feature

The Great War 1914–1918

Changing lives – Nursing

“Oh visitors, who come into the ward in the calm of the long afternoon, when the beds are neat and clean and the flowers out on the tables and the VAD’s sit sewing at splints and sandbags, when the men look like men again and smoke and talk and read ... if you could see what lies beneath the dressings!” When we began the First World War project, using the Internet as a research tool, there seemed to be a remarkable lack of detailed information describing the roll many women played during the war. Brief introductions could be found about the ‘housewife’ or women in domestic service and those working in industry i.e. engineering and munitions. Over a million women took on roles previously dominated by men, working on the buses, trams and trains, postal workers, police patrols, fire-fighters, bank cashiers and clerks. Yet, there was very little information on the heroic duties that many women undertook.

The centenary commemorations has changed all this and now a wealth of information is available, especially accounts of a group of women who feature prominently in this tragic war, the nursing profession – women who volunteered to work in dangerous and horrific circumstances alongside the men. “If it was not for the dedication, care and sacrifice by these ladies who were often at the front end, the casualty rate would have been far greater”. Nurses found their way to every part of the Allied front lines, working in casualty clearing stations, field and base hospitals. The First World War was far bloodier than any that had gone before and brought with it devastation and the most horrific injuries that some of the most experienced nurses had seen. They undertook fundamental nursing care, ensuring the patients were made as comfortable as possible, preparing them for surgery and dressing their wounds. They combated illnesses caused by the squalor of trench life: trench foot, dysentery and typhus fever. “That these women worked their long hours among such surroundings without collapsing spoke volumes for their willpower and sense of duty. The place reeked with the odours of blood, antiseptic dressings and unwashed bodies. The nurses saw soldiers in their most pitiful state - wounded, blood-stained, dirty.” Queen Alexandra’s Imperial Military Nursing Service (QAIMNS) had only been established for 12 years when war began, and although larger than its predecessor (the Army Nursing Service), it had remained a small, intimate service. The military demanded that those working in their hospitals were ‘highly trained and educated women of impeccable social standing’. At the outbreak of war, there were just 298 QAIMNS nurses working in hospitals both at home and abroad. “We require an organisation of well educated and expertly trained gentlewomen, and as such considered fit to work alongside doctors of the Royal Army Medical Corps in military hospitals”. Thousands of untrained women were already working as midwives or nurses before the start of the war. Their status in society was little better than that of domestic servants and many had little or no experience of working with men.

In 1909, the government had agreed to set up a voluntary medical service with the help of the Red Cross and the Order of St John of Jerusalem (best known through its service organisation St John Ambulance). Their aim was to provide ‘supplementary aid to the Territorial Forces Medical Service in the event of war’. The Voluntary Aid Detachment (VAD), was set up to provide field-nursing services in hospitals at home and abroad. The volunteers, both men and women, were trained in first aid, cookery, hygiene and sanitation. The majority of female VADs volunteered as nurses and were trained by the Red Cross. In 1914 there were 40,000 VAD volunteers, two-thirds of those were women and girls.

When war broke out, VAD volunteers were eager to offer their service to the war effort. Yet the British Red Cross refused to allow women a role in overseas hospitals, and the War Office strongly opposed the use of any female nurses that did not come from QAIMNS. This led to some nurses enthusiastic to do their part, to go it alone – not with the British, but with French and Belgian forces.

The Madonnas of Pervyse In November 1914, Pervyse, a small village 17 miles north of Ypres, Belgium (and only yards from the trenches) had been abandoned by most of its residents and was now occupied by Belgian soldiers – and two British nurses.

One month after the war began Elsie Knocker, aged 31 and Mairi Chisholm, just 18. travelled to Belgium as part of a small independent Ambulance Corps. Both spoke French and German and had a love for the open road, usually on motorcycles. The women worked tirelessly recovering wounded soldiers mid-way from the front line and taking them to the field hospital at the rear. “One sees the most hideous sights imaginable, men with their jaws blown off, arms and legs mutilated and when one goes into the room one is horrified at the suffering … which is ghastly … I could not believe that I could have stood these sights.” With so many soldiers dying due to base hospitals being far from the front lines, the women decided to set up their own dressing station in a run-down cellar-house in Pervyse.

