Letter from Celia Duffin to Maria Duffin, 24 January 1916 Letters 1916-1923 Celia Duffin

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 Austrian Centre for Digital Humanities Vienna, AT 2026

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Letter from Celia Duffin (1888-1979) to Maria Duffin (1854-1954) regarding her life working at the third general hospital in London. Celia writes that the men in her ward were getting restless as they returned to fitness and describes a pillow fight which took place between two neighbouring wards. Additionally, Celia writes about the difficulties with the new matron in her new day ward. While writing about her daily activities Celia mentions that one of the girls has had to go into a home for a 'rest cure' due to a breakdown. This letter is part of a rich correspondence between various members of the Duffin family, a large prosperous family living in Strandtown, Belfast. Several family members served in the war, including Major Terence Duffin, who served as a staff officer with 107 Brigade, and later with Royal Irish Rifles; Major Charles G Duffin MC, Royal Field Artillery; and their sisters Emma, Celia and Dorothy who served as Voluntary Aid Detachments (VADS) in Egypt and France, and with the YMCA. Celia was an accomplished poet, publishing, among other volumes, a book of poetry with her sister Ruth.

 Public Record Office of Northern Ireland Duffin Papers, D2109/10/1/A/15 https://letters1916.ie/item/625 English Celia Duffin 1916-01-24 3rd London General Hospital, Wandsworth, London Maria Duffin Female World War I (1914-1918) Medicine Personal Relations

