Diary of Alice Ross-King, 1915 - Part 1

Memoranda of Reference, &c. 
As Address, Quotations, and other matters of Interest.  

Letters written - 

Last  wk March. 1915
Frank Martin. J Adamson, Chatly.  

April 4th 
Geraldine Cussen, Miss Mann.

April 8th Harry 
  "       17th   Lily Saville, (J. Thwaites friend) Post card 
          28th   G. L. C.

May  14th    G. L. C Post Card 
  "        "         Horace Hannah
  "        "         Miss [[Sinnotie?]] 
  "        "         Harry 

May  24th  Mrs O'Hara

July    29th F. B M.
F Brown
Kendall 
Spurge

Memoranda of things lent, &c. 

Address 
Frank. B. 24. G.P.O. Sydney 

Jessa    The Manager
National Bank of Australia 
5 Bishops Gate
London E. C. 

 

1
1915 31 Days 1 FRIDAY [1-364] January 1
Circumcision. 0h 21m P.M. (Greenwich). 
Bank Holiday, Scotland.
Holiday, Stock Exchange

16 
January 16 SATURDAY [16-349] 1st Month 1915

17
1915 31 Days 17 Sunday-2 aft Epiph [17-348] January 

H.M.T.S. Kyarra

I have made a short diary of the Trip
over & as it seems as though we are
going to settle down in Egypt for
some time will now start this 
working diary. We have been 
in Alexandria just since Thursday 
last & now it is Tuesday. We 
are being transhipped. This 
week about Alexandria has 
taught us a great deal. Especially
the value of money. 

Each day we go out detirmined 
not to spend & we don't 
buy things but money slips
away in tram fares for all that. 
This afternoon Sister Cuthbert 
invited all the Alfred Girls at
afternoon tea at a beautiful little 
French Tearooms. Cost about
9s. each. Such a place with such
cakes at such a price in Melb. 
would make a fortune. 

Alexandria is a fine city. Electric 
trams etc. big shops & well paved 
streets. Things are cheaper than in 
Melb. The Egyptian life about the 
place is more interesting than at 
the ports where passengers call
regularly. French is the language 
commonly spoken. In most of the 
shops you go into they do not speak 
English at all. We visited the 

18 
January 18     MONDAY     [18-347] 1st Month      1915

Catacombs & the meuseum. The former
were only discovered 14 years ago. A 
site was selected for building a fort
& when the builders were digging 
the foundations the suddenly
came upon these Catacombs. 
They are wonderfully carved &
irrigated with Nile Water. The 
mummies were removed & put in 
the Alexandria Meuseum. 

Have been feeling very interested
in Capt. E. Today discovered he 
is very interested in Jessa. 

A Russian battleship came 
into Port here today. She has 
6 prisoners of war on board. 
We hear that today Port Said
has been put under military 
law. Lights have to be out at
night & she is well guarded 
by Gun boats. 48,000 Turks 
are with in two days march
of the Canal.  They have 36,000 
camels which they have 
comandeered from the Arabs
on the way & 37,000 sacks
which they intend to fill with
sand & cement to attempt to 
block the Canal. But the Canal is 
well guarded. 

Jessa got orders to go to the Egyptian
Military Hospital for duty. 

19 
1915    31 Days    19 TUESDAY  [19-346]   January 

Saw Jessa off to Cairo this a.m. Sister 
Green came with me. Then strolled 
about the town - got some good snaps 
I think. Unloading is going on very 
slowly. Am not going out any 
more in Alexandria. Stoney broke.
P.M. My conjectures about Capt. E & 
Jessa a mistake - discovered too late 
however, for I had promised to drive
with Capt. Ferris & tomorrow at 
8 a.m. E. goes away with No 2. 
Capt. Ferris is a nice fresh youth 
who invited Sister Miles & myself 
to drive & treated us awfully
well indeed. We went to 
the Alexandria Gardens. They 
are very nice but after the [[Peredy...rine?]] 
Gardens they do not impress on. 
What I noticed most today were
the junks being poled down a 
branch of the Nile. We passed
a native funeral with all the 
mourners mourning loudly. 
Our Boys are very happy tonight 
singing gaily. Poor old boys 
they have been grafting at the
un-loading all day. 

