Correspondence relating to Mary Anne 'Bessie' Pocock, pre-1914 - Part 3

Grand Hotel,

Cape Town -

Easter Monday

8-4-01

Dear Sister Bessie,

From the above heading you

will see that the writer is in Cape Town

And I am writing a few lines to say

that in a few days I am leaving per

"Formosa" for Australia via England.

(The trip to England is free; but I have to get to

Australia at my own expense.)

All the 2^nd Contingent N.S.W. A.M.C. left

per "Tongariro" for Australia on March

30th. I am the last Medl. Off. to leave

of that Contingent - "The last rose of

Summer left blooming alone" -

with Corpl Carroll & Pte Stewart

as two of the petals - they being in

Cape Town waiting a Steamship for 

Sydney.

I saw all our N.S.W. Sisters at N^o 6. Johannesburg

on Mar 27^th. They are perfectly happy

& contented with their work & do not in

any way express any desire whatsoever

to return, but of course will obey any orders received.

Our A.M.C. Contingent is being

relieved from duty owing to

to a 3^rd Contingent having 

left N.S.W. for S. Africa under

Lt. Col. Kelly.

I was away "Sick" when the "order"

for our Contingent to return came. I

was in Natal. I accidentally met Sister

Hay of No. 4 at Durban telegraph office, she

had just returned from England, had been ill

from Haematemesis & certainly she looked most

anaemic; she was going to Pretoria she stated

but in my opinion did not appear fit for

work. I received your kind letter in reply

to my last to you.

Please remember me very kindly to

Sister Hoadly also to Sister Mooney and 

accept best wishes for them & for 

yourself.

Believe me,

Yours sincerely,

James Adam Dick

[*G.P.O Capetown

[[?]] 3PR [[?]]

Cape Colony*]

Kindly Forward:

Sister Bessie Pocock

N.S.Wales' Army Nursing Reserve,

N^o 17. Stationary Hospital

Middelburg,

Transvaal

Military Hospital
Middleburg
Transvaal.
July: 8^th 01.

My dear Rube &

everybody I hope you are all well

still. I am just the same as
ever. Work fairly light, weather
cold still. No rains yet, very
dusty here now so long dry
weather & so much traffic
so many troops & horses etc
in the town lately.
Everything is dry & brown &
eaten up by the frost. I forgot
to tell Lil to pay for the Herald
ask her to do so for a year
will you for if she still
draws the £40 [[py?] salary the Govt
pay out there she must have

money enough & if they stop
the pay there I must send
some from here. So let me
know if she still draws it -
I asked her some time ago
but as yet she has not answered
that particular question.
I hope everything is alright
at home. I won't want old [[Pit. B?]]
to give me any Reception I'm sure
I sh. not like it. I expect they
will all try & run after me to be
friendly when I come back. They
never troubled me much a few
years ago did they. I hope the
old Scamp does not publish my
letter for I sh. not like the world
at large to know I had even
written to the old villain.
I wonder if you will find
me much changed when I go home

older more grey. I think I am
38. in abt a week it is dreadful
half my life gone and I have
not done much have I. I can
hardly believe than I have
lived 38 years but it must be so
hope I keeps well and able to
work till the end. I am very
glad I insured my life tho
it is a long time yet before I
get it - 15 yrs abt. but that
will be something then.
If I happen to be alive
I don't feel one bit older
than I did 10 years ago tho all
the same the trouble is
you are all getting on & following
me too.

