Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/259/1 - 1917 - 1927 - Part 25

All hospls began to diminish early
in 1919 when tps tfd to Pershaw ur &
Kohat on outbk of 2 A/g. war.

11
[*End*]
Loved getting to another hospls again.
Many kept busy in Eg. on way home
(w malarias from Palestine).

1a 
[*In 1916 volrs were calld from
AANS for Indian Service*]
Alma Bennett. ^Sailed in Mooltan 50 under Miss Davis left Pt Melb. Aug 22 1916
V. Rough round Lewin
270 wireless for Mespot abd.
At Colombo our HS Karoola impt. w nos staff of No 14 for PrS Alex.
Some went to Kandy. Monsoon Season.
Sailed Sept 9 midday from Colombo.
& landed at
reached
lights of
Bombay
Sept 12.
Disembd in
pouring rain next
day.
Detailed to 3 hospls.
Colaba War Hosp (Stn Hospl of B.
Cambaka Hos (17 Stationary)
& Taj Mahal Hotel. then used for hospl.
Miss Bennett ws in Miss Davis's pty
to Taj Mahal just in time for dinner
(came over by Mooltan
Assembled in Board R & addressed by
Miss Dinwoodie (Lady Supt of Queen Alex^ra
Mil Nursing Serv. of India) for Bombay
& the Third Circle.
Countless rules & reglns.
Later in day suppressed excitement -
ordered to quit Taj Mahal, Cholera bad
again claimed a victim - week before many
incldg  RAMC offrs & Sisters - 2 of AANS.
Went to dift hotels - some to Majestic. All
inocld agst Cholera.
VWH offices of Gt Indian. Peninsula Rly
floors of red tiles & plastered walls.
Ample equipt prevl used in Eg.
The hospl had bn orgd in 1915 as Bombay Presdg Hospl
[*Hot & cold water.
Enammelled bath*]
& sent to Eg. Retd to Bomb in June 1916 - dire need
for hospls owing to S & W pouring in from Mespot.
Matron v. capable & good orgr.
G.I.P. Rlys & staff were v attentive to / patients.

1b
I have / gtest admiratn for / endurance
o / British Tommy . . . & I might add tt /
orderlies were, with rare exceptions, invaluable,
doing excellent work cheerfully & skillfully!.
In March - patients of 4 Sectns were sent elsewhere &
Many T / sectns filled w Ts. "Many of died
of pure lack of desire to live.
"We had been told officially before
leaving Aust tt we would be left in India only
6 months" - owing to / severity o / climate other
Sisters wd be sent to relieve us.
Late in May ^1917 Miss Bennett to J & S Herefordshire
in/c. 560 Beds - Mespot to Bombay.
Staff 6 - One sister & 2 staff nurses AANS, &
3 Indian Tempy nurses.
Monsoon time - storm on.  Prepared stock
dressings etc & got wards ready.  Reached the
Bar (entrance to Tigris) Shat-El-Arab on 15^th
waitd for Erinpura.
She came alongside on 17^th (500 pats.
260 Ind Rest Brit.)  8 am.  3 pm ship sailed.
Heat intense - Ind tps seemed to suffer more
than Brit calling out for pani (water)
Iced lime drinks constant demand - Food of Inds cd only
be prepd by own people -  19^th 3pm reached Karachi

1c.
Each night dozens of pats from lower wds were
carried up on deck.  Rough weather - ports had to
be closed.  Bombay
Ind. tps went ashore in white cotton suits & turbans.
Bennett then infd she had bn apptd
to 34 WGH Deolali, 3000 beds, 4 hrs
train jy from Bombay.  Miss D. had just
gone up there with 45 Sisters just arrd from Aus.
It was middle of monsoon.
Hospl had bn formed in June 1916 -
Impl Sisters & RAMC Col AW Sheen RAMC.
T. Forces.  Stone bungalows, stone floors,
wide verandahs.  Beds of wood with
canvas attd by threaded rope -
Continually splitting & breaking.
Corrugated iron bungalows blt in
spaces betw others (Nov 1916 - June 1917).
46 in all - 12 for Staff and nrs.
Climate much better than Bombay.
200 P of W.  Sept 1917 found us with 2188 pats.
Staff incd to 59 Aust 15 Ind Temps (74
incl. xspanning admve staff) "We were doing something
tho' not where we were so anxious to be -
either in Mesopotamia or in F."

1D
Finally all convalescts to one end -
Convalesct Division.  98 Beds per ward in /c of
RAMC NCO.  All RAMC cs.
Suddenly Smallp in one wd.
3 wks later Plague in anor.
Vaccn agst S/P; then inocln agst Pl.
Sm.Pox ws nulled But deaths occurred
in plague within 48 hrs.  Ordr to Evac.
Whole nursing divn - 1600 pats.
All bad cs put in new bldg then
being erected for 44 BGH - one mile away.
Up Cs in No 6 Camp ¼ m. farther.
Sisters ln along in Ambulances.
3 wks all ready for pats ap.
By end of Nov & carrying on again as usual.
On Dec. 1 1917 44 BFH ws ready to
receive pats  Miss Dowsley AANS & her
Staff already in Residence.
[*Only 8 m.*]
Dec 12 set apt as "Our Day"
throughout India, to raise money for
Mespot tps  From series of football
matches one Brit Offr raised ₤ 66.10.
AANS Staff in off duty hours made many varieties
of sweets, small cakes & arranged a kind of Kiosk in
Sports Grd.  Matron raffled 2 real Aust Soveregns for

1
Deolali 44 Op (a washhouse - anor later.
740 patients when we took ovr
All p inoculd agst cholera
Station people gave gdn pty. All Mespot
cases . 200 Ts. Sept : 2188 patients total
Then 59 Aust P & 15 Ind Tempy ^74 Staff & 68
for duty)  "Altho not where we
were all anxious to be - either in Mesopotaim
or in France".  Evently one end of hosp for
Convalesc.  Other for nursing cases.
[*"Conval.
Sectn"
kindly isolated-)*]
(Each ward 86 beds + 12 on verandah
info of R.A.M.C. N.C.O.)  Small pox broke
out in on ward ; then plague in anor.
no deaths from Small pox, but from plague.
within 48 hrs notice ws red to Evac
whole "Nursing Division" - 1600 patients.
bad Cs to No 44 (1 mile away) up cs to No. 6 Camp.
(¼ m farther).  Nov. 1 evacn too place.
Sisters were tn to 44 in Ambs daily. C0 44 in
was there (waiting for completn of new hospl).
3 wks later patients back  Dec. 1 44 BGH ready
Miss Dowsley AANS & staff already in residence.
Dec 12 "Our Day" to raise special funds
for / Mesport tps.  One offr made £ 66.10 from Series of
football matches.  Nurses made sweets ^sold at Kiosk on Sports Gd - 2 real
Australian Sovs. raffled brought on R 280.  Ns made R 1300

2
1 Rupee a ticket - R 280. Hand in alogether R.1300
Nursing Staff also compiled a magazine - 400 R
Whole Xmas day gn up to patients. Memorable
Xmas dinner  85 nurses at 8.30pm.
"I felt a glow of pride as I looked round on all those bright eager faces - they
had proved
so staunch
and loyal
in many
busy
anxious
days &
nights."
Viceroy Ld Chelmsford visited hospl 2 Jan 1918
Col A W Sheen - had organised 34 but left -
A splendid O.C.
Sisters entertd the Chelmsfds at Aftn tea.