on duty at 4. Same performance  
again slightly improved I had some 
nourishment during the night and  
my surgeon remembered I had 
only one pair of hands. This went

15- 
on for several days: Our team was then 
sent to 44 C.C.S. next  door. here the 
theatre was beautifully arrange. Every 
table had everything that was required 
so the work was not at all difficult 
I had an excellent orderly who helped 
me in every way. 
Several days later we returned to 
3rd AGCs where everything was now 
ready to commence work. There we 
again found plenty of work. Six tables  
were kept constantly going we  
had English American Canadian 
and Australian teams which were 
arranged to relieve one another each 
team doing sixteen hours as long 
as there was work to do. 
Hun planes came over every night 
dropping bombs very near us. on 
one occasion killing one medical 
officer and a batman. our tents  
were riddled with pieces of  
schrapnel. The sisters at this  
time being all on duty 
A week later our camp was

(16) 
shelled. The first shell killed an English 
Sister at 44 C.C.S quite near us. 
Orders were then given to evacuate 
all patients by ambulances as 
quickly as possible. This was done 
in a very short time the orderlies 
were simply wonderful the way 
they worked doing every thing 
possible for the patients who 
were all very badly wounded. 
The Sisters were sent to trenches  
near by & later taken away by 
Ambulance to St. Omers & later 
returned to no 1 Australian  
General Hospital Rouen Where 
 I stayed until December 17th 1918 
Then we were sent with no 1 GSH 
to Sutton Veny. 
  
Annie C. Cameron