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 3rd London General 24 January Dearest Mamma Thank you very much for your letters, it is nice to hear all the home news, and I have little news to give you in return. One good thing, I am on day duty again, as I find seven weeks of night work just as much as I want. I feel half alive all the time and haven't the energy to do anything but get into bed at the first opportunity — Also the men were getting very hard to keep in order, as most of them were feeling absolutely fit, being convalescent enteries, but not allowed to mix with the other soldiers in camps or places yet. They were all consequently very bored with life and ready to do anything for the sake of some amusement. When I came on in the evening, I used to find them all in the wrong beds, or a carefully arranged pillow in one bed and two men in the next. I generally managed to get them quieted down pretty soon, but the other night, just when I thought they were all settled down, there was a sudden loud whistle, and all the men who were able suddenly jumped out of their beds, each armed with a pillow and rushed into the next door ward. All the men there were soon out of bed too, and there was a regular free fight. The sister there could do nothing but wait till they had finished. I was thankful when I got them back to bed again, as if any of the authorities had come in, the ward and the nurse in charge would most likely have been reported to the matron and there would have been no end of a fuss. Unfortunately I am back in the ward where I was once before under the dragon sister McIntyre, and the nice staff nurse is gone, and a disagreeable creature in her place. After being allowed to do practically what I liked in my last day ward and being under a nice sister, it is horrid being ordered about all the time. She is the kind who has all her favourite patients in the kitchen to drink tea with her, and yet pulls you up if you dare to speak to a patient. I have only been with her for three days but expect we shall fight before long as I don't intend to pay her any attention. Terry seemed very well, I think he is lucky to have that job. I didn't like his moustache, but I suppose it is 'the thing'. Surely Aunt Elizabeth Hincks will have left you some sort of ornaments, it will be most disappointing if she he hasn't. I didn't get your letter in time to meet O. but anyway don't think I would have had time. You seem to be having an unlucky time with your cooks, what a nuisance servants are. By the time I leave here, I ch shall be a well—qualified housemaid and think I ought to apply for the post at Dunowen. I went home for breakfast with Miss Gosse the other morning when I was doing nightwork, and met her people; her sister is much younger and a pretty girl. They live not far from Miss McNeils' house, who asked me to go to see her, and I have never been yet. I was speaking to Frank Dalziel down the telephone this morning, poor Norma has had to go into a home for a rest cure, evidently a break down. Please thank Dorothy for her letter, I shouldn't advise her to start nursing, but wait and see if she can't get some of the Post office or clerk appointments in a hospital, she'd like it much better and lots of VAD's are doing the work — I shd apply for that. Best love, dearest from Celia. Maria Duffin Letter from Celia Duffin to Maria Duffin, 24 January 1916Letter from Celia Duffin to Maria Duffin, February 1916Letter from Emma Duffin to Maria Duffin, 5 February 1916Letter from Terence Duffin to Maria Duffin, March 1916Letter from Celia Duffin to Maria Duffin, 15 March 1916Letter from Dorothy to Maria Duffin, 25 March 1916Letter from Dorothy Duffin to her mother, Maria Duffin, 30 March 1916Letter from Terrence Duffin to his mother, Maria Duffin, 31 December 1915Letter from Emma Duffin to Maria Duffin, 29 December 2015Letter from Celia Duffin to Maria Duffin, 8 December 1915Letter from Celia Duffin to Adam Duffin, 9 December 1915Letter from Olive Duffin to her mother, Maria Duffin, January 1916Letter from Olive Duffin to Maria Duffin, circa 1916Letter from Celia Duffin to Maria Duffin, 8 January 1916Letter from Maria Duffin to Celia Duffin, 13 February 1916Letter from Terence Duffin to Maria Duffin, 29 February 1916Letter from Maria Duffin to Celia Duffin, 6 February 1916Letter from Maria Duffin to Celia Duffin, 9 January 1916Letter from Maria Duffin to Celia Duffin, 27 February 1916Letter from Celia Duffin to her mother Maria Duffin, 14 February, 1916Letter from Celia Duffin to Maria DuffinLetter from Maria Duffin to Celia Duffin, 19 March 1916Letter from Celia Duffin to Maria DuffinLetter from Emma Duffin to her mother, Maria Duffin, 5 March 1916Letter from Dorothy to Maria Duffin, 22 March 1916Letter from Celia Duffin to Maria Duffin, 10 February 1916Letter from Dorothy Duffin to her mother, Maria Duffin, 31 July 1916Letter from Emma Duffin to her mother Maria Duffin, 27 March 1916Letter from Olive Duffin to Maria Duffin, 28 March 1916Letter from Celia Duffin to Maria Duffin, April 1915Letter from Celia Duffin to her mother, 15 November 1915Letter from Olive Duffin to her mother, Maria Duffin, November 1915Letter from Olive Duffin to her mother, November 1915Letter from Celia Duffin to Maria Duffin, 3 November 1915.From Celia Duffin to Maria Duffin, 9 April 1915Letter from Emma Duffin to her mother Maria Duffin, 22 November 1915Letter from Terence Duffin to his mother Maria Duffin, 26 November 1915Letter from Olive Duffin to her mother Maria Duffin, November 1915Letter from Dorothy Duffin to her mother Maria Duffin, 8 November 1915Letter from Celia Duffin to her mother Maria Duffin, November 1915Letter from Celia Duffin to Maria Duffin, 26 November 1915Letter from Olive Duffin to Maria Duffin, November 1915Letter from Dorothy Duffin to Maria Duffin, 28 November 1915Letter from Olive Duffin to Maria Duffin, 1 November 1915 Celia Duffin Letter from Emma Duffin to her sister Celia Duffin, 29 December 1915Letter from Celia Duffin to Maria Duffin, 24 January 1916Letter from Celia Duffin to Maria Duffin, February 1916Letter from Helen Duffin to Celia Duffin, 22 December 1915Letter from Celia Duffin to Maria Duffin, 15 March 1916Letter from Helen Duffin to Celia Duffin, 16 March 1916Letter from Celia Duffin to Ruth Duffin, 6 December 1915Letter from Celia Duffin to Auntie D, 3 December 1915Letter from Emma Duffin to Celia Duffin, 15 January 1916Letter from Celia Duffin to Maria Duffin, 8 December 1915Letter from Celia Duffin to Adam Duffin, 9 December 1915letter from Anna Duffin to Celia Duffin, 3 December 1915Letter from Celia Duffin to Maria Duffin, 8 January 1916Letter from Maria Duffin to Celia Duffin, 13 February 1916Letter from Maria Duffin to Celia Duffin, 6 February 1916Letter from Maria Duffin to Celia Duffin, 9 January 1916Letter from Maria Duffin to Celia Duffin, 27 February 1916Letter from Celia Duffin to her mother Maria Duffin, 14 February, 1916Letter from Celia Duffin to Maria DuffinLetter from Maria Duffin to Celia Duffin, 19 March 1916Letter from A. Duffin to Celia Duffin, 2 March 1916Letter from Celia Duffin to Maria DuffinLetter from Celia Duffin to Maria Duffin, 10 February 1916Letter from Celia Duffin to Maria Duffin, April 1915Letter from Celia Duffin to her mother, Thursday November,1915Letter from Celia Duffin to Maria Duffin, 3 November 1915.Letter from Celia Duffin to her mother Maria Duffin, November 1915Letter from Celia Duffin to her sister Ruth, 3 November 1915Letter from Celia Duffin to her aunt, 18 November 1915Letter from Celia Duffin to Maria Duffin, 26 November 1915Letter from Celia Duffin to her aunt, 1915 3rd London General Hospital, Wandsworth, London Letter from Celia Duffin to Maria Duffin, 24 January 1916