20 
January 20 WEDNESDAY    [20-345] 1st Month    1915

The day commenced sadly. I did not 
say Goodbye to those amongst the No 2 
men who had been so good to me & when 
I got up to see them off at the station I found 
that leave was stopped & I could not get
off the boat. However, it is all in the Game I suppose 
The morning was foggy & cold, I felt very 
depressed. Kendal, Connolly & I went out
in the afternoon & quite by accident got
on a tram & rode to the Terminus.  It
was such a pretty ride that we thought we 
would repeat the experiment, so after having 
afternoon tea at a delightful little French 
Cafe we got on a green triangle tram & 
had the most wonderful trip. This
tram went through the manufacturing 
& old parts of the city - We saw two or three 
miles of bales of cotton. I had no idea 
that such quantities of the raw material
came from Egypt. Whare house full 
of oranges - not in cases but lying in 
great piles on the floors - dates the same
then we passed glimpses of the most 
unusual native bazaars finally coming 
out by the Kedive's Pallace. The tram 
conductor could not speak anything but 
French & Arabic & could not understand
our French. He was very worried over us &
could not be made to understand that we 
only wanted a ride. At every large building where
he thought we might have business he stopped the 
tram & invited us to alight. But when it came to the 
Terminus & we still stayed on he nearly took a fit.  We 
were saved by the entrance of two Imperial men of whom 
more anon. 

21
1915    31 Days       21 THURSDAY [21-344]        January 

This has been rather a dull day.
In the morning we had a full dress 
parade & a little talk by Ramsay 
Smith on dicipline - Military dicipline. 
What he said was very good but 
I could not see the point. He has a 
most unfortunate way of delivering 
himself - but I think that he means 
well. I am sorry for Miss B. 
She has a pretty rough time of it. 
Of course she is rather tactless too. 
Ramsay stated that from the
time we joined this expedition 
we are under the Imperial Goven,
& altho some may be Senior in
the Commonwealth Rank we 
all date the same in the Imperial 
Service. 

We went up town & got some
interesting Postcards of Helliopolis. 
Australian mail in - nothing for
me. Returned & printed off a few 
snaps. Got on a single star 
tram today. Had the usual 
excited argument with the conductor 
who would want to make
us get off at Libraries & Hospitals
& things like that. They think us 
quite mad just to ride around 
on the trams. Nothing very 
interesting tonight. Yarned to Capt 
for a bit. Bed 8.30 p.m
The [[Mulewa?]] arrived today with 500 men from Cypress to relieve 
Imperial men here.

22  
January 22 FRIDAY     [22-343] 1st Month      1915 

We moved to another wharf this AM. 
No shore leave was granted because
we were to stay in to be paid - we 
stayed in but were not paid. 
Saw the Hospital Boat came in 
with 500 wounded Indians 
on board. They are going to
the Hospital here - then across 
to Suez & on to India. 
Big fighting expected on the 
Canal soon. We have 
orders to hurry up. We are
moving to Cario on Sunday 
morn. 

Capt. S. attentions becoming
noticed. Connolly given 
me several digs about it
today. Went up town 
this afternoon with Sister 
Cuthbert - met an awfully
nice man attached to our  
unit on the return trip. 
Wrote letters & dodged 
Capt. S. all the evening. 

23
1915    31 Days      23 SATURDAY     [23-342]    January 
5h 32m A.M. (Greenwich)

At last got word to pack. We are
going to Cairo tomorrow a.m. 
The boys are working so hard 
they got all the Baggage on
the train very quickly & then the 
C.O. would not allow shore leave 
They are very disappointed. 
Capt. S. has orders to wait 
on Kyarra until Tuesday.
So we shall not have him 
looking after us. 

We rode into town today 
in the Ambulance - to the 
delight of the natives. The 
Hospital Ship is perfect. 

The pick the Indians direct from
trenches & operations necessary
are done while the ship is
sailing over to Egypt. They
have X Ray Room, Theatre, Sick 
ward & Conval. ward perfectly 
arranged. There are no nurses 
on board. When they get to 
Egypt the convalescent patients 
are trained to Suez & from there
to India. Those very ill or 
those who need artificial
limbs are treated here & have 
their limbs presented to them 
before the return home. 

