Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/259/1 - 1917 - 1927 - Part 21

Colaba. Larkin
Larkin
10
At Colaba (later) some cs of "malaria"
turned out to be cholera, sm. pox, plague -
"So our experce ws v varied."

Colaba
(Larkin)
after 3 wks decided to keep Aust
together - so sent to Caolaba under Miss
Knapp an Indian Reg. matron of RAIMNS
"& whom we all adored". Colaba soon in
order. On sea front w sea on 3 sides.
O/frs wards v. grand & sick sisters wards
also - came from all over India
 

Colaba -
Alardi of Colaba ^Brit Matron. " I have never met her
equal for organising power."
 

4.
Alma Burnett left 22 Aug 1916.
Eileen Burke. Left Dec 1916
Colaba
RMMC
orderlies
20 [[Alens?]] sent to Colaba War Hospl
20 mins drive from / city. Matron an Indian
regular nurse. Soon learnt eno Hindustan
brought us tea when off duty [[?]].
Baths in small tin tubs.
([[?]] to 4 Ns.  
E. Banks
W reg Ind Nurses, Temp Ns
& Native Servants
Heat steamy & we soon lost
energy but v Happy. Colaba - old bungalows
Comfy eno'
 

Cambala
Cambala War Hopl. Malabar Hill.
600 Beds - Tommies & Turks.
Beautifuly sitd on shores of harbour
 

9
Camballa
G.M. 
Larkin - mostly after service at Base Hospls
in Aust.
Left Dec. 1916 by Mooltan. Sent
to Camballa War Hospl. under an Engl
Matron. On Malabar Hill.
 

Deolali
34
(Mackellar)
Deolali - 2nd Cl. Hill Stn. Malaria
v prevalent. All [[?]] had to be
tucked in by 6 pm each night - no
excuse tn. The plague case ws serious
as it is almost unheard of among Europⁿ
troops. First c^s fatal within 24 hrs.
Another developed.
July 1918 "Bombay fever" but
apptly really Spanish "flu" folld by
terrible flu in Sept. The first c^s came
to 34 from 44 where the orderlies were
sleeping in overcrowded quarters
No one realised.
 

-[[?]]
12
34
Deolali.
Mackellar (cont.)
They were put in Malaria wards
[[?]] quickly spread. The Drs got it;
last nurses - one fatal case.
Weather ws at hottest - w dust & flies.
Patients in / acute form seldom rallied.
30% fatal. Inhalations resulted in
fewer orderlies succumbing, & fewer
Chest c^s. [[?]]
6 patients got it - 4 died.
 

34.
No 34 (Ruby Jacka)
Later xxxxx xxx to xxx. [[?]] leprosy
& [[?]] typical hydrophobia.
Patients (Incld. Tommies, Turks, French Algerians,
Mauritius Labour Corps).
 

3
34
A Bennett
Nurses were then tired & soon fell victims. One died on
17 Oct. from pneumonia follg flu. Many down,
rest wkg long hours.
Tommies put up splendid fight. 6 ^[[?]] four in
each ward. Death rate only 4.3% in tt hospl.
Just when worst ws thought to be over in
came 80 patients from Bombay - By next mg 2 dead
of cholera & others sinking.
Wired for help & 3 [[?]] sent up
from Colaba where alos had deaths same night
34 only saved 1 patient out of many.
(Pol. [[?]]. by mouth; saline freely
admin^d in every poss form.) stimulants
gn hypodermically. Third nourishment.
Sept - 13 sisters sent from 34 to Egypt & not
replaced. Nov 18. 1918. Sudden ords for 16
of staff (34th) to rept at Bombay for [[?]] to
U.K. Intense excitent - Nov 24: 8 more
incl S Bennett. [[?]] fr Scott (left Aust
in 1914) became matron of 34. & 20 Aust
sisters just arrd.
it ws thought they were going to [[?]]
for [[?]] only. [[N?]]
Not one of staff at 34^th got malaria