Description
Object description
British civilian nurse served with Queen Alexandra's Imperial Military Nursing Service at Beckett's Park Military Hospital, Leeds, GB, 1914-1919.
Content description
REEL 1: Aspects of period with Queen Alexandra's Imperial Military Nursing Service at Beckett's Park Military Hospital, Leeds, GB, 1914-1918: description of rank and duties; story of being awarded Royal Red Cross Medal by Queen Alexandra at Buckingham Palace, London, 1918; description of visits by King George and Queen Mary to Beckett's Park Hospital; types of patients treated including shell shock cases; story about soldiers David and Jonathan; method of treating rheumatic cases; arrival of Belgian wounded at start of war; treatment of soldiers arriving from the Dardanelles and the Battle of the Somme; promoted to Charge Sister; reason for not serving overseas; opinion of Matron; story of joining Queen Alexandra's Imperial Military Nursing Service on outbreak of war, 8/1914; opinion of pre-war training as nurse at Leeds Infirmary; academic qualifications; opinion of doctors; attitude to military organisation and discipline in hospital; inspections; hospital visitors; story about death of soldier Horace Walton and final visit from wife; opinion of Pals battalions; duties as bookkeeper and writing to patients' relatives.
REEL 3 Continues: description of gas cases and treatment; relations with patients; opinion of hospital food; attitude of patients to being in hospital; morale of patients; attitude to malingerers and examples of excuses used to remain in hospital; treatment of shell shock
cases; recreational activities for patients; question of patients helping with hospital duties;
enforcement of discipline in wards; relations with other nursing staff including VADs; attitude to personal relationships between soldiers and nurses; average age of nurses; opinion of billets; daily routine and duties; conversations with patients; story about patient Reg Manners in Bed No. 5; further comments on daily routine and duties.
REEL 3 Continues: opinion of Staff Nurse; various memories of doctors; types of cases treated; question of patients talking about their experiences; attitude to responsibility for patients; description of ward at night; church services; opinion of chaplains; method of removing patients who had died; story about death of Cpl. Windsor; reason for patients developing heart conditions; method of treating incontinent patients; social background of patients; opinion of hospital visitors; entertainments provided in wards; story about six paralysed soldiers in ward; decoration of ward with flags and flowers; opinion of hospital orderlies.