Miss B. is getting very much 
on our nerves. 

24 
January 24    Sunday-3 aft Epiph [24-341] 1st Month     1915

Left the Kyarra at 9 a.m. First the men
were lined up, then the Sisters. In 
marching us to the train, Capt Alcorn
a youth of 24 years was unnecessarily 
severe, there bye earning the undying hate
of the nurses & the indignation of all 
the men. We had a long & tedious
journey to Heliopolis. Nothing was 
prepared & we had to walk a long 
way. We had nothing to eat from 
8 a.m. until 3.30 p.m. Then only 
a very light refreshment. at 9.30 p.m 
we succeeded in getting some dinner
at the Hotel, for which we pay ourselves

On the train Miss Bell got a prompt 
summons to Mena House & found 
that the Matronship had been taken
from her & that she was to work in
a subordinate position at Mena 
House. She is terribly cut up over it. 
So are we - altho I honestly think
we shall be better off with the 
heads whom we now have. 
The hotel is a pallace. The 3rd 
largest in the world. I have a 
beautiful room & bathroom to 
myself. Had a hot bath at the
Hotel at which Jessa & Pat are 
boarding. It was joy! Pat 
was out. I'm afraid those two 
are going to be The Great Chums 
& I shall be out of it. I don't 
care through. Such a beautiful 
soft bed to get into tonight. 
I gave up my stretcher to two 
of the Boys. They are sleeping on
the floor tonight. They have
been grafting so hard on nothing
but dry biscuits. 

25
1915     31 Days      25 MONDAY [25-340]       January 
Conversion of St. Paul 

We managed to get some nourishment 
at 9.30 a.m.  Bread & Butter & jam. it 
was great. Bully beef today for dinner
for the first time. I rather like it. 
Beef & Bread & Butter. That was all. But
the bread is delicious & we have jolly
good appetites. I am not on duty today. 

Ramsey hit up the officers this a.m. Claude 
was white with rage. We are dining
at different tables but in the same mess room. 
The orderlys are scraping things together very 
well. Major Dunhill's stepson, who is worth
a few thousands was one of the mess room 
orderlies this morn. 

Kendall Connoley & I went into
Cario to the Mousky or native 
Bazaar. The place is very interesting. 
We saw the most beautiful
tapestries. at the most beautiful 
prices. Everyone is in 
expectation of immediate fighting 
30,000 turks are less than 20 miles 
away. We could hear the 
guns last night but do not know 
what was happening. The New 
Zealanders have gone from here 
to the Canal. Jessa & Pat
came in late last night: they 
had been to the Camp. The men
out there had been put under 
musketry fire. I believe they 
stood it very well. Bully 
Beef bread & Butter again for
tea. I hear the men at Mena 
are not even getting enough to eat.
We get plenty. 

26
January 26   TUESDAY [26-339] 1st Month    1915 

I am on duty today all day. We 
received a little lecturette from Miss 
Gragham concerning the management 
of this new establishment. I like her 
very much. Our first casuality brought 
in last night. A New Zealander. Baker in 
the theatre. Bread & jam for breakfast

Nothing much happened all 
day. Went for a walk with 
Kendal after afternoon tea
returned to find an Australian
mail. Received two letters 
from [[Kod?]] & one from [[Wad?]] 
Mother - home from Mother
In the evening volinteers 
called for Suez to go to the 
Clearing Hospital. I volinteered 
as are wanted. 

I shall feel a bit nervy I 
suspect. The natives are 
so very disloyal. If the [[?]] 
have a reverse it is almost 
certain they will assist the 
Turks. 

Capt. Sabine arrived up from the 
Kyarra. Jessa & Pat 
did not come over to see 
us. I think they are rather 
mean. Had supper 
of dry biscuits & strawberry 
jam brought from Melbourne. 
Bed 11 p.m. 