Elsie Knocker and Mairi Chisholm

continued on page 10

Melbourn Mobile Warden Scheme

Can we help you? Can we help a relative? Can we help a neighbour?

Who does the Scheme help?

The scheme is open to anyone who requests our help including those who live alone or with their families but need the extra support offered by our services. Couples too are most welcome. It is also open to those in sheltered housing, as the scheme offers different, but complementary services. Note: The scheme also offers its services for short periods to cover the temporary absence of relatives who otherwise provide this support.

We offer help with:

•Friendship and support via twice weekly visits and daily phone calls • Ordering and collection of prescriptions • Basic shopping • Collection of pensions • Setting up Lifeline service • Bereavement support • Advice on benefits • Going to the Post Office to pay your bills • Advice on getting repairs done in your home • Arranging transport to the hospital or other appointments • Just coming round for a chat

What will it cost?

We do have to make a small weekly charge for the warden’s services. The fee is only £5 per week (a little more for couples).

Jeannie Seers (Mobile Warden) 07808 735066 email jeanseers1@ntlworld.com

Jane Cage (Deputy) 07592 821976 email jane.e.cage@btinternet.com

Melbourn Warden Scheme is a registered charity

After fifteen years he decided to take a trip home, and liked Europe so much that he decided to stay.

Eventually he joined Organon, a Dutch pharmaceutical company selling mainly hormones and oral contraceptives. As the company had evacuated to London during the war he worked in London for a short time before being posted to Pakistan. The Indo-Pakistan War took place in 1965 and daughter Joanna was born in Karachi in 1966.

In 1968 he moved to East Pakistan to build a pharmaceutical factory. The Bangladesh revolution in 1969 meant returning to the UK thus making his son Paul a Yorkshire man, rather than a Bengali. Peter stayed on in Dacca for several more months.

He was then posted to Indonesia, just after the Revolution; there were no phones and plenty of power cuts. Daughter Lizzie was born in Jakarta in 1972. In 1976 Peter transferred to Iran, just in time for the Revolution, a very exciting time. The family returned to England but Peter stayed on for another two years.

He then spent two years in Belgium before his final, ten year, interesting, posting to Japan. In 1993 he retired to England and spent his final twenty happy years in Melbourn, where he played a lot of sport, joined the U3A, managed advertising and was treasurer for the magazine and acted as Father Christmas in various village events.

David Clark correction

The article submitted to the Melbourn Magazine contained an error, which the family felt it important to put right.

Correction: David and Lorna were married in 1959, not 1960 as stated. Also I would like to add that David was an NCO in the Grenadier Guards, where he took part in The Trooping of the Colour, was in charge of the changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace and was in charge of the Ceremony of the Keys at the Tower of London. This was a time that he was very proud of. KBC

Safari supper

Melbourn’s EIGHTH Safari Supper was once again a great success. We were blessed with a pleasant evening and couples could be seen striding purposefully about the village between courses before all finishing at the Community Hall with coffee and cheese. It was the evening before Andrew’s last service at All Saints and it was nice that he and Joanne were able to join us for coffee.

We made a stunning £600 for the maintenance of the Community Hall, this figure was partly due to the fact that we increased the ticket price this year, but more importantly due to the great generosity of our hosts. We are so very grateful to all of you who volunteer to do the cooking - without your input there would be no Safari Supper. Understandably, some people are hesitant about undertaking to provide a course, but once they have done it they are invariably eager to repeat the performance the following year! This year the meeting room was used for a starter AND a main course.

This is NOT an event for ‘church’ people, We very much hope that our database of participants will grow to include many more people – it is an ideal way to get to know folk! I have been told several times ‘I didn’t know anything about it’ but of course the Safari Supper was flagged up in both this magazine and The Melde – I am convinced that word of mouth is the best way of encouraging others to join in the adventure. The Community Hall is used by a wide and varied cross section of the village and it would be good to see newcomers. Come as a guest the first time to get the hang of it! The event is run by us as a nonprofit-making fundraiser for the Community Hall and if anyone wishes to look at our balance sheet they are welcome to do so! We look forward to doing it all again next year! Mavis Howard and Jane Brett