Up as usual. No dressing is given to my eye. Am getting “fed up”
Friday 15 January 1915 – fine
We are quartered in the Examining Hall of the Oxford University. Certainly a fine building. Paintings and carvings etc; feeling very strange and would give anything to be out of it. The nurses are territorials and not as nice as those in France. Some bad cases here; Arms and legs off etc; Have notified Harry, Ernest, Mrs George Draycot and Mrs Joseph Draycot (of Seagrave). In afternoon at 3 pm a theatrical company entertain the patients. I converse with the actresses. The hours in hospital are – up at 6 am (but nurses commence to wash patients at 5 am). Breakfast at 8 am. Dinner at 12 noon. Tea at 4:30 pm. Cocoa at 7 pm. Lights out 9 pm.
Wrote a letter to Captain Adamson Officer Commanding Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry in Winchester regarding new serge puttees, a new cap and trousers for Private White and self
*Territorial Force Nursing Service – Formed in 1908 as part of the Territorial and Reserve Forces Act. This group of nurses was intended to serve the Territorial Force (British volunteer reserve forces). During times of peace the nurses of the TFNS worked in civilian capacities but were quickly mobilized at the outbreak of WWI. The TFNS nurses were initially intended to only stay at military hospitals in the UK but some volunteers did travel overseas with the British Expeditionary Force.
Thursday 14 January 1915 – fine
Feeling very sick and unwell. Headache. Nurses are very kind and considerate. The ships Company give all the sick some tobacco and cigarettes and a photo of the ship. We land at Southampton at 7:30 am. A patient died on board at 7 am. Hard luck. Waited around until 10:30 am until taken off the boat for a hospital at Oxford. Arrive at Oxford and driven to hospital in motor cars, Landau’s etc; Oh! You higher ups!
Wednesday 13 January 1915 – rain
Left Rouen Stationary Hospital at 8:30 am for train to Havre where we arrive at 2:30 pm and sailed on the Carisbrooke Castle (Hospital Ship) for England at 7 pm. One man died during the voyage. No sleep during the night.
Tuesday 12 January 1915 – rain
Stayed at Rouen Stationary Hospital all day. Rain.
Monday 11 January 1915
Arrive at Rouen at 7 am. Taken in trams to the No. 3 Stationary Hospital. A hospital all under canvas. No sleep for pain.
*Rouen – The town of Rouen was used as a supply base during WWI as well as a location for military hospitals; No. 3 Stationary Hospital was run by Canadians.
Sunday 10th January 1915 – fine
At 9 o’clock we are again put in motor wagons and conveyed to the Hospital train bound for Boulogne and Rouen. We come down to the base hospital in 1st Class Sleeping carriages. Good attention is shown us at Boulogne by English ladies who give chocolate, fruit and cigarettes. No French sympathy shown throughout but expect this is on account of having troubles of their own. Travel all night but no sleep.
Saturday 9 January 1915 – Rain
Left the temporary hospital here at Dickebush and taken in motor wagons to Bailleul. Here, I inoculated and go through awful agony. At night I cannot sleep and my breathing comes in painful gasps.
Friday 8 January 1915 – Rain and little sun
A night of fearful agony passed and morn breaks with a big gun salute from our battery and sniping from the German trenches. About 10 o’clock till dusk there is a horrible hellish bombardment and shells fall into our trenches. Rained heavy and some sun. Cold wet and terribly agonising. In the midst of this bombardment I am wounded by a shell, 11 am. Have to wait until 5:30 pm until I can be attended to. Then I have to put on my marching orders and take my rifle, (blind as I am) to the field dressing station. As we get out of the trench the German snipers keep up a rapid fire at us but luckily miss us. As we pass by the trench occupied by No. 5 platoon we hear the sickening sensation of a man groaning in his agony. He had been shot by a sniper and the bullet had penetrated his abdomen. He died later that night as also did Captain Newton of No. 3 Company who received a similar wound. Bullets were now flying thick around us and several of our men were shot. We reached the road, which was “shot to pieces” by large shells known to the troops as “Jack Johnsons” and “Black Marias”. Not being able to see clearly I naturally found out where the holes were located. When we reached the Village of Groote Vierstraat we found out to our surprise that no-one knew where the dressing station was. So I got a party together and left the offices and made for Dickebush. At two places on the way we asked to be attended to but they refused – too busy – so I made for an hotel and had coffee, chops and bread and then reported to the General Hospital at Dickebush where my eye was operated upon and some splinters taken out. I stayed here all night cold wet thro’ and shivering through exposure. I had to walk three miles to get attention; in agony, carrying a Rifle and accoutrements. I had not tasted biscuits nor bread for three days, living on Bully beef and jam.
*Jack Johnsons and Black Marias – High explosive shells from German artillery were nicknamed Black Marias or sometimes Jack Johnsons after the black US boxer who at the time was the heavyweight champion of the world. After impact these shells would burst with a large cloud of black smoke.
Thursday 7 January 1915 – Rain
Morning arrived and we still wallow in mud. Snipers are very busy and dangerous. The cannonading on both sides is awful but spectacular. Hell let loose.
Shells bursting all around, but luckily we had built a bomb proof shelter during the night. We get scant rations, bully beef and the biscuits we have in our haversacks. Other trenches have hot tea etc; we are unfortunate and have nothing.
Night comes on and also more suffering and sniping. Our gunners simply blow holes in the German trenches and killing many.
Men go out after dark a distance of a mile to draw rations, under a sniping fire. I am one of the party. Return but fall down many a hole. We keep a sharp lookout but “nothing doing”. Our suffering from cold and wet thro’ and no cover. Oh its really indescribable. The walls of the trench cave in and we have to work with our hands in the mud and throw it back again to build up the embankment. The Germans are firing all the time confound them and throwing out star shells which illuminate the ground as almost day. Lots of men groaning in agony with the cold and wet. It’s painful to hear them. Morning appears and I’ve had no sleep. (A one pound tin of Bully all day)
*Star Shells – Artillery shells used to illuminate the battlefield during the night. The shell’s contained a magnesium flair which would ignite and illuminate large portions of the ground below it. The shells were outfitted with a parachute to allow them to fall to earth more slowly thus providing light for a longer period of time. Star Shells were also sometimes used as signals.
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