27
1915   31 Days    27 WEDNESDAY [27-338]   January   

8.30 a.m At breakfast. told that the accepted 
volinteers were to be ready by 8.45. a.m. 
I am one of the chosen ones, only 
allowed 80 lbs. luggage - which means 1
suitcase & carry all.  a small one at that. 
S. Green very good in helping me pack. The 
orderlies were waiting for our luggage 
before we had been told 10 minutes. We 
are going right to the front. Jessa & 
Pat very envious quite nasty about it at first. 
But cheered up after a bit. Bumped into Miss 
Gragham over a pass for lunch. We are not 
leaving now until 3.30 p.m. Saw Colonel Ryan. 
Paid £15. 2. 6. in Egyptian money. Transport out to 
camp in ones garter. Left 8.30. p.m. Pat or 
Jessa did not come to see us off. Altho they had 
the whole day off. We have got an awfully nice 
crowd. S. Watts in charge. S. O'Dwyer 2nd. There are 
6 sisters & 14 staff nurses. Kendall amongst the number.
We picked up Dr. Birds nurses at Cairo. A group 
of 10 going to Ismailia. We shall be about equal 
distance from the fighting. We passed right through 
the fighting area. Expecting to be held up all the time 
but we got through without any excitement. Beautiful clear 
moonlight night. Saw the New Zealanders at Ismailia 
& hughe Indian Camp all along the line. There was an 
Englishman at a lovely little station on the line. Just 
the natives & this one man. He wanted to speak to us but was 
too shy. So was I. Just as the train was moving out he 
did speak & gave me two beautiful carnations. When he 
spoke he sounded an educated gentleman. We arrived 
Port Said at 1 a.m. & were taken to a French Convent 
orphanage. The nuns had just vacated. Everything 
was filthy. The bed I slept on absolutely rotten 
& full of fleas. But we were all smiling. We 
had had a hamper on the train & the nuns had 
left a little repast of bread & butter & tinned meat
Got to bed 2 a.m. Chased fleas etc. most of night.

28
January 28 THURSDAY   [28-337] 1st Month 1915 

Had a very busy day today. Getting 
the place clean. I am to be theatre 
Sister - Kendal my assistant. We have 
a fine room for a theatre. Two theatres 
I am to have. We had Bully Beef for 
Breakfast & lunch & curry made of 
bully beef for tea. Tea without milk & 
no butter for break & lunch. Expect to 
take 300 beds. The R.C. Church 
is just opposite us. This morning 
we saw an elaborate baby funeral
This afternoon a double military 
funeral. An English aviator & a French 
Aviator both killed while reconoitering 
by the Turks. Later we saw a 
Maltese wedding. The Turks 
have been getting very close to 
us. They are now with in 5 
miles. Port Said is
a filthy place. 

29
1915    31 Days     29 FRIDAY [29-336]    January 

Later advices show that the two 
aviators were killed by our own 
men. The Englishman came 
to grief in his hydroplane & 
the Frenchman descended to 
assist him. The Indians did 
not recognise & they fired on 
them both. 

We have had a very 
busy day unpacking & 
preparing the Theatre. 
Have got enough ready 
to do an immediate but 
the place is still to be painted. 
I have been scrubbing & 
cleaning with strong 
phenile until I can scarcely 
bear the pain of my hands. 
I am fearfully tired tonight 
wrote to Shiney because 
I thought when we got 
busy we would not have 
time. 

25 injured brought today 
we received our first 
patients: but not one 
of the wounded. They were 
Indians & went to the 
Egyptian native military 
Hospital. 

30
January 30 SATURDAY   [30-335] 1st Month    1915

Spent all the morning steralizing 
in the after Theatre. At 4
p.m. the first of the 2nd
Contingent came out of the 
Canal. As many as could 
dashed down. Ken & I 
got into a boat & went out 
to try & find Capt K. 
How the men cheered & cheered 
us. They were delighted 
to see some of their own 
women again. They 
have not been allowed 
off at any of the Ports.
We went on board the 
"Border" the boat on which 
Ken's brother is & they were 
delighted when we could stay 
to dinner with them. We 
went all over the boat. It 
is a beautiful ship. They had 
320 horses on board. Such 
pets. Capt. Kendal is head 
of the Veterinary Corps. We 
met some very interesting 
men amongst the officers 
on board. They were very 
informal. We also met 
another Kendal. Chief Officer 
on the boat. A most interesting 
man who afterwards escorted 
us home. Major Crowle also on board 
whose wife came out with [[her son?]]

