First Aid Nursing Yeomanry; World War, 1914-1918 -- Personal narratives
A Soup Kitchen brought out by Betty also belonged to our hospital
equipment. It did excellent work down at the Gare Centrale, providing
the wounded with hot soup on their arrival. Great was our excitement
when it was commissioned by a battery up the line. Betty and Lewis set
off in high spirits, and had the most thrilling escapes and adventures
in the Ypres section that would alone fill a book. They were with the
Battery in the early summer when the first gas attack swept over, and
caught them at "Hell fire Corner" on the Ypres-Menin road. It was they
who improvised temporary masks for the men from wads of cotton wool and
lint soaked in carbolic. Luckily they were not near enough to be
seriously gassed, but for months after they both felt the after
effects. Even where we were, we noticed the funny sulphurous smell in
the air which seemed to catch one with a tight sensation in the throat,
and the taste of sulphur was also perceptible on one's lips. We were to
have taken turns with the kitchen, but owing to this episode the
authorities considered the work too dangerous, and after being
complimented on their behaviour they returned to Lamarck.
We had a lot of daylight Taube raids, Zeppelins for the moment confining
all their efforts to England. It was fascinating to watch the little
round white balls, like baby clouds, where the shrapnel burst in its
efforts to bring the marauders down.
Very few casualties resulted from these raids and we rather enjoyed
them. One that fell on the Quay killed an old white horse; and a French
sailor found the handle of the bomb among the shrapnel near by and
presented it to me. It seemed odd to think that such a short while
before it had been in the hands of a Boche.
Jan was a patient we had who had entirely lost his speech and memory. We
could get nothing out of him but an expressive shrug of the shoulders
and a smile. He was a good looking Belgian of about twenty-four; and it
was my duty to take him out by the arm for a short walk each morning to
try and reawaken his interest in life.
One day I saw the French Governor of the town coming along on horseback
followed by his _ordnance_ (groom). How could I make Jan salute, I
wondered? I knew the General was very particular about such things, and
to all appearance Jan was a normal looking individual. "_Faut saluer le
General_, Jan," I said, while he was still some distance away, but Jan
only shrugged his shoulders as much as to say, "I might do it, but on
the other hand I might not!" What was I to do? As we drew nearer I again
implored Jan to salute. He shrugged his shoulders, so in desperation,
just as we came abreast I put my arm behind him and seizing his, brought
it up to the salute! The General, whom I knew, seemed fearfully amused
as he returned it, and the next time we met he asked me if I was in the
habit of going for a walk arm in arm with Belgian soldiers, who had to
be made to salute in such a fashion?
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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