Diary of a Nursing Sister on the Western Front, 1914-1915 Part 2

The duties will be "very strenuous," both for night and day duty, and we are to carry very little kit. The wire may come at any time. So this morning M. and I and Miss J----, our Senior Regular, and very nice indeed, got into the train for St Nazaire to see about our baggage, and had an adventurous morning. The place was swarming with troops of all sorts. The 6th Division was being sent up to the Front to-day, and no medical units could get hold of any transport for storing all their thousands of tons of stuff. One of the minor errors has been sending the 600 Sisters out with 600 trunks, 600 holdalls, and 600 kit-bags!! The Sisters' baggage is a byword now, and we could have done with only one of the three things or 1-1/2. We have been out nearly a month now and have not been near our boxes; some other hospitals have lost all theirs, or had them smashed up. We at last traced our No.-- people and found them encamped on the wharf among the stuff,[1] trying to get it stored with only one motor transport lent them by the Flying Corps. They were very nice to us, offered us lunch on packing-cases, and Major ---- cleaned my skirt with petrol for me!

[Footnote 1: Each hospital contains 78 tons of tents, furniture, stores, &c.]

They sorted out the five kit-bags and boxes for us from the rest, as we have to go in to-morrow and repack for duty,--only sleeping kit and uniform to be taken, and a change of underclothing. They said we'd have to make our own transport arrangements, as the 6th Division had taken up everything. So in the town we saw an empty dray outside a public-house, and after investigating inside two pubs we unearthed a fat man, who took us to a wine merchant's yard, and he produced a huge dray, which he handed over to us! We lent it to the Matron of No.--, and we have commandeered the brewer for No.--'s to-morrow. Then we met a large French motor ambulance without a French owner, with "Havre" on it, which we knew, and sent Miss ---- in it to the _Asturias_ to try and collar it for us to-morrow. She did.

There were a lot of Cavalry already mounted just starting, and Welsh Fusiliers, and Argyll and Sutherlands, and swarms more. We had another invitation to a packing-case lunch from three other M.O.'s at another wharf, but couldn't stop.

We saw three German officers led through the crowd at the wharf. The French crowd booed and groaned and yelled "Les a.s.sa.s.sins" at them. The Tommies were quite quiet. They looked white and bored. We also saw 86 men (German prisoners) in a shed on the wharf. Some one who'd been talking to the German officers told us they were quite cheerful and absolutely certain Germany is going to win!

_Wednesday, September 9th._--It is a month to-day since I left home, and seems like six, and no work yet. Isn't it absolutely rotten? A big storm last night, and the Bay of Biscay tumbling about like fun to-day: bright and sunny again now. The French infants, boys and girls up to any age, are all dressed in navy knickers and jerseys and look so jolly. Matron has gone into St Nazaire to-day to get all the whole boiling of our baggage out here to repack. P'raps she'll bring some news or some letters, or, best of all, some orders.

This is a lovely spot. I'm writing on our balcony at the Riffelalp, above the tops of the pines, and straight over the sea. Three Padres are stranded at p.o.r.nichet--two were troopers in the S.A. War, and they do duty for us. The window of the gla.s.s lounge where we have services blew in with a crash this morning, right on the top of them, and it took some time to sort things out, but eventually they went on, in the middle of the sentence they stopped at.

A French rag this morning had some cheering telegrams about the Allies--that left, centre, and right were all more than holding their own, even if the enemy is rather near Paris. What about the Russians who came through England? We've heard of trains pa.s.sing through Oxford with all the blinds down.

_Thursday, September 10th._--Dazzling day. War news, "L'ennemie se replie devant l'armee anglaise," and that "Nos allies anglais poursuivent leur offensive dans la direction de la Marne."--All good so far. No letters yet.

_Friday, September 11th._--It is said to-day that No.-- is to open at Nantes immediately. That will mean, at the earliest, in a fortnight, possibly much longer. We five French speakers are again told to stand by for special orders, but I know it won't come off.

At early service yesterday among the Intercessions was one for patience in this time of trial waiting for our proper work. Never was there a more needful Intercession.

Some of us explored the salt-marshes behind this belt of pines yesterday, up to the farms and to a little old church on the other side; it was open, and had a little ship hanging over the chancel. The salt-marshes are intersected by sea walls--with sea pinks and sea lavender--that you walk along, and there are ma.s.ses of blackberries round the farms.

There are rumours that all the hospitals will be getting to work soon, but I don't believe it. No.-- has lost all its tent-poles, and a lot of its equipment in the move from Havre. I believe the missing stuff is supposed to be on its way to Jersey in the _Welshman_ with the German prisoners.

_Sat.u.r.day, September 12th._--Rien a dire. Tous les jours meme chose--on attend des ordres, ce qui ne viennent jamais.

