Letter from Marie Martin to her mother Mary Martin, 27 November 1915 Letters 1916-1923 Marie Martin

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 Austrian Centre for Digital Humanities Vienna, AT 2026

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Letter from Marie Martin (1892-1975) to her mother, Mary. Marie writes that the work she is doing at the hospital for the wounded is very hard yet rewarding. She is getting little time off and the time she does have off she helps the badly wounded soldiers write letters to their own mothers in the hope that they get some consolation. In particular she discussed the strong effects of dysentery on the men. Her good work was rewarded by the Matron who invited her to a performance at the Opera which she thoroughly enjoyed.Marie Helena Martin, later known as 'Mother Mary', was a volunteer nurse during the First World War. She served in field hospitals in Malta, Leeds, and France working for the British army and later went on to become the founder of the Medical Missionaries of Mary (MMM).

 Medical Missionaries of Mary MMM BF115, MMM BF115 https://letters1916.ie/item/1097 English Marie Martin 1915-11-25 Malta Mary Martin Greenback, Monkstown Female World War I (1914-1918)

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 B/F/1/15 Tell Miss N. I have not come across the ugliest man yet on the Island!- 27thNov: 1915 My own dearest Mother. This is only a very hurried note to thank you a thousand times for your sweet letter as yet I have not been asked to sign on but do not think the Matron will send me home in disgrace so have of course made up my mind to remain on especially as I feel so well & of course the work is hard, very at times still I think God is going to be very good to me & give me the strength necessary to be able to do my duty well & cheerfully, I think one would have to feel very ill to go home after the month no matter how unhappy I was I could stand anything & everything to feel I am of use & doing a certain amount for all these poor men who are suffering to save us from ruination, it would break your heart at times to see what these men have to suffer & so cheerfully, my only regret is that I am not more trained but as yet I have been able to manage everything I have been asked to do. I suppose I could go to the Matron in Chief & asked to be changed but really I like being here very much & it is such a consolation to feel one is really wanted. I started this on the 27th but did not get time to finish till to-day when I hope to write you a long letter, we were so busy last week (2) I did not get off for two days at all & the other days I spent my time off, one day sleeping & the others writing for very bad patients. I only hope they will give the poor Mothers at home a consolation but so often I have to write they are bad. You will I am sure be interested to hear Mr. Kay the Burgundy man is getting on fine & is able to take 6 eggs a day, of course he will take a terrible lot of feeding up but if all goes well now he ought to be on his feet in about a months time. Really this Dysentry is too awful a big fine strong man comes in & in about a weeks time he is nothing but skin & bones. The last convoy were very bad case, some of them such nice men, we have one dear old man age 53. who came in very poorly indeed but I am glad to say getting on in fine style it seems cruel to send them out so old as that, of course he is in the Navy.Did I tell you I had such a nice letter & box of Chocolates from Mr Brase the day he left thanking me for all—you know!! I must say it is most edifying these G. Tommies how nice they are in the ward mixed up any way & every way, they never grumble no matter what happens. not like some who never do anything else the thing I find hardest out here is the 3 perpetual refusing & going round one day to say there is no bovil another no eggs & so on, as they never get any extras & then it is so hard when their ordinary food is not fortcoming of course it cannot be helped at times, things are very short out here. I have never got my parcel yet, what date did you send it, I am longing for my coat etc. It has turned very cold out here so shall have to buy myself extra vest, one gets so hot on duty & then having to come & sit in a very cold tent for meals my jersey turns in very useful, have you heard anything about the silk one yet? do not worry about it if not. Will you thank Ethel a thousand times for her letters ask her to excuse me not writing but really my time is so limited I shall never answer everyone. The last one dated 18th I was charmed to receive yesterday also one from A. Lily who I hear is still knitting socks tell her to bring fairly warm cloths out with her as they say it gets very cold after Xmas. I am glad to hear Gerty & all the others in France are getting on well, will you give the Morans & all my very best wishes & love. I do not know what to do about Xmas but 4. really think it safer not to send