Diary of a Nursing Sister
on the Western Front

1914-1915

"Naught broken save this body, lost but breath.
Nothing to shake the laughing heart's long peace there,
But only agony, and that has ending;
And the worst friend and enemy is but Death."

William Blackwood and Sons
Edinburgh and London
1915

CONTENTS.

I. WAITING FOR ORDERS, AUGUST 18, 1914, TO SEPTEMBER 14, 1914

The voyage out—Havre—Leaving Havre—R.M.S.P. "Asturias"—St Nazaire—Orders at last.

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.

III. ON NO.— AMBULANCE TRAIN (1)—FIRST EXPERIENCES—OCTOBER 13, 1914, TO
OCTOBER 19, 1914

Ambulance Train—Under fire—Tales of the Retreat—Life on the Train.

IV. ON NO.— AMBULANCE TRAIN (2)—FIRST BATTLE OF YPRES—OCTOBER 20, 1914, TO
NOVEMBER 17, 1914

Rouen—First Battle of Ypres—At Ypres—A rest—A General Hospital.

V. ON NO.— AMBULANCE TRAIN (3)—BRITISH AND INDIANS—NOVEMBER 18, 1914, TO
DECEMBER 17, 1914.

The Boulogne siding—St Omer—Indian soldiers—His Majesty King George—Lancashire
men on the War—Hazebrouck—Bailleul—French engine-drivers—Sheepskin coats—A
village in N.E. France—Headquarters.

VI. ON NO.— AMBULANCE TRAIN (4)—CHRISTMAS AND NEW YEAR ON THE TRAIN—DECEMBER
18, 1914, TO JANUARY 3, 1915

The Army and the King—Mufflers—Christmas Eve—Christmas on the train—Princess
Mary's present—The trenches in winter—"A typical example"—New Year's Eve at Rouen—The
young officers.

VII. ON NO.— AMBULANCE TRAIN (5)—WINTER ON THE TRAIN AND IN THE TRENCHES—JANUARY
7, 1915, TO FEBRUARY 6, 1915

The Petit Vitesse siding—Uncomplainingness of Tommy—Painting the train—A painful convoy—The
"Yewlan's" watch—"Officer dressed in bandages"—Sotteville—Versailles—The Palais
Trianon—A walk at Rouen—The German view, and the English view—'Punch'—"When you
return Conqueror"—K.'s new Army.

VIII. ON NO.— AMBULANCE TRAIN (6)—ROUEN—NEUVE CHAPELLE—ST ELOI—FEBRUARY 7,
1915, TO MARCH 31, 1915

The Indians—St Omer—The Victoria League—Poperinghe—A bad load—Left behind—Rouen again—An "off" spell—En
route to Êtretat—Sotteville—Neuve Chapelle—St Eloi—The Indians—Spring in N.W. France—The Convalescent Home—Kitchener's boys.

IX. WITH NO.— FIELD AMBULANCE (1)—BILLETS: LIFE AT THE BACK OF THE FRONT—APRIL 2,
1915, TO APRIL 29, 1915

Good Friday and Easter, 1915—The Maire's Château—A walk to Beuvry—The new billet—The
guns—A Taube—The Back of the Front—A soldier's funeral—German machine-guns—Gas
fumes—The Second Battle of Ypres.

X. WITH NO.— FIELD AMBULANCE (2)—FESTUBERT, MAY 9 AND 16—MAY 6, 1915, TO MAY
26, 1915

The noise of war—Preparation—Sunday, May 9—The barge—The officers' dressing-station—Charge
of the Black Watch, May 9—Festubert, May 16—The French Hospital—A bad night—Shelled out—Back at a Clearing
Hospital—"For duty at a Base Hospital."

I.

Waiting for Orders

August 18, 1914, to September 14, 1914

"Troops to our England true
Faring to Flanders,
God be with all of you
And your commanders."
—G.W. Brodribb

I.

Waiting for Orders.

August 18, 1914, to September 14, 1914.

The voyage out—Havre—Leaving Havre—R.M.S.P. "Asturias"—St Nazaire—Orders at last.

S.S. City of Benares (Troopship).

Tuesday, 8 p.m., August 18th.—Orders just gone round that there are to be no lights after dark, so I am hasting to write this.

We had a great send-off in Sackville Street in our motor-bus, and went on board about 2 p.m. From then till 7 we watched the embarkation going on, on our own ship and another. We have a lot of R.E. and R.F.A. and A.S.C., and a great many horses and pontoons and ambulance waggons: the horses were very difficult to embark, poor dears. It was an exciting scene all the time. I don't remember anything quite so thrilling as our start off from Ireland. All the 600 khaki men on board, and every one on every other ship, and all the crowds on the quay, and in boats and on lighthouses, waved and yelled. Then we and the officers and the men, severally, had the King's proclamation read out to us about doing our duty for our country, and God blessing us, and how the King is following our every movement.

We are now going to snatch up a very scratch supper and turn in, only rugs and blankets.

Wednesday, August 19th.—We are having a lovely calm and sunny voyage—slowed down in the night for a fog. I had a berth by an open port-hole, and though rather cold with one blanket and a rug (dressing-gown in my trunk), enjoyed it very much—cold sea bath in the morning. We live on oatmeal biscuits and potted meat, with chocolate and tea and soup squares, some bread and butter sometimes, and cocoa at bed-time.

There is a routine by bugle-call on troopships, with a guard, police, and fatigues. The Tommies sleep on bales of forage in the after well-deck and all over the place. We have one end of the 1st class cabin forrard, and the officers have the 2nd class aft for sleeping and meals, but there is a sociable blend on deck all day. Two medical officers here were both in South Africa at No. 7 when I was (Captains in those days), and we have had great cracks on old times and all the people we knew. One is commanding a Field Ambulance and goes with the fighting line. There are 200 men for Field Ambulances on board. They don't carry Sisters, worse luck, only Padres.

We had an impromptu service on deck this afternoon; I