Nurses Narratives: Edith Victoria Donaldson

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E.V. DONALDSON.
 

A.W.M
LIBRARY
Case No. 373.2

[*967*] 

G.A.I.M.N.S.R.   111/6

Sr Donaldson

Joined 14-4-15 sent is No 7 GH
Flanders , furthest forward G.H.
thence to to No 4 G.H. [[Etaples]]
No 13 G H Boulogne
No 32 Stationary Wimereux
Took all Portuguese wounded there.
transferred Oct 1918 to Royal Vic
Hosp. Netley. In charge of
ambulance train from Southhampton
Received R.R.C.

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".  

III/6

Defence Central Administration c 580/4'31
Volunteered for service with A.I.2

August 1914.
Sailed from Melbourne, for service
with the Queen. Alexandria Imperial
Military Nursing Service Reserve, - by
The Orontes 14.4. 1915. and was
sent for duty to France, on arrival
was attatched to No 7 General
Hospital in Flanders. - that being
the furthest forward. General Hospital.
After a year was moved to
No 4 General. Etaples -
There to No 13 General. Hospital
Boulogne - was there a year
Then to No 32 Stationary
Hospital Wimereux, where I
was for sixteen months. &
through the time when the hospital

took all Portugese patients. for
six months.
In. October 1918 was transferred to
The Royal Victoria Hospital. Netley
England for three months - & from
there  was in Charge of Ambulance
trains from Southhampton, which
took patients over Scotland
England & Wales - After Some
months returning to Netley, where
I was until I Embarked for
Australia. Returned by the
“OSterley “ and arrived in Melbourne 
July 5^th . 1919 - having Completed
four years & some months Service.
was promoted & received
The R.R.C in 1917.
Edith. V. Donaldson
Trainee
Geelong Hospital