very much by post as the Mails are so irregular I believe six Mails from England have gone astray, one I believe has been sunk, so they say so perhaps my parcel has gone down. I sincerely hope not. Well I nearly forgot to tell you I had a great reward for my hard work during the week, the Matron invited me to go with her to the Opera, which I enjoyed very much although it was quite new to me. It was a French piece in the time of the revolution name 'Andri Chenieur' Andrea Chenier the music was very fine & some of the voices very good, we are really a little too far out as it means we are so late home but once in way I am sure it is good for us to get away from this atmosphere as I dream, talk even in my sleep, so Pauls says Shop, Shop, Shop. I must say I find my self always going over everything & allI could do if the day were only longer. We have heard nothing more about signing on, there are some terrible rumours out that we are just the same as the Army nurses & will have to stay as long as we are required I must say I think I would like to go home after six months for a bit & do some work at home, however I am 5. not going to worry about this just now as it is a long way off yet. I imagine the summer would be very trying with the work we have to do. My sister is a dear, she comes from South Africa & is very kind to me. I do not mix up much with the M.O's they do not seem terrible interesting & I really feel I have enough friends, of course some girls have a very jolly time & asked out to dinner etc but I never care for that sort of thing unless I know the/men very well however you can never tell what may happen yet, I tell you what some of the Sisters have a jolly good time, you know what I mean helping some young foolish boys to wast their money on them. Some of the V.A.Ds have been very lucky as some of their wounded friends have turned up & they have had some nice evenings off. We are so far out about 20 mins drive to Sliema & then it takes about 1/4 hour accross to Valetta. I have not been able to get to go to the Blue Sisters lately. I hear they have a good deal of Scarlet Fever so perhaps it is just as well to stay away for a bit. I hope to get into Valetta some day this week & buy you something for Xmas I thought of sending you some lace home to make up 6. for underclothing etc. I am frightfully sorry to hear you have had such a terrible time at home first of all with the Water & then that terrible storm, we had it only a few weeks later. I am so glad to hear about Tommy's Captaincy & the letter from Charlie cheered me up, he is a great boy with such spirits. & pray all may go well with them both. I wonder if you remembered to make a small pudding to send out to Gerald, he enjoyed last years so well, I hope nothing has happened to him, it is some time since I heard from him now, I had a long letter from Eveleen yester— day. She is still at home waiting also Irene I hope they will get something to do soon. The 2nd of December. The Parcel arrived quite safely last night, my coat is perfect, the the camera ripping, the body Belt a very kind & useful thought & the wool is very nice but am afraid I shall not have much time for knitting. I was very glad to hear from Ethel that A. Sissy is less stiff but very sorry to hear U. Frank is not much better will you give him & A. Maysie my fondest love. I shall try & write soon to them Tell Ethel that she & Violet will be quite the 7. star turns & pretty Miss Martins as everyone get very old & ugly out here, I had lines before I came but they are about double now so that she will have good innings when I get back I must say the climate just now is very hard on the skin from about 10 to 3 the Sun is terrible hot after that a bitterly cold wind gets up so that one is nearly skinned. I believe there has been terrible fights between the Australians & Maltese down at Sliema these last two nights. The whole thing started in a Music Hall, a girl got up & started singing some English song which the Maltese did not approve of so he asked her to stop singing then a A. got up & told him to mind his own business & for the girl to continue, any how there was a free fight & the M. through a chair at the A. & cut his head open which proved fatal & died yesterday morning now of course the A. Hood is up for revenge so last night there was another row. I believe one or two Maltese were killed, what the end of it all will be I do not know. it is very unpleasant for all the nurses as last night two officerswere out & got caught in the mob & were knocked about every way as there were rulyMaltese in the streets till at last 3 men in Khaki came to their rescue & pushed them into a Choro but the driver refused to drive them so the Soldiers had to come all the way back with them to make them drive, I hope it will be all over by Friday. Will you thank Nana a thousand times for all her letters I am glad to hear the lace arrived safely & hope it will be of some use to her. I think