1 12.10.16 My very dearest Mother A thousand thanks
for your very nice long letter of
the 7 th October I cannot tell you
how delighted I was to get it.
but frightfully sorry to hear you
are having such a terrible time
with the mumps & that my
darling Andrew has it. I sincerely
hope he is better by this
also poor Cecil. Really you have
had a terrible hard time since
I left & it has kept you
so isolated from the rest of
the family & I feel I have
been so slack about writing
but really we have not had
time for anything but work
& when I got off for an hour 2 I used to generally lie down so as
to go on fresh. I shall try &
give you an idea what I have
been doing since the 25 th Sep:
when our big rush really started
here but I do not want you to think
I am being over worked or any
thing of that kind, as you know
I had good weeks spring
cleaning an empty ward before
the rush. I am glad to say I felt
A.1. at the time & I am quite able
for the long hours. I think it is
working under canvas that is so
healthy & one does not get nearly
so tired. On Monday Sep 25 th
I had had my usual day work in
my own tents M8 & was going off
duty for the evening when I received
a message from Matron to say I
was to go to S.8 Surgical til 3 M.8 is open again, when I got over
there, there was Sister St. Legas & another
V.A.D. the two tents were full of
wounded some very bad others only
slight but most of them too bad
to have baths so all had to
be washed in the wards. this
was getting on to 6 o'clock & none
of the dressing has been touched
so we started off & did all the
worst & found a great number
had hemorrhage on the way. others
we found with Gas gangarene
which meant immediate operation
which had to be done that night
I think we got off about 11 o'clock
leaving one poor man named
Woods very bad they found
he had septic absorption. it had gone
too far for amputation & the only
chance was to drain the leg & they 4 & get rid of poisoning. Next morning
we came in to hear he had been
in the theatre during the night
again & that the M.O. was going
to give a intransfusion which is
a terrible job in itself & so many
of the others were very bad we really
did not know where to begin
I forgot to tell you that the lad
had a Ensol transfusion the night
before which I believe is the latest
treatment for these gas gangrene
in some case I believe it has proved
invaluable but it seems Gods will
this man should not live he
linger on for three day, every
thing possible was done for him
but he died very quietly on the
3rd night, it is a very sad thing
to watch, the patient is so frightfully
restless & has to be watched all
the time he was quite unconscious
on the last day & spoke in such a 5 weird way. Well things went on
fairly well operation after operation
but they all seem to be getting
on very well & a great number
of arms & legs were saved with
G gangrene that they thought would
have to be amputated on the 1 st
Oct one of our tents was turned
into the mente ward for the whole
surgical division which of course
made us very busy again
as we got all the worst cases
from the hospital after operation.
Really we were dressing from
8 in the morning till 8 at night
& the three of us on duty all
the time except for one day
when we each got an hour
still we all felt wonderful &
it was such a joy to see them
all improving so but we had some
nasty frights one man started haemorr— 6 haging one night & in the end
had to get the M.O. to stop it after
having the artery help for 15 mins
by sister & myself. He lost pints that
night as he hemorrhaged twice
but was sent to England the next
day. I wonder how the poor man
got on. Well things were beginning
to get quieter & the work a little
lighter when a very large convoy
of skin cases arrived & my old
tents M8 were open & I got a
message to go down there & take
charge again. What a change to
go & see these terribly disfigured
men cover with scabies, impetigo
& the Lord know what after having
the most interesting work in the
whole hospital. So again I found
myself with 56 patients & one
orderly which meant no off
duty till I got a help which will now 7 two days ago, so we are able to
relieve each other now. I really
do not care for skins very much
the fact of the matter is I know
nothing about them except what
have learned this last week
Some time I feel quite sea sick
pulling off these horrible scabs
but I feel heartly sorry for
the men & some one has to look
after them. I believe this hospital
will be nothing but skins after
the 1 Nov but by then I shall
know more about them. One
is dressing all day long as
one case some times takes
over an hour to do, especially
if it is a face case when
all the crusts have to be removed
We have two skin specialist
here who are frightfully keen
& expect you to be the same 8 so I must try & get up my
interest. I cannot help thinking
of Uncle Charlie every time I
am dressing the less descent
if he saw them with the big
sores all over them I do not think
he would ever kiss me again
It is really sad to think there
is so much of it among our
troops the only good thing
is they can cure scabies in
three days if taken in time but
then it is so terribly infectious
Our staff has increased a great
deal but we are still rather under
staff for our numbers. I have not
heard from Gerald G since, he
ought to be getting leave very
soon now as it is open. I
wonder if he will pass through
B—I may see him if so 9 Did you ever send me those
two photos I asked you. I want
to give one to Sister St. Leger who
this morning present me with
a sweet gold broach in remembrance
of the happy & busy time
we had together etc. It was very
sweet of her & I did not
deserve it I only did my
duty, Really Mother I am very
lucky & always seem to be
sent to places where the work
is good &interest so I must
not grumble at the skin which
I am sure to like just as much
when I know more about them.
I hope you are feeling well
it is too bad you should
have the shortage from the War 10 company this year when everything
is so dear. However we
must all look forward to
brighter days soon, as Gerald
says when I sent him the Photo
of Greenbank roses ( which he
very greedily kept) he said they
look topping but we will all make
up for these bad times when the
War is over. I hope he will go &
see you on his way home when
he gets leave — M rs Garttan wrote
me such a nice letter with all
their news. I do feel for her being
left all alone but am glad her
anxiety is lessened with Gerald
appointment. I must close
now hoping you will be able
to read this awful scrawl
written in a hurry as I just
had two hours off this morning to 11 give Mrs Paul my help an half
day. I had one yesterday
but had to go into Boulogne
to get a winter hat as we are
not allowed to wear straw
after the 1 st Oct. I got quite
a nice useful sailors for 20 frc
My very fondest love to everyone
& tell them all although
I do not have much time
for writing I am always
thinking & wondering what they
are doing & how they are
With every good wish, love & thought
I remain always dearest Mother
your most grateful & loving
daughter. Marie
I hope you continue to have
good news of Tommy. Love 12 wish we could get him home
I am very anxious to hear
the result of poor Uncle Frank Love Marie You must be bored with
this but I just feel today
how I would love to be at
home have a dear old chat
with you so if I have written
nonsense you know how I
am feeling. I am writing this
with your photo before me &
trying to imagine I am speaking
to you dearest Mother —
Cheer Oh the war will soon
be over I hope
Marie