Diary of Mary Ann 'Bessie' Pocock, 1914-1918 vol 3 - Part 10
75
March 16th 1917
Madden came in last night -one foot amputated. R. leg pretty bad too.
Ferguson came in also -leg shot away - died shortly after operation.
Watkins - boy from Leichardt - very badly wounded leg. In a couple of days.
7/30pm. Miss Davidson arrived to relieve me for 2 weeks leave - no orders for me
yet. - asked O.C. to find out. He did. Answer - to go to Mentone - orders will come
during the day. Miss McCarthy has been awful kind really, to me. I did not want to go
on leave but perhaps it is for the best. - things turn out for the best in the end often
when we do not want to start something.
4 men from the M.O's mess to dinner tonight, I only stayed as little time as possible,
asked them to excuse me - I was packing.
Memo from H.Q. saying Miss McCarthy was in a serious condition - operation - so
dreadfully sorry - hope she is alright.
March 14th 1917
Left Trois Artros for 7am. train from Steenwercke - when we got there, told me that
RTO said the 8.45 train leaves about 8. Nearly killed myself rushing. Miss Davidson's
short legs had to move. Srs. Keane and Smith also came to station - raining - I would
not keep them. Hospital train expected 11am. We walked along railway line, not too
far.
Very pleasant journey. 2 officers going on leave, got into my carriage at
Hazebrouck, I was sorry but they turned out to be not bad at all - shared my tea with
them and my boarding school B&B. They all drank out of the top of the thermos flask
in turn and did not seem to mind. I should hate it any other time. They seemed quite
glad of it and of course I was leaving for Paris by 7.25am.
Did not go out last night - headache and tired - left a shell and note for Lady Gifford
- too late to go to Harlent?
March 15th
Left Boulogne at 8 instead of 7 - raining a little but nice and warm - Davidson -
Smith and Reagan came down but left before train left. Hospital train coming in.
Capt. Wales found carriage etc - was very comfortable - arrived Fontintt? Near
Calais -changed - got into Boulogne about 2pm. Reported 13th General - saw sister,
who said to return to Louvre - went back, had some dinner. Miss Wodford saw me
about 2/30pm.
Leaving 7/26am. tomorrow - very tired - went to bed early. Room, 6F.15 - lunch 5F
-cab 3F - luggage man 2F = 17F.15.
Tried to get out to see Lady Gifford but car had gone. Miss.W. will give the shell
case and my note - hope she gets them safely - might see her on way home.
I did not pay anything for my ticket - the man said he got it for me - it only meant a
drink for him - gave him 15 Francs.
RULES OF SISTER'S HOME HARDLOTH - NEAR BOULOGNE
PRINCESS LOUISE HOME LADY GIFFORD IN CHARGE
In the workaday world, there are a many great rules
Which so often are made to educate fools
But out in the forest of Hardloth here
That reason won't hold and that's very clear
We've just had a list of suggestions to spell
For the use of those who are not very well.
The first one is this and we clearly recall
You must wipe well your feet when you enter the Hall
Your breakfast in bed you must have every day
Until you are fit to return to the fray
When asked to take wine, don't snigger or grin
But what they pour out, begin to pour in.
And if you would your Hostess delight
You must eat all you can and enjoy each bite
The views are delightful, the walks too, are fine
To remain in the house, seems a great waste of time
But when evening comes, the rooms are as snug
It seems just as wasteful to move from the rug
There are two strongest rules in this house of delight
No ink may be used in the bedrooms at night
The other is one very hard to obey
No "Shop" must be talked, the whole of the day
I hope this is clear for we've shown you the way
You've not come to work, but only to play.
Dated: 2-7-16
76
March 16th 1917
Up early - got to station - ticket etc - train did not leave till 8am - no one I know
travelling - nice people in carriage - got out Abbeville - sent a note to Miss.Jacomb
by soldier for Miss McCarthy. Trust she gets it and is better - dull grey morning but
not too cold - everything bare early part of journey, not very interesting - farms, little
farm houses and villages and many soldiers
All the farm houses whitewashed in front but not sides. Washing out on ground and
bushes - not any sign of living people much - no cattle - nearer Paris very different -
factories - farms - a wood mill where there were teams of bullocks - strange sight
along these roads. Further on, 2 bullocks puling a plough, instead of horses. Of
course, when spring comes, flowers, trees - hedges and the farms will be
beautiful.
Arrived Paris 5/30pm. met by B.R. took three of us to Hotel De Jena, 32 Avenue,
Crois Repie.
