Nurses Narratives Staff Nurse E L Chaplin

5/68 
AWM 4 1 

AUSTRALIAN ARCHIVES
ACCESS STATUS
OPEN 


STAFF NURSE E.L. CHAPLIN.

A.W.M 
LIBRARY 
[954] 

 

England Sr E. Chapin 11/64 

To No 3 AAH - Dartford 

Transferred to small British Hosp 
in Gloucestershire. Received here 
bad crashes and acute cases from 
the Aust. Flying Corps. Work 
being heavy, understaffed and 
insufficient accomodation - 
"shockingly equipped". 
Smell in the ward and dirt 
in the kitchen made me sick 
There was a bad abd case for 
operation, was sent to the 
kitchen to get dressings, surprised 
to find them sterilizing on the 
oven on top of the meat - 
placed there 10 minutes before operation. 
Not allowed in theatre for operation - went 
to theatre to get some lotion 
found the pet dog 
lapping up the sterile 
water that was kept in an 
open jug. 
 

The Offical 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".
 

England 
xxxxxx
Notes from my Diary
11/64
I left Adelaide in November and went overland to
Sydney accompanied by two South Australian Sisters
from there, we embarked for England, sailing via
Panama Canal and enjoyed the trip immensely. after
leaving Colon our next port of call was Norfolk in Virginia
where we went ashore, we were met by some Red Cross
Ladies who gave us a delightful time despite The 
intense cold. and The heaviest fall of snow for twenty
years - We then went up to Halifax arriving there
a few days after the big explosion, it was a pathetic
sight The place in ruins - our SMO offered our
services but help had arrived that morning from
America we, were not allowed ashore but remained
there for three days.- We had a rough tip across the
Atlantic, a dense fog for days and was caught
in a terrific storm, two days before Xmas- we
arrived in Glasgow New Yrs Eve, stayed on board
over night + left for London New Yrs. Morning arriving
at St Pancreas at 10.30 p.m. we then caught a train
for Southall arriving there about midnight - after
fourteen days leave spent in London which I enjoyed
very much visiting must of the places of interest
I then reported for duty at Darford No. 3 Aust. Aux.
where I remained for six months, the Hospital being
well equipped + staffed every body. including patients
seemed very happy despite frequent air raids
I was then transferred ti a small British Hospital
in Gloucestershire where most of the bad crashes +
acute cases were sent from the Australian Flying
Corps. The aerodromes being about three miles away
The work was very heavy indeed, as The Hospital
was under staffed, insufficient accomadation and shockingly
equipped in every way. when I arrived I met an
Elderly Matron who at first resented a change in her
staff- luckily I was put on night duty and billited
in the Town as. The smell of the wards & the dirt
of the Kitchen I couldnt eat any thing in the Hospital
We had a bad abdominal in one morning, I was
 

sent to get the dressings and was surprised to find them
sterilizing in tho oven on top of the meat placed there
about ten minutis before the operation. I was not
allowed in the Theatre for an operation, as but one
morning I happened to go in for some lotion + found
The pet dog. lapping up the sterile water kept in an open jugwe had 
some terrible crashes and lots of deaths, of course
we had to take civilians as well - The Mortuary quite
a new building with pictures and blue silk curtains
just outside the pantry window was often full
for days The undertaker too busy to remove the bodies
I was terribly worried as I felt the boys seemed
to be dying for want of attention I was the only
Australian Sister There and no military M O. to
appeal to However I finally confided to Colonel
[?Nott] the O.C 1st Wing Headquarters who was just
goodness itself to me - after a few months we
opened our A J.C Hospital in Terbury I am
only sorry we didn't open it sooner. I spent
two months in our new Hospital and was very
sorry to leave it. I was then transferred to
Southall after six weeks duty I had diphtheria
& was sent to Hampstead Infectious Hospital- and
I couldn't have been better cared for at home.
after some sick leave I returned to Southall-
& remained there until we closed, and then
sent to Sutton Veney- I have had perfect health
since I left Australia and have been fortunate
in having the very best of Matrons in charge but
I am so sorry I didnot get an opportunity of
going to France. Firstly I should have loved to have
seen the world +the country secondly. The girls who have been,
think and say we have missed so much.
This is just a few notes from my diary
EL. Chaplin
1st A G H
Sutton Veney