Description
Object description
90 lively and interesting original ts letters (321 pp), written to her mother whilst she was serving as a Nursing Sister in the Queen Alexandra's Imperial Military Nursing Reserve (QAIMNS), attached mainly to the 8th Army (but also, from December 1943- May 1944, to the 5th) in Egypt, Libya, North Africa, Sicily and Italy, January 1941-1944, and describing her voyage in March 1941, on a troopship, via South Africa to Egypt and her posting to Amyria Camp, west of Alexandria, in the Western Desert in July, where she was to remain, working in a hospital for eight months; her transfer to Mersah Matruh, where she stayed until June 1942, when the hospital was forced to move back in great haste, temporarily to Hikingy and then to Moascar [Garrison camp of Ismaila] in August, before returning to Cairo in January 1943; her move from Egypt to Benghazi, Libya in April, describing in good detail their taking over of a hospital formerly used by the enemy, including her discomfort at using "looted" furniture; move to Tripoli, aboard a hospital ship, where she was diagnosed with dysentery and temporarily hospitalised (and where she observed a visit by a "special guest" (possibly the King) in June); her subsequent move to Ramacca in Sicily in August 1943, where they enjoyed a short period of respite, before being posted to a forward CCS, which she accompanied to Mount Etna and dealt with many casualties, to Mount Taormina and then in October to Messina; to Bari in Italy in November, and then to Nocea with the 5th Army in December, where she was close enough to suffer the black soot and hail storm of Vesuvius erupting in March 1944, before returning to the 8th Army near Cassino, and then to Rome (via Pieramalara), where she helped establish a front line hospital and was mentioned in despatches (August), and finally, her move to Perugia in October and return home by air in December. Edited in parts by a relative in the 1970s, the letters are an illuminating portrayal of her life on active service, covering themes such as homesickness (including frequent mentions of Cornwall, where she evidently had enjoyed many holidays previously) and the difficulties of nursing in tropical heat, storms and other temperature fluctuations, whilst beset by mosquitoes, sand flies, fleas and the lack of proper medical equipment and the importance of remaining cheerful and jolly for the "boys" whom she takes care of. The collection is also accompanied by an 18pp typescript account of the events of 1943, written presumably by her, but unascribed and possibly intended for publication, together with two photographs of herself in uniform.
Content description
90 lively and interesting original ts letters (321 pp), written to her mother whilst she was serving as a Nursing Sister in the Queen Alexandra's Imperial Military Nursing Reserve (QAIMNS), attached mainly to the 8th Army (but also, from December 1943- May 1944, to the 5th) in Egypt, Libya, North Africa, Sicily and Italy, January 1941-1944, and describing her voyage in March 1941, on a troopship, via South Africa to Egypt and her posting to Amyria Camp, west of Alexandria, in the Western Desert in July, where she was to remain, working in a hospital for eight months; her transfer to Mersah Matruh, where she stayed until June 1942, when the hospital was forced to move back in great haste, temporarily to Hikingy and then to Moascar [Garrison camp of Ismaila] in August, before returning to Cairo in January 1943; her move from Egypt to Benghazi, Libya in April, describing in good detail their taking over of a hospital formerly used by the enemy, including her discomfort at using "looted" furniture; move to Tripoli, aboard a hospital ship, where she was diagnosed with dysentery and temporarily hospitalised (and where she observed a visit by a "special guest" (possibly the King) in June); her subsequent move to Ramacca in Sicily in August 1943, where they enjoyed a short period of respite, before being posted to a forward CCS, which she accompanied to Mount Etna and dealt with many casualties, to Mount Taormina and then in October to Messina; to Bari in Italy in November, and then to Nocea with the 5th Army in December, where she was close enough to suffer the black soot and hail storm of Vesuvius erupting in March 1944, before returning to the 8th Army near Cassino, and then to Rome (via Pieramalara), where she helped establish a front line hospital and was mentioned in despatches (August), and finally, her move to Perugia in October and return home by air in December. Edited in parts by a relative in the 1970s, the letters are an illuminating portrayal of her life on active service, covering themes such as homesickness (including frequent mentions of Cornwall, where she evidently had enjoyed many holidays previously) and the difficulties of nursing in tropical heat, storms and other temperature fluctuations, whilst beset by mosquitoes, sand flies, fleas and the lack of proper medical equipment and the importance of remaining cheerful and jolly for the "boys" whom she takes care of. The collection is also accompanied by an 18pp typescript account of the events of 1943, written presumably by her, but unascribed and possibly intended for publication, together with two photographs of herself in uniform.
History note
Cataloguer EP