The Flaming Sword in Serbia and ElsewhereStobart, M. A. (Mabel Annie)
History
The Flaming Sword in Serbia and Elsewhere
Stobart, M. A. (Mabel Annie)
World War, 1914-1918 -- Hospitals; World War, 1914-1918 -- Personal narratives
I continued that morning in the car to Lapovo, and with Dr. Cockburn
discussed arrangements for the future hospital in the building,
which was now ready for beds; returned to camp by 4 p.m.; settled
which tents and what stores should be taken; at 5 o'clock discussed
further arrangements with Colonels Guentchitch and Pops Dragitch and
Major Protitch, who all came up to the camp; and finally tackled the
most difficult job of the day, when, after supper, with the doctors,
the selection of the staff for the flying field hospital, had to be
made. Heart-burnings and disappointments were inevitable, for almost
everybody from the camp and from the dispensaries wanted to be chosen,
and almost everybody thought that they had special claims. Special
physical fitness for the work at the front, as well as the requirements
of the hospital left behind, had to be taken into consideration.
The doctors selected were Drs. Payne and Coxon; nurses--Cockerill,
Collins, Giles, Newhall and Kennedy (six more nurses were on the way
from England to replace them); chauffeurs--Little, Marshall, Colson,
Holmstrom, Jordan, and Miss Sharman; cook--Mrs. Dawn; orderlies--Miss
Benjamin and Miss Chapple; interpreters--Vooitch and George; and the
secretary was John Greenhalgh.
At 9 the next morning (Saturday, September 25th) Dr. May and Dr. Payne
went with me to meet Colonel Dragitch, to see the equipment at the
6th Reserve Hospital, and they were much pleased with the drugs and
surgical instruments. A full inventory was to be given us later.
On September 27th, the flying hospital unit was due at the Reserve
Hospital for full-dress inspection by Colonel Pops Dragitch and Colonel
Guentchitch. Oxen and horse wagons were packed with tents and stores,
and the motor ambulances with personal kit, and by 9 a.m. we were
on the parade ground. All the other wagons and oxen and horses were
already there. We drew up in line, and the Colonels seemed pleased
with the arrangements. Colonel Dragitch then called the sixty soldiers
who were to serve with us, and when they were drawn up in line he
introduced them to their Commandant, and told them that they must yield
obedience and be amenable to discipline. And, through the Colonel, I
made a little reply speech to the men, and our unit returned to camp.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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