Diary of Alice Ross-King, 1917-1919 - Part 4

4.8.17   

Today a peice of shell came from

H.G. They were shelling the

baloon with fell through the

abd. theatre roof. It tore

through the metal op. table &

through the floor. Capt Calson

had been giving an anaesthetic

& had lifted the pat head

while orderly lifted feet to

place him on stretcher on

the floor otherwise it

wd have caught both

anaesthetist & pat in the

head. Capt C very shocked &

had to go off duty. I wet my
pants.  

On the 5^th we cleared early

& I went up for a bath.

Whilst in the bath Fritz started
on the baloon. I could hear the
whirr of a fragment. It fell 6
inches on side washhouse. Never
forget how it felt naked & shiver.
Nasty Gas - I did not know
it wd get here but they were
using gas shells & the wind
brought it along the depression.
I was awakened by a terrible
Clamour Alarm bell & we thought
the Germans had broken through
My throat & eyes were smarting
& I felt awfully sick.Topsy
said gas & we put on the
light to put - masks on. Matron
made us douse. Col Webb
came along & fixed masks securely
Getting a good dose himself.
I went out after my kitten but 

she did not recognise me in mask
& ran under the hut. She was
alright next day. Our clothes
still stink of gas.
The Cat was brought in
by a O.S. man. It had been
living in the trenches & had not
seem wild. He asked me to keep
it for him when he was sent to
base. It had not seen a woman
before & put up its back & spat at
me. It used to run up the mens
legs & play with their rank badges
Gen Bird in today talking to
Matron & myself on the duckboards
& Kitty ran up his shoulder & started
to play with his buttons he stood
there stroking it for quite a long 

time.
They have been running a naval
gun mounted on a truck
with a big engine up to just
behind us. It comes sneaking
along about midnight
fires 3 or 4 huge shells &
then departs & Fritz wakes up
then & comes over looking for
it.
Have not written up in full
for over a month. Had
a most appaling time. Ypres
offensive. Too big to write
up now. Just a few things
I want to remember. I
can't beleive there is a God.
It is too awful for words.
No 3 has been shelled
out & No 1 has had dud

after dud - ^We are taking their cases. They are shelling
B. & each day the shells
go whinning over our heads
to the back areas. The Pork
& beans are holding & salient
many quarrels taking place
between boys. Bomb in
estaminet. 23 Porkos killed
Working 7 A.M. till 2 A.M.
B 3 German prisoners -
forgotten for 3½ days in
one of our B.# tents.
Was just going off when
I thought to wonder what
was there. Shall never forget
the Cries that greeted me. They
were badly wounded & had
no water or food. Every
one on the staff was dead
beat, but at least I got old
Canada to come & fix them
up. We did the 40 (13 were
dead) in ¾ hr. No waiting
for Chlor - Amps & all -
onto the train 1½ hrs
after I found them.

A silly order put up
"All nurses to go to Dug out
when Fritz is overhead"
I expect they want to get
rid of the lot of us if there
is a direct hit.
Eric Gutteridge rode over
to see me. He is with No 2
Field Amb. They are having
a stiff time. Keith Ewan
Artilary officer calls when ever
he can. I cannot feel much
interest in any of them now
but I think I should cheer
them up if I can. Two old
orderlies from No 1. Ray
Levine & Wattie think it is
great to come & see Tops & me.

Last night by the Time he
got here Wattie was tight.
They had called at a farm
house for Vin Blanc. He was
very ashamed of himself.
They are med. students & are
to be sent back to finish
their course as Dr are in
short supply. Very loth
to leave. The last post is
being played nearly all day
at the Cemetary next door to
the Hospital. So many deaths.
The prisoners being brought 
in have buckles with "Got
Mit Huns" written and our
Pardre is always praying
that "The Right will prevail"
Im beginning to wonder about
it all.
Agony Kellaway turned
up today. He is pathology
something or other with
Prof Watson. Last time
I met him we were at a
prayer meeting at the NCU
at St Hilda's. I said to
Charles "Do you still
believe all that" He said
"Alice I'm a complete agnostic."
He has a Major
rank though he has had
no fighting. As bad as me
carrying a M.M.!

I can't keep this diary.
Pity! Ill wish I had when
we get home again.
Maj Barton came to the 

mess tonight to talk over the 

plans for the new theatre hut 

with me. Fritz over & Matron

ordered me down the dugout

She had a row with Barton

who would not let me go 

She turned out the light & 

said You can't see anyhow

Major. Suppose she was 

jealous that she was not 

consulted about the plans 

B turned his torch on to 

the planes & we went 

on with the job. The door 

opened & Eric Gutteridge 

walked in. Saw us sitting

close & said Oh I beg your

pardon & [[got?]] for his life. 

Silly old Guts! He had 

ridden over through heavy

shelling. Hope he got 

back safely.

Im writing this down the 

dugout. Full moon & Fritz

doing his stuff. We hate leaving

the party but Birdie says we

are to be withdrawn if he hears 

we are exposed to fire. We have 

the Gramophone down here. M

brough down a bottle of Brandy

& we have all had some. Now 

Top's pal has sent down a bottle 

of Baime . We shout.

I nicked down to the wards 

to see if the Orderlies were there

or hiding in the soap drains. A

Fritz flew along the duckboards as

I was running back. seemed 

to be right on top of me. Trying to

get through the search lights. He was 

a fighter not a bomber .Al the same

M. is [[shirking?]] about it. 

It is about 8 weeks since I last 

wrote here. I'm back at 1 A.G.H.

lost my luggage on the way back.

Bro John can find. I got a 

bit shell shocked. Had a nasty

near miss with a bit of H.E. Kept

on duty but used to wet my pants

When ever Fritz came over. Topsy

told M. on me. So she told Matron

Conyers I'd been too long at C.C.S. So

I had.

Everything unpleasant. Germ

breaking through. They have 

captured our CCS & all the good

work the boys put in. The 5 sisters

were sent away early. I hear the

boys saved most of The Theatre 

equipment. We can hear the guns

getting louder. The 5^th Army

broke. mostly Irish & Lancs.

They have been flooding into

Ruen on any trucks. The trains

are full & they are riding on top. 

They are walking into Hosp with 
no tickets. One chap came into my
ward - I said where are you wounded
He showed me a broken blister on his
hand. He said "I'm not going to stay
up there to be shot." The Sisters have
orders to have a suit case packed
ready for evacuation. Things
very bad.
The past week has been bad. We
hear the Aussies are in action
Round the town the P.O.W.
very cheeky. Command
has cut their rations. We
had a fatigue party of P.O.W
making a path outside
my ward. When the ord
put the tin of slush from
plates & tea dregs outside
the kitchen door I saw them 
rush up & scoop the stuff
up in their hands & eat it.
They are starving but they
still give cheek. They can
hear the guns getting closer.
No picnics in the woods

these days. I'm frightened
really.

Yesterday was a wonderful
day- There has been
an Armistice. The bosch
has given in 2 months
ago we would not have
thought it possible. Fancy
no more wounded. People
were dancing in the street.
Just a skeleton staff in
the wards. John Prior
& Blue came out for me
to see the Town, One
very drunk Aust soldier
came up to me leading a
white draught horse
he had pinched from
a frenchie's Cart. It had
a red collar on it. He
said "Here you are, Sister
I won't want the horse
again. I'm going back to
 Australia" I said Is it 
your horse? He said
"No ! but you can have it.
and I was left with a 
horse !
Next day we got on a train
& had a day in Paris. No
fares were paid & no
passes asked for