Diary of Lindsay Robert Turner, 1918-1919 (Vol. 6) - Part 9

Conflict:
First World War, 1914–18
Subject:
  • Documents and letters
Status:
Open to contributions
Accession number:
RCDIG0001147
Difficulty:

Page 1 / 10

set out together We had rute 2 onsy afternioon wandering amongs he Wrchards and hedges of Basial and exheniey drett they sretos dist at 4.30 aswe were leaving the position we had selected Some thing ctail not less hav a 5.9Shedl tame town almost on up of us and before we had time to realise What had happened we weretoh tyi prosnake. I saf up in a pw seconds first oyou Ealised the I couldn't breathe furst because I hadishred owing to the amoun of blood to Mr Month then thought was blent recause the shock hee closed hyeyes and Shalw need to open him and then br means of my tougere found that My Upper Jaw had bean Shatherd Atreast. Imade a durried Gam- luation Wascertain if I had been bounded elsewhere but just them an officer of a Neihbourby Bather time up handald up the wome on either site of m face and
hurred me oft to a dressmptation followed by Noor old Prulch who secuned to the very much worse the wounded in the head also as the Notor Aid Post was some too Miles from the Dressay Station he elecked to walk exhausted too we Were from loss of blood because we considered we would get there al the sooner Heoushall Lforget that work. Guided by Ioman Shetcher bearers who I had little ornochen of the wate we wandire over broken pround thro' shell holes and frequent in the wake of a salve from the Hine Giner had ao edea when the didcost was but when we arrivedata man toad at last the the bearers waktedt Gol the Eight. Iconclal Skucwas much as they did about the way foulwas tharoug & ex. aspecated on this hindlad kiasted on going to the left I proved to be Correct and we breather tahoy relief when we arrived at ant
87 amencan ded Post with a despesed Lord Ambulance Car Standln the door Wearre soon heudire another frightful purney a rede of well over two hours cildcr the most tresoure conditions to the tasualt Clearny Station near seroune all thrt those well kuown hims We had had to fight our han some weeks previously over loods trimp to the Exheme and Several Fined I thought it would be the eed of poor much. Contiued Dloseblood but was suffering litle pam. Would belan arrive at the C.C.L. Whought at least advantimes when the Car suddenly palled up in alyhted drex and he found bsels beay pausprred out alarge Makfuce with real musis Walking about thewards and a have f rest at last was pute exhansted by this time and plaed into the seep of the just as an orderly was drawing off m boots.
23/10/18 The day certainly dawned2 but I was wlife oblicions of any. thing untill the shades of witf thad came over the scen as foud out afterwards I was gwenaleberal hose of Morhen and the effects stole over are just as my book ben being temobed so that I woke up the following mgh to fand myself recaty hriked up in bed and feeling desperately hunger Then a A. aduee alang pelfn pulse moved to wichs bedside hewisshll alve-and tewaiked evacuate these two officers in the proring. Towewer duefor the Base Hospital at Noven. 24/0/8 Abb AM. Wewere thened out on a shetcher and Carriet by two Shlivant Termans to a waiting Ambutanu and theme to the Hospital Train at the Station at Teroome. It was impossible to see very far otherwise I would have reneved Visual Commun. ication with the Ralway Sation that We had passed somehoo months before 1077
105 bu the a sceue futher dearta I was a watter off keen repetts me that I couldnt bee the appention Countin that We had passed thro under to different circumstances and Twoned have preferred to see it as a nisitor H Blylty Tahuhan as a patient. It was a longandtedious fourney and the long half on the way were next exasperating the te accomodation for wounded was siply splended as well as the attention of the neerses on board loughefe he had reached Aunieus even a was hoping the ead of the Yourng was in ght but we had manymore hules to go even after Uasrey Aweens which we regarded asuutage only aspifackas Aujust bat now niles and miles from the t. We evenheall arrived at Ronen just as it was Jetting dark and Treatly pleased to see abed oncemon. It was impossible "bods much with me and when the Or cause toued he emandiately
105 marked ae down for Bledty first thing in the morninly. Prast was too Wto havet sope was left for the future. 25/10/18 At 6 AM. Once more Iwas Madeleady for the Shepher and taken to the embalance in route fr the ham to Haure, Ansherton and tedious furney thought judgen by My past experience and Bort probed the We arrived at Havle a little earlier shll the distance was a Comparatively short one without a doutt the Frech Hospital Tranis are wonderfully compitable and if Duelould have slept the purney would have proved ut nearly S.kdions We were in arrival at Havie immediater hansferredt he Hospital this and my thought fewback to te doy we arrived there when I wondered howlong It would be before I would see Haure your Andunder what Arcum Tances. The boat putted out
into the harbour and there we35 waited paticntle cutil it was take enought to traps the channer. I naturally Seemed howrs - the himset down was 11 Oe losk - but I knew that as Toon as I heara the engaies atwork it was a Bynal we were offto Blighty Submarnies Rave not a thought tho I knew full well swould let be able toswi forst if duaster came and would fust haveto throw my self on the mercy of Some Lepin hand. 36/10/18 Asodd intervals thro' out the night Blest they were however hot of very long decration dud I could hear the byines pounding away which hieput Edducay the distrce to Southampton by Yards just as it was Getting ligh We Well staving nlaking ourway along Southampton Waker and at 8 pallled into the peer Another Railway journey was ahead out as I chcluded he wonld reach loten very soon asit wasonl
afew hours rn but I mac We were horshed about the han, alright but tor dismay we patted wit a sidiny and so remauced Ropelisl Sedehacked what to me seemed hours. If was Cerkint late in the afternoon when he evermally setont and after a fanl Guilk ruw saw wh Naterlosd Stakon just on&. Here we wereback at the very place I had setour from neary 7 month up bato but truce Iwas to exhausted tNoke truch and didn't know wheter it was Watertoo or abiery Uillage seding. However the long rom of Waiting ampulances proclaimeed the fast that new woas a Hospital ham expected and very Shorkh Iwas whirled away to the 3rd London Genrsl Hospital at Wandsworth Atlast Ipaw a chauperfof least Gettinga rest from the tousked bravelling brokin by there longhalks On the way which rather tthen on m nervis nost dushelian
acetaken to bandswoth but 33 had wale aspecial request to be taken tere. Iwas pysin si and knowdly marketu on the danfer ust on account of the sephe nature of my wounds it. seeied hakual Adee I shonedhe asit was four days since was cracked and hddbitleo no attention same. 27po/6 Sunday and m first day in Hospital and didet feel asif I was fit for a D hiile haed litter. At to two Drs Camebe me and due who an afterwards recopnised as B. James and Who Wast be my swycon suffested I should be ndusferred to 10 Wher Most pw cases, here and that hppaed tohe his speciality To I was moved to a shefcher 1 and whelled tom new residence, Knew I would be opuated on oner ortater and next Woae wasaie examile of what ether coulddo fortho pahen had secn spusted
on only that morning and he wa s feebl our Siade illday in James ta guotyati decided Swascun perly bad way but merely prescribed the nsual ertygation to fitacefr m operation. 26/0/8 - 3//18 Ascash day pllows are other with Teemin refulanit propose to five my experiences of the usual Hspital day and how the poor unfortuate pehent is heated and when an unusual day happens alout to give it an accoutt allt itself. My first Ecaliation that I was a patient was accompanied t expressions of & penson by my companions dst the tke of my health. By fove his pretty bad wonder whell pull thrs and so on naturalle Ifelt a lettle anxons but I manyellso fer and felt there was a heapreft i theyet There was avacmtbed ands balcon so I was given the prefrened as hinber wann't for off no one secued anyious o have it and Idibt