she generally gets things — made up for herself about this time. I should just love someone I know who has just come from home to turn up & tell me how you all look. I see very little of Nellie she is too far away I am wonder what Xmas will be like out here. I only hope they will give the men a good time & some sort of treats, Miss Batis the other V.A.D is very good & gives them a sponge cake teas every Sunday which theenjoy & buy for from one week to the other, they are just like ladies Well dearest Mothers I must end this for today as the mail leaves Malta tomorrow & I want this to catch it. I hope my letters do not bore you all they seems so much about myself but there is no news here at 9. all. could you believe it I have not had time to look at the papers you sent that arrived last week. Is there any chance of this war ending They say out here that the Serbian war will be over very soon I wonder how poor Charlie is & where, some wounded have arrived at Malta from Serbia I hear I hope by this you are feeling quite well again it is horrible how you get these attacks so often. Don't forget to go and see Woods about the photo. Give my fondest love & kisses to all at home & tell Andrew I wrote him a letter for his birthday but have just come across it so forgot to post it I tried hard to find something to send him but failed but will try again on Friday if I get off all right. Hoping this will find you as it leaves me in the best of health and form. I shall soon be able to send you some photos of the Barracks Lt Georges. I am wondering if the equipment went to Ireland, as Boase had a letter for you from me. With heaps of love & kisses to the dearest of all Mothers, how I shall love to see you all again. Your most loving & grateful child Marie Marie Martin Letter from Marie Martin to her mother Mary Martin, 29 December 1915Letter from Marie Martin to her mother Mary Lewis Martin, 18 June 1916Letter from Marie Martin to Mary Martin, 27 August 1916Letter from Marie Martin to her mother Mary Lewis Martin, 21 June 1916Letter from Marie Martin to Mary Martin, 17 June 1916Letter from Marie Martin to her mother Mary Lewis Martin, 23 June 1916Letter from Marie Martin to her mother Mary Lewis Martin, 2 July 1916Letter from Marie Martin to Mary Martin, 7 September 1916Letter from Marie Martin to her mother Mary Lewis Martin, 26 June 1916Letter from Marie Martin to her mother Mary Lewis Martin, 20 August 1916Letter from Marie Martin to her mother Mary Martin, 27 August 1916Letter from Marie Martin to Mary Martin, 17 September 1916Letter from Marie Martin to Mary Martin, 18 Sept 1916Letter from Marie Martin to Mary Martin, 19 September 1916Letter from Marie Martin to Mary Martin, 21 September 1916Letter from Marie Martin to Mary Martin, 27 September 1916Letter from Marie Martin to Mary Martin, 4 October 1916Letter from Marie Martin to Mary Martin, 13 July 1916Letter from Marie Martin to her mother, Mary Martin, July 1916Letter from Marie Martin to her mother, Mary Martin, 15 July 1916Letter from Marie Martin to her mother, Mary Martin, 15 July 1916Letter from Geo. R. Boase to Marie Martin, 10 July 1916Letter from Marie Martin to her mother, Mary Martin, 20 July 1916Letter from Marie Martin to her mother, Mary Martin, 3 August 1916Letter from Marie Martin to her mother, Mary Martin, 8 August 1916Letter from Marie Martin to her mother, Mary Martin, 12 October 1916Letter from Marie Martin to her mother Mary Martin, 27 December 1915Letter from Marie Martin to her mother Mary Martin, 27 November 1915Letter from Marie Martin to her mother, Mary Martin, 23 [January] 1916Letter from Marie Martin to her mother Mary Martin, 15 December 1915Letter from Marie Martin to her mother, Mary Martin, 4 April 1916Letter from Marie Martin to her mother, Mary Martin, 12 November 1915Letter from Marie Martin to her mother Mary Martin, 8 July 1916Letter from Marie Martin to her mother Mary Martin, 6 February 1916Letter from Marie Martin to her mother, Mary Martin, 9 April 1916Letter from Marie Martin to her mother, Mary Martin, 18 November 1915Letter from Marie Martin to her mother, Mary Martin, [November'] 1915Letter from Marie Martin to her mother, Mary Martin, 13 August 1916 Malta Letter from Marie Martin to her mother Mary Martin, 27 December 1915Letter from Marie Martin to her mother Mary Martin, 27 November 1915Letter from Marie Martin to her mother, Mary Martin, 23 [January] 1916Letter from Marie Martin to her mother Mary Martin, 15 December 1915Letter from Marie Martin to her mother, Mary Martin, 4 April 1916Letter from Marie Martin to her mother, Mary Martin, 12 November 1915Letter from Marie Martin to her mother Mary Martin, 6 February 1916Letter from Marie Martin to her mother, Mary Martin, 9 April 1916Letter from Marie Martin to her mother, Mary Martin, 18 November 1915Letter from Marie Martin to her mother, Mary Martin, [November'] 1915 Greenback, Monkstown Letter from Marie Martin to her mother Mary Martin, 27 November 1915