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

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set out together. We had quite a
busy afternoon wandering amongst
the orchards and hedges of Basuel
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 prostrate. I sat up in a few

seconds first of all realised that

I couldnt 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 neighbouring Battery

came up bandaged up the wound

on either side of my face and

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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 concluded 

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

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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 we ever

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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23/10/18 The day certainly dawned
but I was quite oblivious of anything
until the shades of night had
come over the scene. As I found
out afterwards I was given a liberal
dose of morphia and the effects

stole over me just as my boots were
being removed so that I woke

up the following night to find

myself neatly tucked up in bed

and feeling desperately hungry
Then a Dr. came along felt my

pulse moved to Punch's bedside
- he was still alive - and remarked
"evacuate these two officers in
the morning". So we were due for 
the Base Hospital at Rouen.

24/10/18 At 6 a.m. we were turned out 
on a stretcher and carried by two

stalwart Germans to a waiting

ambulance and thence to the Hospital
Train at the Station at Peronne. It
was impossible to see very far otherwise
I would have renewed visual communication
with the Railway Station that 

we had passed some two months before
 

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but then a scene of utter devastation 

It was a matter of keen regret to me
that I couldn't see the old familiar
country that we had passed thro'
under so different circumstances 

and I would have preferred to see

it as a visitor to "Blighty" rather than

as a patient. It was a long and tedious
journey and the long halts on the 
way were most exasperating tho'
the accomodation for wounded was
simply splendid as well as the

attention of the nurses on board

Long before we had reached Amiens

even I was hoping the end of the 
journey was in sight but we had
many more miles to go even after

reaching Amiens which we regarded
as unsafe only as far back as
August but now miles and miles
from the line. We eventually arrived
at Rouen just as it was getting
dark and greatly pleased to see
a bed once more. It was impossible 

to do much with me and when the
Dr came round he immediately

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marked me down for Blighty "first
thing in the morning" Punch was too
ill to travel so he was left for the
future.

25/10/18 At 6 a.m. once more I was

made ready for the stretcher and taken
to the ambulance en route for
the train to Havre. Another long

and tedious journey I thought
judging by my past experience and
so it proved tho we arrived at
Havre a little earlier still the
distance was a comparatively short
one without a doubt the French
Hospital Trains are wonderfully
comfortable and if one could

slept the journey would 
have proved not nearly so tedious
We were on arrival at Havre
immediately transferred to the
Hospital ship and my thoughts
flew back to the day we arrived
there when I wondered how long
it would be before I would see

Havre again and under what 
circumstances. The boat pulled out
 

85
into the harbour and there we
waited patiently until it was late

enough to cross the Channel. It
naturally seemed hours - the time set
down was 11 o'clock - but I knew
that as soon as I heard the engines

at work it was a signal we were
off to "Blighty" submarines I gave

not a thought tho I knew full
well I would not be able to swim
for it if disaster came and would
just have to throw myself on the
mercy of some helping hand.

26/10/18. At odd intervals thro' out
the night I slept they were however

not of very long duration and I
could hear the engines pounding
away which meant reducing the 
distance to Southampton by yards

Just as it was getting light we
were slowing making our way 
along Southampton Water and at
8 pulled into the pier. Another

railway journey was ahead but

as I concluded we would reach
London very soon as it was only
 

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a few hours run but I miscalculated

We were hoisted aboard the train

alright but to my dismay we pulled

into a siding and so remained
hopelessly sidetracked what to me
seemed hours. It was certainly late
in the afternoon when we eventually
set out and after a fairly quick

run ran into Waterloo Station
just on 8. Here we were back at
the very place I had set out from
nearly 7 months ago but by that 
time I was too exhausted to notice
much and didn't know whether
it was Waterloo or a mere village
siding. However the long row of
waiting ambulances proclaimed the
fact that there was a Hospital train

expected and very shortly I was
whirled away to the 3^rd London
General Hospital at Wandsworth 
At last I saw a chance of at
least getting a rest from the constant
travelling broken by these long halts

on the way which rather was getting
on my nerves. Most Australians
 

87
are taken to Wandsworth but I 
had made a special request to be 
taken there. I was put in B4

and promptly marked up on the
'danger list' on account of the
septic nature of my wounds. It
seemed natural to me I should be
as it was four days since I was
cracked and had little or no 
attention since.
29/10/18 Sunday and my first
day in Hospital and I didn't feel
as if I was fir for a 5 mile walk
either. At 10 two Drs. came to see
me and one whom I afterwards
recognised as Dr James and who

was to be my  Surgeon suggested
I should be transferred to B10 where
most 'jaw' cases were and that

happened to be his Speciaity so
I was moved to a stretcher and
wheeled to my new residence I 
knew I would be operated on sooner
or later and next to me was an
example of what ether could do
for the patient had been operated
 

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on only that morning and he was
feeling very seedy all day Dr James
had another look at me decided
I was in a fairly bad way but merely
prescribed the usual irrigation to
fit me for my operation.
28/10/18 - 2/11/18 As each day follows
the other with seeming regularity I
propose to give my experiences of
the usual Hospital day and how 
the poor unfortunate patient is treated
and when an unusual day happens
along to give it an account all to
itself. My first realisation that I 
was a patient was accompanied by
expressions of opinion of my
companions as to the state of my
health. "By Jove he's pretty bad"
"I wonder if he'll pull thro'" and 
so on. Naturally I felt a little anxious
but I'd managed so far and felt
there was a heap left in me yet
There was a vacant bed on the balcony
so I was given the preference as winter
wasn't far off no one seemed 

anxious to have it and I didn't