I want to send you some more
Kruger money & hope you
get it - you got the last so
will no doubt get this alright,
I hope so. Keep it for yourselves
try & not spend it. I dont think
tho' that they will take it for
payment in any place but
here. You might sell it as
Curio's that is all. I think.
There is no such a thing for
miles here as an ostrich feather
I'll try & get some before I go
home but they will be no
better & I shall probably
pay as much as if I had
bought them in Sydney for you
I have never seen one since
I came to S.A. these people
who get them have been here for
years & know all abt. the country & Etc
We hear that there have been
as many as 37 deaths in a  day
in the Boer Camp: Croup now
in addition to the rest.
One house had 2 dead & 3 very
bad I do not know whether they
will live the Father out fighting
they are foolish not to give in &
come in & get their farms
homes & get in some kind
of repair for the next year
I don't suppose they will ever
do that, they are, many of them,
a dirty looking miserable
class after the style of Mrs Riley

& such like so you can
imagine. Some worse than
her lot: of course then there
are some better class. but
all a whinging lying lot & hate us like
poson

I pity  them tho. some live next
door to us more respectable looking
they will not work might sew.
play Piano & take the greatest 
care of their hands always
soft & white wear mittens
mostly too you see they are
brought up to regard the black
race here as specially
created to be their slaves
& treat them as such.
I give the children sweets jam
& anything I have I often have
things & they in return I suppose
are always giving me flowers
they are taught from Babies
that their respective Fathers
must go on fighting dare not
surrender.
There is apparently no word
of us going home yet & I
expect if this is not over before
the Summer comes there will be
heaps of work again in the
hot weather.
There has been a new Army
Suptd sent up here. So far
has not interfered in the least
with me. Says she will not
so it will in that case
make no difference to me.
She lives with the English lot
they needed somebody who
would keep them in check
a little for of course they
would not do much for me
or the Sen: one of their own X
then I had my own duty to do
& if these women cannot be

trusted with what work they
are given to do I think it is
rather too bad, however I
hear from this woman all
her difficulties. of course she
has what we never had
full power from the Surgeon-
General & he is the head, to do
what is right & I think she
is an honest sort of person.
As long as she leaves me alone
I shall not worry. it is awfully
easy to go anywhere else. or on
Transport duty only I'm such
a wretched Sailor I sh. only
go to England for a few weeks
& return here again to duty
& sh. not leave till they tell
me they do not want me any
longer then I suppose I must go
home.

Middleburg
Transvaal
July: 20. 01.
My Birthday again
Just recd yours
this morning And as I am not very busy I might
as well begin to answer it.
Well you advise me to stay here. I mean to if possible
I am making money, not spending all, & happy
still. I am, as you say pleased to have
resigned the Syd: & know if necessary can get
plenty of work when I come back & be
quite independent of Miss Creal. I wonder
how she enjoyed my letter & Resignation
what the committee said, you sh. go &
see Dr Fiaschi & ask him his opinion,
I really think if I can get anything out
here I shall stay for a year or more, all
are well on home & do not want me,
there is no reason for my return, only
that I shall like to see them so much!
Glad Dady & mother keep well, that is
one worry less & as for the other four
I know they are well & content the
dear things, they are much better than
you & I for they have never left the home
& the older people, but I know we
could not all live at home idle,

I am afraid you would get nothing to do here yet.-
if you had a Certificate of Training you would
be taken on here with the Military, but not

otherwise. You must wait - contentedly. You are
not as long at your drudgery there as I was
at mine, are you? And of course if it
is possible & I get a Hospital I might get
you over, I will if I can so learn all
the General Nursing you can. Do you think
it would be wise to go to the Sydney
for a few months & learn a little it
is hard but good for one, all the same
be careful & neat & thorough in all you
undertake the very smallest thing. Writing etc
everything comes in. I have to cook, wash
sew and do nearly everything else, how
glad I am I can do it I can hardly
tell you. take care of my things but do not
go rummaging over my private documents
& etc. have you worn out my Black Silk
yet: fancy old Creal grumbling abt not having
had a holiday, you can tell her that I have
not been off duty for 1 hour since I landed
here & very often 15. hrs daily. Then see to my
house keeping & Orderlies & etc between times.
We never take a holiday. Am so pleased
& thankful that I keep so well, save

for an attack of neuralgia or Rheumatism
now & again, wh by the way never keeps me
off duty, I am so well & strong thank God.