Produced by Suzanne Lybarger, Graeme Mackreth and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive/Canadian Libraries) Diary of a Nursing Sister on the Western Front 1914-1915 "Naught broken save this body, lost but breath. Nothing to shake the laughing heart's long peace there, But only agony, and that has ending; And the worst friend and enemy is but Death." William Blackwood and Sons Edinburgh and London 1915 CONTENTS. PAGE I. WAITING FOR ORDERS, AUGUST 18, 1914, TO SEPTEMBER 14, 1914 1 The voyage out--Havre--Leaving Havre--R.M.S.P. "Asturias"--St Nazaire--Orders at last. II. LE MANS--WOUNDED FROM THE AISNE--SEPTEMBER 15, 1914, TO OCTOBER 11, 1914 33 Station duty--On train duty--Orders again--Waiting to go--Still at Le Mans--No.-- Stationary Hospital--Off at last--The Swindon of France. III. ON NO.-- AMBULANCE TRAIN (1)--FIRST EXPERIENCES--OCTOBER 13, 1914, TO OCTOBER 19, 1914 65 Ambulance Train--Under fire--Tales of the Retreat--Life on the Train. IV. ON NO.-- AMBULANCE TRAIN (2)--FIRST BATTLE OF YPRES--OCTOBER 20, 1914, TO NOVEMBER 17, 1914 81 Rouen--First Battle of Ypres--At Ypres--A rest--A General Hospital. V. ON NO.-- AMBULANCE TRAIN (3)--BRITISH AND INDIANS--NOVEMBER 18, 1914, TO DECEMBER 17, 1914. 111 The Boulogne siding--St Omer--Indian soldiers--His Majesty King George--Lancashire men on the War--Hazebrouck--Bailleul--French engine-drivers--Sheepskin coats--A village in N.E. France--Headquarters. VI. ON NO.-- AMBULANCE TRAIN (4)--CHRISTMAS AND NEW YEAR ON THE TRAIN--DECEMBER 18, 1914, TO JANUARY 3, 1915 143 The Army and the King--Mufflers--Christmas Eve--Christmas on the train--Princess Mary's present--The trenches in winter--"A typical example"--New Year's Eve at Rouen--The young officers. VII. ON NO.-- AMBULANCE TRAIN (5)--WINTER ON THE TRAIN AND IN THE TRENCHES--JANUARY 7, 1915, TO FEBRUARY 6, 1915 165 The Petit Vitesse siding--Uncomplainingness of Tommy--Painting the train--A painful convoy--The "Yewlan's" watch--"Officer dressed in bandages"--Sotteville--Versailles--The Palais Trianon--A walk at Rouen--The German view, and the English view--'Punch'--"When you return Conqueror"--K.'s new Army. VIII. ON NO.-- AMBULANCE TRAIN (6)--ROUEN--NEUVE CHAPELLE--ST ELOI--FEBRUARY 7, 1915, TO MARCH 31, 1915 199