Diary of Lindsay Robert Turner, 1918-1919 (Vol. 6) - Part 10

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mind. I had my dressing done
frequently my temperature taken
quite often and the Dr. occasionally
came to see me to find out principally
what damage other than what could be

seen externally had been done. My upper
jaw of course was hopelessly broken
and had been split in two which I
hoped would soon heal. On the
Thursday I was set down for an
operation the following Sunday I had
never been under an anesthetic
before and look forward to it with
a certain amount of curiosity.
3/11/18. This was the day when an
attempt was to be made to put my
broken upper jaw into the same
shape that it enjoyed before tho' I
must wait a long while before it
is in the same condition. The  deed
was to be perpetrated at 10 so the
preliminary shave donning of a
new rig out and necessary injection
of morphia all took place in
good time and I was wheeled away
to the Theatre a rather curious

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patient. One is almost filled with
awe as he enters There is a hush
plainly visible everyone is robed in
a white gown with clean white gauze
masks over the lower part of the face
and suited as I saw Dr James
looking very businesslike and a
trifle impatient to begin his work.
The feeling one experiences as the
fumes of Ether begin to do their
work is very peculiar. First a
turmoil is set up in one's head and
then you quieten down and seem
to pass into absolute unconsciousness
and I remembered no more
until I opened my eyes at 4
o'clock feeling very tired and very
thirsty and went off immediately
to sleep again without quenching my
thirst.
4/11/18 - 24/12/18 Considerably more than
a month has passed and I'm still
a Hospital patient tho somewhat
improved both physically and
mentally. Its an easy existence
one can do little else but sleep
 

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and eat with an occasional
application of the probe or forceps
in our much respected surface
to relieve the monotony. Being rather
eminent in his profession he usually
wanders thro the Ward with a
beaming smile on his face referring
to this bone and that bone
which had perplexed him at the
operation which was now turning
out a huge success. He brought
a fellow surgeon from Canada
to see me a fortnight after I
was put to sleep and I learnt
quite a deal of the difficulties
that has confronted him at the
operation. The minor work
supervising on operations on the
jaw is as a rule done by a
professional Gentleman who
rejoices in the designation of
Dentist and we all think he
truly missed his Vocation and
should have been apprenticed
in his early youth to a butcher.
I had one unpleasant experience
 

92
of him during this period. Dr James
had decided that my jaw had
joined up so well that it was time
to remove the wire splint. This had
interlaced my teeth tho portion of
it passed thro'. my flesh. He
wasn't content with pulling the wire
thro' my teeth by sheer force but
must needs pull it just as
viciously thro the flesh. May his
Soul rest in peace. Ive passed
thro' one rather famous Anniversary
the 9^th November which
proclaimed the fact that this diary
had been going 12 months. Ive
been making passionate appeals
to the A.I.F. Kit Store to facilitate
the transport of my belongings
but all to no avail. They seem
to have passed out just as
effectively as the effigy of the
Kaiser on Armistice night
November 11^th will certainly long
live in our memories not
that I ever expected to return
 

93
to France and its' mud but now
it appears as if what hopes I ever
had have been hopelessly shattered
I was chained to my bed when
that great and thankful news
was announced else I should
have joined in some of the

revelling at least. As the days
pass by I become more and
more anxious to get out and see
the world but so far I await
my clothes. Xmas Eve is upon
us in all its glory We don't
anticipate having very many
patients in to liven up the
proceedings tho' the usual gifts 
are to be dispersed with perhaps
a little more liberality than
in former years. 
25/12/18 When I was a youth I
never could conceive an
English Xmas without the white
mantle of Snow everywhere.
This maybe the exception which
proves the rule for as a matter
of fact that day dawned with
 

94
a glorious sunlight spreading
everywhere and so it remained
until quite late in the afternoon
We didn't hang out our stockings
in the orthodox way but each patient
received a very fine gift from
the C.O. Col. Bruce Porter in Commemoration
of the sojourn in
Hospital. We had the Ward very
finely decorated and that helped
to give the proceedings an air
of festivity. We were reduced to
3 but the nursing staff sat
down with us and as they
indulged in wine and  cigarettes
the dinner went along quite
merrily. There was an invitation
to the adjoining Ward for dancing
after to which most of us
went a finishing touch to an
otherwise guilt day.
26/12/18 - 31/12/18. This week has
been given up to Xmas festivities
of a more or less startling
character but I refused to indulge
in them preferring to read instead
 