79
set out together. We had quite a
busy afternoon wandering amongst
the orchards and hedges of [[Basush?]]
and extremely pretty they are too

just at 4.30 as we were leaving

the position we had selected something

certainly not less than a 5.9 shell

came down almost on top of us

and before we had time to realise

what had happened we were both

lying prostate. I sat up in a few

seconds first of all realised that

I couldn't breathe just because I

hadn't tried owing to the amount

of blood in my mouth then thought

I was dead because the shock

had closed my eyes and I hadn't

tried to open them and then by

means of my tongue found that

my upper jaw had been shattered

at least. I made a hurried examination

to ascertain if I had been

wounded elsewhere but just then

an officer of a neighbourly Battery

came up bandaged up the wound

on either side of my face and

 

80

hurried me off to dressing station

followed by poor old Punch who

seemed to be very much worse

tho' wounded in the head also. as

the Motor Aid Post was some two

miles from the Dressing Station we

elected to walk exhausted tho we

were from loss of blood. because 

we considered we would get there

all the sooner. Never shall I forget

that walk. Guided by "Tommy"

stretcher bearers who had little

or no idea of the route we wandered

over broken ground thro' shell holes

and frequently in the wake of a

salvo from the Hun Gunners. I

had no idea where the Aid Post

was but when we arrived at a

main road at last tho the bearers

wanted to go to the right. I calculated

I knew as much as they did about

the way for I was thoroughly

exasperated by this time and insisted

on going to the left. It proved to be

correct and we breathed a sigh of

relief when we arrived at an

 

81

American Aid Post with a despised

Ford Ambulance Car standing at

the door. We were soon to endure

another frightful journey a ride of

well over two hours under the most

tiresome conditions to the Casualty

Clearing Station near Peronne

all thro' those well known towns

we had had to fight our way

some weeks previously over roads

bumpy to the extreme and several

times I thought it would be the

end of poor Punch. I continued

to lose blood but was suffering

little pain. Would the car

arrive at the C.C.S. I thought at

least a dozen times when the car

suddenly pulled up in a lighted

area and we found ourselves

being transferred into a large

marquee with real nurses

walking about the wards and a

haven of rest at last. I was quite

exhausted by this time and passed

into the sleep of the just as an orderly

was drawing off my boots.

 

 

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