Going to St. Cloud today I think -would like to go to the Palace of Verseilles and see
all Napolean's things. Pope's birthday - Lil's on 14th.
Lovely sunny morning, breakfast in bed 8am. Had a good nights rest - walked about
all yesterday - saw shops. Lovely dainty things but so very dear - nice lace tablecloth,
140 Francs - did not buy it - wait and might get better in a small town. Bought corset
19.1 and shoes. Went with 2 Canadian nurses, a long drive, everywhere of course very
bare - no flowers, grass or foliage, but very pretty. Tea and ices at Lafayette - very
large shop.
Breakfast in bed - good rest - no worries - not going out today - leave by 7pm. train
for Marseilles, then on to Mentone. Had a lovely restful time here - enjoyed motor
drive much.
Left Paris by 8pm. train for Marseilles enroute to Mentone - very comfortable
carriage - 6 in. 2 Canadian sisters, one English..? Finlay and another from No1. And
myself. I slept on and off all night - quite comfortable - feet bad - took off my boots
- only carriage heated - very warm. Arrived Marseilles 12.15pm. then on to Mentone,
arriving about 6/30pm. then drive out to Villa.
8 of us arrived Menton 6/30pm. Met by representatives of house to which we were to
go there, one in Tandans Villa Rogue Brune, getting in 7pm. Long drive - very hard
for horses - very pretty - lovely - high hills and ocean in front.
Had afternoon tea opposite the Casino at the very worst, largest Hotel de Paris, very
bad name - was lovely anyway - absolutely wrong. Also went into Casino - would
not let us go to the Gaming table unless in private clothes - great crowd here always.
Went in a train today after lunch. Had a good night - to bed last night after journey,
having lovely holiday, trying to get as much as we can.
Hired a camera in conjunction with a Canadian sister here - 2 Francs weekly - buy
our own films. Hope I can get some photos. Going to try and see the Pottery
tomorrow. Rained a little this morning but beautifully fine this afternoon.
77
March 17th 1917
Went to Menton today - over a Pottery and bought some Mentone China - oranges -
fruit and swallow on - very pretty. Also olive wood card boxes and pen holders.
Lunch at Globe Hotel - a little shopping and back to Villa for afternoon tea.
Monte Carlo nicer than Mentone, I think.
Raining a little this morning - snow on hills behind Monte Carlo - very pretty - not
very cold - breakfast 8/45am.. Car to Nice at 9/30am. Glorious ride - gorgeous views.
Sun came out - quite warm - got some souvenirs - lunch at Hotel "Paige
Mediterranian" - all closed except for few rooms. Using hall as restaurant - going to
Gpane? Tomorrow if fine.
Raining, so car did not come for us - so sorry - went for walk near and to "Capt.
Martin" Officers Convalescent Home. Also, beautiful gardens of Villa Cypress. A
rich widow whose husband was a banker in Monte Carlo - glorious grounds - golden
gates - bamboo gate also painted golden, wealth of flowers.
Raining a little - misty - no car today - wrote a letter am. went to Mentone - bought
some more - left very small suit case to be mended. Bought some more linen for
afternoon tea tables - 6 serviettes.
Went to Church 10/30 am in Menton - the nicest Church service I have been to for
years - very quiet spoken Clergyman - very nice sermon. 2 other sisters came with
me. Home to lunch - walked half way - all around by Cape Menton - 3pm. went with
Mrs. Pearce to see the home of the Hagan Villa - glorious home and the most
priceless treasures and works of art by Micheal Angelo - the original priceless shears
in hand, ready to cut thread of life.
9.20am. Went to Grasse - rather large town where scents are made - next over factory
- shown how it is done. Bought soap and scent - of course alcohol figures freely by
what the lady told us - the most interesting drive - only room enough for car with
Gorge on one side - deep and steep, you could not see the bottom, on the r. side the
high rugged mountain -dense rock -you would wonder how they ever cut a line for
the car, even the curve, like horseshoes. Raining on and off heavily, though did not
get wet.
8am. caught train for Menton, en route for San Remo, went to railway station, got our
pass port into Italy signed. Rather long walk - 20 mins. Our car was waiting there.
We got in and drove off - dull here - arrived San Remo about 10.30am. only takes
about 1 hour from Menton - very pretty all the way. - not so fine as Grasse but very
grand. Much the same as France - bought good many things, chiefly Italian. Had
lunch at Royal Hotel and home by 6/30pm.