31
1915   31 Days 31 Septuagesima Sunday [31-334] January 
4h 41m A.M. (Greenwich) 

Am very tired tonight. The Convent
floor is of hard flags.
Have been on duty all day. 
The Contingent went on to 
Alexandria this morning. All 
night long we got scarcely 
any sleep for the noise of 
them coaling. The natives 
keep up a continual singsong. 
Also the Roosters in this place 
crow without ceasing & 
the clock just opposite chimes 
the hour as well as the quarters
every 15 minutes.  That means 
that it chimes 12 three 
times. Saw all the funny 
little children going home 
from church this morning 
each with a clean white 
colar no matter what other 
peculiar clothes. Some of 
the nurses have gone out 
tonight under the escort 
of two orderlies. We are not 
safe here even in uniform. 
Yesterday there was a good 
deal of skirmishing we here. 
The contingent could see 
the fighting as they came 
through the Canal. 

32 
February 1 MONDAY [32-333] 2nd Month 1915 
Partridge and Pheasant Shooting ends 

Two patients from the Canal 
today. The Turks 3000 strong 
are within two miles of the 
Canal. They are being kept 
back by an old fashioned 
Gun boat - The Clio which 
has a longer range than 
2 miles & is simply mowing 
them down like flies. 
This afternoon we went 
down the town & found 
that a troopship - the  
"[[ Brrimmer? ]]" (A, 35.) was in. 
As soon as the Boys 
saw us in the canal street the 
hailed us loudly. So we 
went over & had a talk 
to them. They are the 
nicest crowd we have
struck yet. 

Bought a beautiful pr of 
suede topped shoes for 17/6 .
& a Cotton Voile silk linen
for £2.00 Have left all 
my clothes in Cairo & if 
one goes out in uniform 
one is not nearly so safe 
as in private dress. 

Last night about 1 a.m. the 
front door bell rang furiously. no
body answered it for a long time. Poor little 
hewel dressed up in hat & veil etc. 

33
1915   28 Days    2 TUESDAY [33-332]    February 
Purification of V. Mary. Candlemas. 
Scottish Quarter Day.

Busy all day. The work goes 
slowly on. Inspected today 
by a few great guns. We are 
only 6 miles from the firing 
line but we have the loyalty 
of the Indian Army between 
us & danger. The natives 
give us very evil looks. 
Sister Watt says one threw 
a stone & spat at her. 

Some times I feel just a 
little bit nervous - not for 
myself though. I seem to 
think that the dear old 
maters prayers will help 
me along.

Hear that they have only 
had one case at Ismailia. 
It is a great joke. They 
admitted a woman (which 
they should not have done 
in a military Hosp. anyhow)
She had severe abdominal 
pain & they thought they would 
have to operate in the morning
however in the night she 
aborted (!!). I am growing 
to like Mrs. Crowle very much. 
She has been married 3 years & 
a army nurse for 6. She & 
her husband both offered for serve 
altho they thought that one might go 
to New Guinea & the other France they are
both here. He is at Cairo. He is a hard Major. 

34 
February      3 WEDNESDAY     [34-331]    2nd Month    1915

Heavy fighting on the Canal last 
night. The heaviest is at Kantara 
& up beyond there. The Turks 
attack about 4 a.m. Last night 
they reached the canal & threw 
a pontoon across - But were 
then driven back. A great 
many killed. We are expecting 
20 wounded Turks in 
tonight. They will of course 
be prisoners. Capt. Campbell 
& our bearers have been right 
in the firing line all day
Campbell thinks that the Turks
were aiming at the white 
flag. The shell fell 1/4 mile 
short. We had some 
Australian Visitors from the 
Mongolia today. She is held 
up here & cannot get through
the Canal. The Turks have 
collected 1 sack & 1 tin from 
every house in Palestine, these 
are to be put on camels - the 
camels walked on to 
a pontoon then shot & the 
pontoon sunk. But we have 
a dredge there always 
ready for work & the 
Canal will not be blocked 
for long even if they succeed
at all. 

