Description
Object description
British nurse with Mile End Hospital in London, GB, 1939-1943; trained with Friend Ambulance Unit in GB, 1943-1944; served with Friends Ambulance Unit in Yunnan Province, China, 4/1944-2/1945
Content description
REEL 1 Background in Birmingham, GB, 1922-1939: family; effect of father's experiences during First World War on her; brothers' wartime service in Second World War; family's financial situation and education; employment; joining Air Raid Precautions (ARP) in Birmingham, 1939; anticipation of coming of Second World War; religious outlook. Aspects of period as nurse at Mile End Hospital in London, GB, 1939-1943: removal of patients to Highlands Hospital at Winchmore Hill during heavy air raids; opinion of training received; preparations in ward prior to air raids; pay; fire watching duties; meeting members of Friends Ambulance Unit; attitude of her matron towards her joining Friends Ambulance Unit; reasons for and background to joining Friends Ambulance Unit. Aspects of period as nurse with Friends Ambulance Unit in London, GB, 1943-1944: joining unit, 6/1943; start of training at Middlesex Hospital; attitude of Quaker colleagues towards her.
REEL 2 Continues: status of women in Friends Ambulance Unit; selection to go to China and medical and language training received; advice received from Nora Wain on China; obtaining uniform items. Aspects of voyage aboard SS City of Exeter from GB to India, 1944: embarkation on board; meeting future husband; conditions on board; arrival in Bombay and train journey to Calcutta. Recollections of period as nurse with Friends Ambulance Unit in Yunnan Province, China, 4/1944-2/1945: flight to Kunming, 4/1944; initial impressions of Chinese labourers; proposed role of unit personnel; description of mobile medical teams; importance of X-Ray machine.
REEL 3 Continues: role of Royal Air Force in air supplying medical supplies; multi-national character of Friends Ambulance Unit in China; method of moving mobile unit; living conditions during march; rations; training in Chinese etiquette; story of treating beggar with burns; diet of Chinese Nationalist troops; unequipped character of Chinese Nationalist troops at Baoshan; dealing with Chinese casualties from train crash and opinion of Chinese Red Cross; Chinese Nationalist troops reaction to plaster casts on broken limbs; Chinese traditions/superstitions; conditions in Chinese military hospitals.
REEL 4 Continues: lack of ablution facilities at Chinese Army base hospital at Baoshan; medical problems amongst unit; story of banquet laid for unit by Chinese authorities and being entertained by Chinese equivalent of Entertainments National Service Association (ENSA); journey to Chinese Army base hospital at Baoshan; description of Chinese Army base hospital at Baoshan; daily duties dealing with casualties from Battle of Salween Gorge, 9/1944-10/1944; gas gangrene casualties; attitude of Chinese medical staff towards work; witnessing Chinese traditional medicine practices; memories of Major Bainsfather; treating Japanese and Korean prisoners of war; move from Baoshan to Tengchong.
REEL 5 Continues: setting up hospital in Confusion temple; lack of charges for medical treatment; nursing Chinese woman with bound feet; discovery of bubonic plague in Yunnan province; visits to local market in Tengchong; reaction to re-opening of Burma Road; crossing Salween and Shweli Rivers; lack of contact with Chinese Communists; reputation of Kuomingtang and Chiang Kai-Shek; opinion of Chinese Nationalist troops' clothing, discipline and training; work of Christian missionaries in Yunnan Province. Reflections on period with Friends Ambulance Unit in China, 4/1944-2/1945: reasons for strengthening of her pacifist views.
REEL 6 Continues: question of pacifist messages in bible; question of role of church in war; decision to leave China to join husband in Basra, Iraq, 2/1945; attitude towards period spent with Friends Ambulance Unit in China; visit to Yunnan Province, 1985; meeting victim of Cultural Revolution; improvement in living conditions witnessed during visit to China, 1985; opinion of political situation in China, 1985; importance of work of Friends Ambulance Unit in Second World War; position of women in Friends Ambulance Unit; relations between male and female personnel in Friends Ambulance Unit; impact of Second World War on emancipation of women.