Description
Object description
British civilian served as nurse with Queen Alexandra's Imperial Military Nursing Service aboard HMHS Britannic in Mediterranean, 1916, including sinking, 21/Nov/1916; served as VAD nurse at No. 2 Stationary Hospital, France, 1/1917-11/1918
Content description
REEL 1: Aspects of period in London, GB,1915-1916: story of interview with doctor; description of six weeks training as nurse at Tredegar House, Bow; moved into accommodation at the London Hospital; description of work on wards; social background of other trainee nurses; opinion of matron; attitude to career in nursing; problem of boil on neck; transferred after six months to Queen Alexandra's Imperial Military Nursing Service as Special Military Probationer; story of train journey to Bagthorpe Military Hospital, Nottingham; various memories of other nurses; embarked aboard HMHS Britannic at Southampton, 1916; reason for not sailing to Serbia. Aspects of period as nurse with Queen Alexandra's Imperial Military Nursing Service board HMHS Britannic in Mediterranean, 1916: description of first voyage to Naples, Italy; coaling ship; story of visits to Pompeii and Vesuvius; description of Mudros harbour; role of Britannic taking wounded soldiers back to Southampton and medical staff to Malta; story of having photograph taken with Vera Brittain; description of work on night duty in four wards; story of being caught in storm and problem of seasickness; problem of walking down ship's steps; ship returned to GB for repairs; story of having photograph taken wearing kilt; story about waistcoat. Account of sinking of HMHS Britannic off island of Kea, Aegean Sea, 21/Nov/1916: description of hearing explosion at eight minutes past eight; told to wait for sirens before leaving ship; story about being unable to retrieve lifebelt from cabin during lifeboat drill; carried lifebelt and eiderdown onto boat deck and used eiderdown to cover wounded soldier; problem of ship listing; description of entering lifeboat and problem of closing trap door; story of Lascar seaman taking lifeboat and being ordered back; description of ship's propellers cutting up other lifeboats and causing casualties; story of watching ship sink and rescuing survivors from sea; taken aboard British destroyer HMS Duncan; story about lifeboats Nos.13 and 15; amusing story about seeing matron's 'Nurses Only' notice floating on water.
REEL 2 Continues: Aspects of period in Greece and Malta, 11-12/1916: sailed to Piraeus, Greece; story of sending cable to parents confirming survival; moved into hotel with Greek refugees; description of work on night duty treating British and French wounded in hospital; various memories of visits to Athens; sailed to Malta; description of making bag to carry personal belongings; story of making khaki handkerchiefs into collars for medical officers; story of nurses being given bunches of violets; story about wounded patient and Russian orderly; description of voyage to Malta and opinion of conditions aboard ship; returned to GB , Boxing Day, 26/Dec/1916; story of receiving Japanese kimono from matron as Christmas present; problem of compensation not covering loss of belongings following sinking of HMHS Britannic; story of buying new uniform and clothes in London. Aspects of period as VAD nurse at No. 2 Stationary Hospital, France, 1/1917-11/1918: description of arriving in Abbeville in deep snow, 27/Jan/1917; story of sharing bell tent with daughter of Lord Howard of Glossop; description of wounded and treatment; story about Gen. Malcolm's reaction to German offensive, 3/1918; description of weather conditions during winter; method of receiving water ration; accommodation in tents; description of using Beatrice stove to make tea and cocoa; duties looking after two wards; amusing story about medical orderly in officers' bath house; opinion of matron; description of messing arrangements and entertainment; opinion of food; story of nursing Cpt Eton-Armstrong at German POW camp; attitude to German POWs helping in wards; story of hospital being evacuated following German offensive and moving to Wimereux, 3/1918; story of using casino ballroom as temporary ward.
REEL 3 Continues: moved into hotel; story of treating badly wounded officer and reaction to his death during bombing raid on hospital; returned to GB following Armistice, 11/1918. Aspects of post-war period in GB: story of working as housekeeper for brother Colin at Four Oaks, Warwickshire; story of meeting future husband.