A Nurse at the Front by Edith Appleton & Ruth Cowen

Author:Edith Appleton & Ruth Cowen
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Tags: World War I, Autobiography, Memoirs, Nurses, Medical, Historical, Western Front, Biography
ISBN: 9780857202246
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Published: 2012-03-01T00:00:00+00:00

Ambulances in Étretat in the early years of the war. Edie refers several times in her diaries to the chauffeuses or VAD drivers. The woman seated at the wheel here, however, is not a driver but a QAIMNS nurse.

Photograph courtesy of Brian Dunlop

August 9

It is getting uncommonly parky in the early morning – and of course we must not forget that 5.30 is really 4.30, so it would be cold. Yesterday morning something rather interesting crossed our path. A biggish steamer, evidently wounded, was towed backwards past here towards Le Havre. There were two mine-sweepers just in front and an additional tug in attendance. Some people say there was a submarine alongside, but personally I did not see that. If that was the case, the steamer had probably been torpedoed ineffectually, and the submarine had been taken. I had a terrible fierce lecture from my MO last night, on not being married. He is a dear old thing, and says he has found marriage an undiluted success, so I told him, with the saddest look I could raise, that ‘my day was done’ – it was too late!

August 10

I had a half day yesterday, so Matron and I took tea to the beautiful solitary bay where Miss Wallen has her hut. She is very kind and allows us to use it and all her things, so we only took milk and eatables. First we bathed, and the sea was dead calm and warm – then had tea of hard-boiled eggs, tomatoes, cucumber and bread and butter. We started for home and met Miss Wallen, who was having two of our sisters to supper – and she has asked us to go some time.

August 11

Not off yesterday, as my ill boy was too ill. I thought he was going to manage to slip away – but no, he was not allowed to, poor boy. He will be vastly happier when he does. I hope he will be alive this morning, all the same, I have a letter from his mother that he will like to know about.

August 12

It’s 31 days since Lennox came in, and he is still not able to get away. He won’t be long though, as the bad chest attacks are more frequent now and poor dear, he will be so grateful to be gone. The last two days and nights have been sultry, and I have been glad of my morning dip to cool me down. Poor old Major Martyn has to bathe all alone after us, as he can’t get any of the others to come out. He is a married man with a large family, so I don’t see why he shouldn’t come with us. Went for short walk with Matron last night, then back to the ward. Toby is ill and we think he has been kicked. One of my corporals, an old vet, is attending him and he is getting better. Yesterday he gave him a dose of Epsom salts, turpentine, iodine and olive oil, all mixed up together and he was much better for it.

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