35 
1915      28 Days    4 THURSDAY [35-330]     February 

Not much doing here today. 
The wife of American Consul
called on us. A very pleasant
woman. We engaged 
a black boy to do the 
house work. He is a 
doubtful success. However 
he only requires 7/- 
per week & keep himself. 
We hear there is still 
a lot of fighting on the 
Canal. The "Mongolia" 
is still held up here. 
It has been very cold 
all day. 

Letters from Alexandria Heliopolis 
state that Miss Bell is 
reinstated at the Palace. 
Sisters Richards, Lempries
& 7 other nurses sent back 
to Australia along with 
300 incompetent soldiers. 
Major Stuart & Capt. Sutherland 
also sent. At 
Heliopolis things are not 
very happy. Syme was one 
of the volinteers to return to 
Australia. S. Mills is 
working in a staff nurses
position. 

My two theatre orderlies are 
a 4th year med student & a 
full blown dentist.

36 
February 5 FRIDAY    [36-329] 2nd Month    1915

Went all over the Bazaar with 
Mrs Croll. A shy little solider 
boy came up to us & said - "Are 
you in a hurry Sisters?  Its my 
Mother's birthday next month 
& I want to get some good 
feathers for her would you 
help me choose them."  The 
poor lad wanted to give 
2 pounds for a feather 
so keen was he on getting 
a good one. After visiting 
several shops we got to 
the end of the row of 
feather shop where a keen 
little Jew holds sway. 
Each shopman had 
watched us come in & 
go out without buying 
& this Jew man was 
determined to do a deal. 
We got two beautiful feathers 
for the boy for 15/- & I got 
a beautiful feather boa 
that one would pay at 
least £4 for at home for 
15/-. Searched to 
get some "Kipling's". Could 
only get "Actions & Reaction" 
& the poem "If". Have enjoyed 
reading them tonight. I'm 
missing my books more 
than anything. 

37 
1915   28 Days    6 SATURDAY   [37-328] February 

After a busy morning received 
word that Kendal & I had 
to go & take an op at the 
Indian Hospital. We drove 
over in an ambulance & 
were met by Major Wills & 
Captain Barker of the [[I.M.C.?]]
Wills is a tanned bald headed 
man of about 50. We did not 
see very much of him & I did 
not like him so well as Barker 
who is a fair blue eyed Englishman 
middle height & about 35. I liked 
him he is a good surgeon. The 
theatre is badly furnished 
& things just anyhow. Altho 
it is a nice building. There 
are no nurses there at all. 
Saw a large spent bullet extracted 
very neatly. It was imbedded 
in the humerous. Afterwards 
we did about a dozen dressings. 
Mostly one of the fingers 
of L. hand blown off. The stumps 
were in very bad condition 
& the dressings badly stuck as 
they had not been dressed since 
first aid on the field. The Indians 
were delighted to be dressed by 
Australian ladies & some who had 
already been dressed presented 
themselves for dressing again. 
We were treated to hostel baked scone
etc. for afternoon tea & made a great fuss of
It seems by some mistake they thought we
were staying & had beds prepared for us

38 
February 7    Sexagesima Sunday [38-327] 2nd Month     1915 
5h 11m A.M. (Greenwich)

Christened the theatre this am. 
Two ops. We opened the Ball 
with a clean appendix.
done by the Colonel. The 
theatre was crowded with 
onlookers I was very
nervous but everything 
went without a hitch. 
The Theatre looked very 
nice & we did not spare 
linen for the first day. 
The next case was a little 
Lancashire bugler from the 
[[I.I.F.?]] Major Gordon operated
I like his work very much 
better than the Colonel's. altho 
the Col.s is jolly good too.

Cut my finger badly 
tonight so hope there will 
be no ops for a day or 
two. 

Two Egyptian native 
Doctors visited the hospital today 
they were very interested in 
everything. 

An Indian Hospital boat 
is in. Sent by the Rajah of one 
special County to bring home 
any of his own men who 
have been wounded. There 
are Imperial nurses on 
board. 

 

39 
1915 28 Days 8 MONDAY February 
Half Quarter Day