The most lovely sunny morning - had my breakfast in bed - wrote letters - went to
Monte Carlo by 1.20 train - on to Princes Gardens and palace in Monaco. Could not
get into palace of course - saw museum - all animals and skeletons - not interesting -
aquarium, octopus, 2 - beastly things - fish - eels - large room - (council room?)
chair by itself with crown worked in back - others round and many in hall.
BESSIE IN FRONT OF HER TENT - TROIS ARBRES - FRANCE - 1917
THE NURSES ENDURED HARSH CONDITIONS LIVING IN THESE TENTS
Photo - refer to original document
78
March 1917
Boats and lovely picture of this place. Statue of Himself. Returned to Monte Carlo
for afternoon tea - home by 7pm.
Left for Paris 10am. after leaving by 8.40 train. Left Paris 5pm. Arrived Boulogne
9am. Too late for best Steenwercke train today.
Left Boulogne for Steenwercke station, Trois Arbres, arriving at the latter and No. 2
A.C.C.S about 7/30pm, 1st April 1917.
April 1st 1917
Only been few patients - train came - 42 patients left - the smallest number in
hospital I have ever known. Only receiving every third day. - only one in A.2. -3 -
A.1. - 12 or 13 in other wards.
April 4th
Smith taken off night duty midday, in theatre for afternoon. Will relieve Reagan ther
while she is away with this surgical team. Derrers put on night duty. I took A.3. -
nothing much in it either. I could easily do all three wards myself if necessary.
Over 100 empty beds - about 94 patients only.
Surgical teams going to 4 British wen sent for. Major Burkett, Capt. Allister, Sr.
Reagan on duty. McKenzie going from here, probably tomorrow or Thursday.
Very heavy fall of snow this morning - rain also - melted as it fell to ground. A good
deal sunny and fine in afternoon.
Everything very quiet - no firing for some days. Very dull and cold and dark this
morning - like more snow.
Miss Davidson still here - no orders yet for her departure. Took A.4. when I left - did
no mess room work - says she left it to the batman - cupboards, the same paper etc. I
left on and all so painfully dirty. I was surprised. Powell said he had had too many
officers dinners to clean up things.
Sr. Derrer put on night duty last night. Sr. Smith to theatre. Only 1 op. appendix case.
3 sisters went to picture show - 8 officers came in to dinner afterwards. Left at
10.50pm - very late and very overpowering - so many. Band concert.
April 5th
Train today - about 28 patients went down, A.3. patients in B. 1 wards being
disinfected. A.2 and A.1. the same.
Much air strafing today - began 6.40 0r 6.50am. - all overhead - the whole nose cap
of shell fell through my hut and on my bed - within about 2 feet from where I
was standing - would have killed me instantly had it fallen on my head. -was just
dressed - nearest shave yet - never thought about it - felt it falling but felt it would
not hurt me or that I could not stop it.
A.2 and A.3 still empty - drying.
MEDICAL ORDERLIES AT THE 2ND AUSTRALIAN CASUALTY
CLEARING STATION NEAR STEENWERCKE MOVING PATIENTS OVER
DUCKBOARD WALKWAYS (TO AVOID THE MUDDY GROUND) USING A
TWO-TIERED STRETCHER HOLDER ON WHEELS
THE STRETCHER HOLDER COULD RUN ALONG RAILWAY TRACKS
LEADING TO THE TRAIN (SEEN IN THE BACKGROUND), WHICH
PULLED UP RIGHT AT THE CAMP. HERE THE ORDERLIES ARE
CHANGING DIRECTION AT A TURNTABLE
Photo - www.awm.gov.au - P00156.061 - refer to original document
79
April 1917
Pte. Hall A.2 died in A.1 today - no hope from first. Nothing very special in wards -
a few badly wounded but doing alright.
Aeroplanes very much about today, some fighting apparently in air. One of ours was
seen to come down in flames about midday, both poor men burnt and killed -
terrible death.
Very cold day, frost, cold winds.
Concert by Lena Ashwell's party - very good, in Y.M.C.A. hall -patients love this -
very cold again.
Several bad cases lately - rather busy, abdominal wounds, chest - poor men suffer so
- limbs are very bad also but not so hard to bare as abd. wounds -vomiting etc.
Several pneumonias - all doing well so far. Leg pretty bad, gas? Very much firing -
raids - terrible gun and shell fire. Trench mortar and machine gun - see shells
bursting.
Patients admitted to A.2 and A.3. this afternoon -badly wounded men to op. most of
day and going on after 8pm.