95
Haven't as yet been into the
city but Im saving up all my
energies until the 3^rd when I
shall pay my first visit as
the period of quasi-convalescence
has set in. and the Dr has no
objection to my having the temptations
of the City. In most of the Wards
there was dancing of sorts in
fact in one the piano never
ceased for 5 days whether it
continued thro'out the night I
havent been able to find out for
it was always going strong when
I woke up in the morning. It
was not proposed to repeat
Armistice night on New Years'
Eve but a small army of
Boy Scouts marched thro the
streets with a clarion each
and as the midnight hour struck
played the "All Clear." heralding
in the New Year and bidding
farewell to the old or as it has
been expressed playing out the
Year of Victory and welcoming the
 

96
the year of Peace. Let us hope
so at least.
1/1/19. New Years' Day and no raging
hot North wind to greet us as we
 should have expected at home. There
was little difference between today
and Xmas day of a week ago,
Still the same Hospital fare and
little else to amuse those of us who
remained indoors than bridge
a book and welcome fire. New
Year's Day here seems to be devoid
with of that air of holiday making
that characterizes out "first"
day the Bands and Public Offices
being closed but a number of
shops remained open. An
Australian Mail found its way
here so that the day was
memorable for that if for nothing
else of interest.
2/1/19. I received rather a welcome
surprise this morning in the
shape of an announcement that
my bag with all my belongings
 

97
had arrived from France after
just over two months on the road.
Certainly a tribute to the organized
transport arrangements existing
Certainly the holidays intervened
to upset the plans of the Master
Carrier but that didnt help to
assuage my disgust and of
course I was prevented from
facing the temptations of the City
I shall now indulge to my hearts'
content. I begin to speculate how
long I shall be permitted to
remain a patient here as all
Australians on the sick list are
being despatched home as quickly
as possible.
3/1/19 This was quite a gala day
for me. I was permitted to see
from the top of a bus what
had been denied me more than
two months ago and I saw
the City for the first time since
last April only under far
different circumstances, and
after some stirring times.
 

98
My object of attraction was the
A.I.F. Kit Store in search of some
clothing and needless to say the
pay office also fell in for its
share for one is enabled to amass
great wealth by remaining in
Hospital for any length of time
It is remarkable how quickly
night arrives on the scene in
Wintertime tho so far we have
had no extraordinarily cold weather
to remind us that it is Winter
and an English one at that In
London naturally the fogs give
forth rather a dismal aspect
which induces to make it rather 
depressing.
4/1/19. Now that the opportunity
has arrived I find it hard to
remain indoors more than I
can help so set out after lunch
to explore more of London and
incidentally have afternoon tea
That luxury has become almost
second nature with us Were we
denied the pleasure of Afternoon
 

99
tea in Hospital we would begin
to institute mild protests against
such a crime. I didnt remain
out for dinner as it is essential
that one should be in the precincts
of the Hospital by 10 and it takes
the best part of an hour to get
here [[reviving]] one of the old
Maribyrnong days.
5/1/19. It turned out cold and wet
today so much so that I decided
discretion was the best part of
valour and remained indoors. A
bitterly cold day in these parts
can live up to the name with
a vengeance and one does not
relish a ride in the open bus
even for the pure fun of seeing
life and on a Sunday particularly
It was a good opportunity of
preparing for a strenuous weekend.
the following week end I
propose spending as I long for
being considered sufficiently convalescent
to be allowed out of the
Nurse's hands.

100
6/1/19. It is rather remarkable how
a morning of rain will turn into
an afternoon of sunshine and so it
happened today. I made another pilgrimage
to A.I.F. HQ's and thence set out
to locate a wholesale manufacturer
in Aldersgate but all the information
I had at most was that it was near
the Post office and as yet I had to
find the Post office so I busied
myself by walking about the main
part of the city. sight seeing.
7/1/19. As one of our fellows was
spending his ill gotten gains on
having a taxi out to take him
to one of the Matinees. I rode
in with him certainly an
inducement when travelling
is apt to become rather tiresome
I prefer the train but the Station
is too far distant from the
Hospital to indulge in train travelling
too often. I managed to find Aldersgate
on this occasion and succeeded in
getting what I wanted.