First Aid Nursing Yeomanry; World War, 1914-1918 -- Personal narratives
One of the results of the closing of Boulogne harbour was that instead
of the patients being evacuated straight to England we had to drive
them into Boulogne, where they were entrained for Havre! A terrible
journey, poor things. Twenty to twenty-four ambulances would set off to
do the thirty kilometres in convoy, led at a steady pace by the Section
Leader. These journeys took place three times a week, and often the men
would get bitterly cold inside the cars. If there was one puncture in
the Convoy we all had to stop till a spare wheel was put on. We eagerly
took the opportunity to get down and do stamping exercises and "cabby"
arms to try and get warm. To my utmost surprise, on one of these
occasions my four stretcher patients got up and danced in the road with
me. Why they were "liers" instead of "sitters" I can't think, as there
was not much wrong with them. _A propos_ I remember asking one night
when an ambulance train came in in the dark, "Are you liers or sitters
in here?" and one humorist scratched his head and replied, "I don't
rightly know, Sister, I've told a few in my time!" To return to our long
convoy journeys: once we had deposited our patients it was not
unnaturally the desire of this "dismounted cavalry" unit to try the
speed of its respective 'buses one against the other on the return
journey; to our immense disappointment this idea was completely nipped
in the bud, for Boss rode on the first car.
Permission however was given to pass on hills, as it was considered a
pity to overheat a car going down to second gear when it could easily
have done the hill on third! That Boulogne road is one of the hilliest
in France, and Susan was a nailer on hills. I remember arriving in camp
second one day. "How have _you_ got here?" asked Boss in surprise, "I
purposely put you nineteenth!"
Heasy, Betty, and I in celebration of two years' active service had
permission to give a small dance in the mess at the beginning of the new
year. We trembled lest at the last moment an ambulance train might
arrive, but there was nothing worse than an early evacuation next
morning and all went off excellently. I was entrusted to make the "cup,"
and bought the ingredients in the town (some cup), and gravely assured
everyone there was absolutely "nothing in it." The boracic powder was
lifted in my absence from the _Pharmacie_ to try and get the first
glimmerings of a slide on that sticky creosoted floor. The ambulances,
fitted with paper Chinese lanterns, were temporarily converted into
sitting out places. It was a great show.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account