Bad pneumonia - Ritchie in 3.
Col. Webb just gave me orders to proceed to No. 2 A.G.H. Davidson stops here in
charge - awfully sorry to leave after all I have done here - tried to have everything
as nice as I could. - every move has been for the best for me so far., so hope this may
be the same.
Heavy fall off snow this evening - so very pretty.
Nothing fresh - on duty and home till 2pm. - then packed up, went round to 109?
With Sr. Smith - then opened champagne - all said how sorry they were I was going.
Left 2 C.C.S. (Casualty Clearing Station) 8am. train. Mr. Butler - Mr. Duncan,
came down. I would not let any Sisters come as they were one short and good many
cases, rather bad.
Had a nice day down, though it poured rain and snow. Got all my things comfortable
and safe in my carriage.
Arrived Boulogne about 1/30pm. and got out to 2 A.G.H. about 6/30pm.
Put on duty today, 8am. 56 patients - 2 sisters there and left at 2pm. I was on all day -
medical and surgical. Have a bedroom to myself so far, thank heaven - very tired.
They say about 1700 patients in all - 500 Germans, sick and wounded prisoners -
very busy - only ready for 800.
Sister Richardson came to help me today - 49 patients - a few badly wounded in early
am. Major Bean took over - that made myself and sister and 3 new people in ward
and the one orderly was away nearly all day at funerals etc. Got all treatments and
dressings done. 1 Portuguese, (pneumonia) expecting many more tonight they say.
WIMEREUX, FRANCE. C.1917.
THE ENTRANCE TO NO.2 AUSTRALIAN GENERAL HOSPITAL (2AGH)
AT WIMEREUX, NEAR BOULOGNE WHICH HAD A CRITICAL ROLE IN
EVACUATING THE SICK AND WOUNDED FROM THE FRONT BACK TO
ENGLAND.
NO2 AGH WAS A VERY LARGE HOSPITAL, EXPANDING FROM 520
BEDS TO 1900, WHICH WERE HOUSED IN1300 HUTS AND 600 TENTS
Photo - www.awm.gov.au - P02804.002 - refer to original document
80
April 1917
Supposed to be 1600 patients today, I had to put in 7 more beds - that made 63 - only
Richardson and I. Surgical and medical - plenty to do - can't get place tidied and
cleaned up much. Explosion somewhere in grounds, am. piece of shell struck a sister
on hand - not hurt, Matron told me.
4 letters today - Dick - M. Scott and 2 re my Red Cross, Egypt.
No time off - very tired - frightfully dirty ward - kitchen and everything about.
A good many patients in and out today but worse rush over for a bit. I am to have the
day off tomorrow and be inoculated tonight. So if it treats me the same as when at
Marseilles I shall be miserably ill again. I told them so but it makes no difference.
Inoculation 8/30pm when I came of. Slept about 1 hour, then woke with pain and heat
in arm - fainting and vomiting all night.
Had rotten inoc. last night again and no sleep, vomiting and sick all night -supposed
to have it the night before we got a day off. Rather good ,the first time we have been
off duty since I returned. In a half fainting state all night - it always does this with me.
They say the sisters who won't be done, must leave France.
In bed all day, pains and weakness - fainting feeling. Great pain all over - not able to
take food or anything. Asked Miss Grey to let me have the day off for next week, they
are not busy. She has....
Very nice day - only 37 patients - 2 nurses now - everything much cleaner at last.
Feel better again but arm very painful.
No change - letter from C.H. Commander Woodburn to say there had been a case of
jam sent to me to 13 General here and that it had been opened and given to patients -
had my name on and should not have been given away.
Not so busy - fewer coming and going out - not 60 - plenty to do -Padre Tucker
called on his way back to No.2 C.C.S. Friday. Paid Sr. Scob 105 Francs, little more
than I owe.
Only 48 patients today in my ward - I had 2 sisters, Reuben and Faulkner, both nice
girls - busy but not rushed. Scob. came to ward - so glad to see her. All No.3 over
now - 91 patients waiting to go somewhere. I the meantime going to Abbeville etc.
Nothing today, same duties - went out and bought some flowers for wards.
All No.3 came over today, Friday, Scob came to see me. I paid her the money I owed
- a little more for postage etc - gave her 105 Francs. Day off tomorrow, hope to have
a good sleep.
Nice Morning - had a good rest - too much noise to sleep after 6/30am.
Nothing special only ward work - plenty to do - cleaning and working and looking
after patients - ward now much cleaner than when I got here - thank goodness.
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