_Sunday, September 13th._--The hospitals seem to be showing faint signs of moving. No.-- has gone to Versailles, and No.-- to Nantes. No.-- would have gone to Versailles if they hadn't had the bad luck to lose their tent-poles in the _Welshman_, and their pay-sheets and a few other important items.

Had to play the hymns at three services to-day without a hymn-book!

Luckily I scratched up 370, 197, 193, 176, and 285, and G.o.d Save the King, out of my head, but "We are but little children weak" is the only other I can do, except "Peace, Perfect Peace"! A fine sermon by an exceptionally good Padre, mainly on Patience and Preparation!

_Sunday Evening, September 13th, La Baule, Nantes._--Orders at last. M.

and I, an Army Sister, and two Army Staff Nurses are to go to Le Mans; what for, remains to be seen; anyway, it will be work. It seems too good to be by any possibility true. We may be for Railway Station duty, feeding and dressings in trains or for a Stationary Hospital, or anything, or to join No. 5 General at Le Mans.

_Monday, September 14th, Angers_, 8 P.M.--_in the train._--We five got into the train at La Baule with kit-bags and holdalls, with the farewells of Matron and our friends, at 9.30 this morning. We are still in the same train, and shall not reach Le Mans till 11 P.M. Then what?

Perhaps Station Duty, perhaps Hospital. There is said to be any amount of work at Le Mans. We have an R.H.A. Battery on this train with guns, horses, five officers, and trucks full of shouting and yelling men all very fit, straight from home. One big officer said savagely, "The first man not carrying out orders will be sent down to the base," to one of his juniors, as the worst threat. The spirits of the men are irrepressible. The French people rush up wherever we stop (which is extremely often and long) and give them grapes and pears and cigarettes.

We have had cider, coffee, fruit, chocolate, and biscuits-and-cheese at intervals. It is difficult to get anything, because no one, French or English, ever seems to know when the train is going on.

We have been reading in 'The Times' of September 3, 4, 5, and 7, all day, and re-reading last night's mail from home.

What a marvellous spirit has been growing in all ranks of the Army (and Navy) these last dozen years, to show as it is doing now. And the technical perfection of all one saw at the Military Tournament this year must have meant a good deal--for this War.

(We are still shunting madly in and out of Angers.)

II.

Le Mans

WOUNDED FROM THE AISNE

_September 15, 1914, to October 11, 1914_

"No easy hopes or lies Shall bring us to our goal, But iron sacrifice Of body, will, and soul.

There is but one task for all-- For each one life to give, Who stands if freedom fall?

Who dies if England live?"

--RUDYARD KIPLING.

II.

Le Mans.

WOUNDED FROM THE AISNE.

_September 15, 1914, to October 11, 1914._

Station duty--On train duty--Orders again--Waiting to go--Still at Le Mans--No.-- Stationary Hospital--Off at last--The Swindon of France.

_Tuesday, September 15th._--The train managed to reach Le Mans at 1 A.M.

this morning, and kindly shunted into a siding in the station till 6.30 A.M., so we got out our blankets and had a bit of a sleep. At 7 a motor ambulance took us up to No.-- Stationary Hospital, which is a rather grimy Bishop's Palace, pretty full and busy. The Sisters there gave us tea and biscuits, and we were then sorted out by the Senior Matron, and billeted singly. I'm in a nice little house with a garden with an old French lady who hasn't a word of English, and fell on my neck when she found I could understand her, and patter glibly and atrociously back.

My little room has a big window over the garden, and will, I suppose, be my headquarters for the present in between train and station duty, which I believe is to be our lot. We go to a rather dim cafe for meals, and shall then learn what the duty is to be. It is yet a long time coming.

We haven't had a meal since the day before yesterday, so I shall be glad when 12 o'clock comes. Now for a wash.

_Wednesday, September 16th._--Still here: only four of the twenty-five (five sets of five) who formed our unit have been found jobs so far: two are taking a train of sick down to St Nazaire, and two have joined No.-- Stationary Hospital in the town. We still await orders! This is a first-cla.s.s War for awaiting orders for some of us.

Yesterday it poured all day. We explored the Cathedral, which is absolutely beautiful, perched high up over an open s.p.a.ce--now crowded with transport and motor ambulances. We made tea in my quarters, and then explored the town; narrow streets thronged with Tommies as usual.

We have lunch at eleven and dinner at seven, at a dingy little inn through a smelly back yard; there is not much to eat, and you fill up with rather nasty bread and unripe pears, and drink a sort of flat cider, as the water is not good.

To-day it is sunny again. I have just been to High Ma.s.s (Choral), and taken photos of the Cathedral and the Market below, where I got four ripe peaches for 1-1/2d.

Writing in the garden of Mme. Bontevin, my landlady.