Letter from Marie Martin to her mother Mary Martin, 18 December 1915 Letters 1916-1923 Marie Martin

This work was originally published by Maynooth University in Ireland in 2017. In 2026 this data, stored in a relational database was extracted and converted into this TEI/XML document.

 Austrian Centre for Digital Humanities Vienna, AT 2026

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This is a letter from Marie Helena Martin (1892-1975) to her mother Mary Martin (1866-1955) in Dublin. Marie 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). In this letter from the theatre of war, Marie writes home to her mother to talk about family matters. Firstly Marie thanks her mother for sending a picture that she cherishes, Marie goes on to explain that she is very happy in Malta and enjoys the work she does. She describes part of the life she has and how she has many friends who work along side her. Martin then asks about the well being of various family members. Marie includes the plans she has for Christmas while in Malta.

 Medical Missionaries of Mary BF120 https://letters1916.ie/item/1617 English Marie Martin 1915-12-18 St. George's Hospital, Malta Mary Martin Greenbank, Monkstown, Dublin, Co. Dublin, Ireland Female 1975 World War I (1914-1918) World War I (1914-1918) Personal Relations

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 20 B/F/1/20 18th December 1915 My own dearest Mother, I received your most welcome letterdated the 5th Dec: also the Photo which gaveme more joy than anything else possibly couldhave, I kissed it & rekissed it & long for the daywhen we shall be together again, it will be sonice having it always before me out here. I thinkit very good & you look absolutely sweet in itofcourse it will never in my mind be as nice asyou really are, it is inclined to make you lookolder than you really do but on the whole Ilove it & will always treasure it. I am very glad in a way to hear Aunt Lilyis coming out especially if it makes your mindeasier but I think honestly for her sake & mineI would just as soon we were not at the sameHospital, also as there are better than this place, Ithink it would be nicer for her to go to a placewhich is in better running order. also I thinkshe would find the running about very trying—However whatever is best happy as has beenmy case so far, I am happy here because Ilove the work, although at times we are over worked.The place seems to agree with me as I amlooking very well & have got fat— My Staffsister is a dear & very fond of me & seems to appreciate 2 wait my efforts which are poor enough Charlies letter was a delight to read, he is asplendid boy & such spirit, it is too bad aboutSingleton, perhaps he will be sent here for a biton his way home, he seems to have had anasty time of it— How splendid it would beif Charlie has his Captaincy, I sent him 11/-worth of food stuff yesterday, I hope he will getthem alright, I suppose he does not know I amin Malta. How delighted they all must be at Clyde Rd overUncle Charlies return, I had a very nice long letter& cheque for Xmas from him, he writes in the bestof form, I am glad he went home Granny wouldhave missed him very much— I had my second dose of innocutation againstPara-Typhoid, the day before yesterday, but we gotno extra time off this time infact I went onimmediately afterward, my arm has be so badyesterday & to-day, I have done all the nurses agood turn for when the Dr was passing my blockthis morning he asked to see my arm which isterrible red & swollen & when he saw it he wentstraight up to the Major & said we were to have24 hours off after the next . does, so some daynext week I shall have a nice long day to writeyou a very long letter & tell you all about our littledoings in Matla for Xmas, 3 You would have laughted at us last nightsix of us arrange to meet at a certain place at7 O'ck & then go on to dine at a Hotel, which weall understood, two V. A. D said they would go & engagetable at which every Hotel they thought best well weall met at the so called hour to find they haddone nothing about a table, so we said we wouldchance it, so the six of us tramped to Hotel hoping to be lucky but when we arrived all theTables were engaged so we ask the Manager, a verypolite Maltese could he not put up a table somewherefor us & a Lady who was evidently staying thereoffered to allow 2 of us to sit at their table, so themanager explained very nicely it was not the roomthat was worrying him but that was very sorry butthere was not enyough for us to eat so we marchedout like a flock of sheep &just met another V.A.Dwho said well if you go & join the Nurses Clubyou'll get your dinner so off we marched againwith light hearts but when we got there they saidwe could not get dinner till to-morrow as our nameshad to be sent up etc, anyhow we all signed ournames & left 2/6 our subscription for a monthas we thought it might turn in useful some othertime, but by this it was about 7.45 & our oldfriend Blackney the Tea Shop closes at 8 werewe generally make our meal of eggs & sausagesbut woe & behold all they could give us were. scones 4 & Tea, with a girl reminding us every 1/2 min: weclose at 8 O'ck so you can image our rush & meal—we were all very cross as it spoilt our wholeevening really. Did I ever tell you the PlumPudding arrived safely, I am now only waitingto hear if you were able to collect & how muchfor my poor men for Xmas, I am hoping itmay arrive before to-morrow as I am going intoValletta with Sister after tea to do the Xmas Shoppingfor the men, it would be so nice if we remain aswe are just now, so few are no diets, it would makeit very easy to give them a nice Tea - or somethingof the sort. Did I tell you we have a New M. O.a ripper as far as the men are concernedhe gets them plenty to eat & infact orders themanything they want he makes it a little harderfor me but that does not matter so long as theyare pleased & I h am able to do it— It is very late at night & I should really be goingto sleep. but I am so happy & excited to-night wegot a new convoy in & they nearly all turnedout to be Irish & mostly 1sth Division, oneyoung boy has been attached to the 6th Dublins& says he remembers Charlie who he left wellabout 2 weeks ago this has cheered me upso & it will be so nice having some ofmyown dear country men to look after especiallyif they are in either Tommy or Charlie's regiment 5 I have one 5th Connaught man who did notaccually know Tommy as he was not with themat the beginning but he know Massy & sayshe is well & Adg now. Captain Cooper hasgone home on sick leave also Harvey. & whenhe left Dick, had not turned up. I had verylittle time to talk to them as naturally Iwas terrible busy we got 22 new ones & mostof them have frost bitten feet which had tobe done up— some poor things with theirtoes practically eaten away, their descriptionof the place is something awful& the cold seems appalling, they say theground is something terrible to get over &A. S. C find it nearly impossible for thetransports, I really have not had time toget particulars but will in a few days &shall write you all the news perhaps someof the other Blocks will have some ofC. own men. I have asked every oneto find out. I am as happy as I canbe & am looking forward if only themoney turns up to give them a jollyXmas, it will be so nice having so manyIrish they do make such a difference onthe wards with their hearty laughs & jokes.Ofcourse all the old men give me a hottime of it now— 6 Well I shall end this now as it isvery late & have a busy morning toface. I shall write very soon again &tell you every thing. Every time I look at the Photo I likeit better & better. The men say a goodnumber of R. D. F. Came on the ship toMalta so shall call when out to-morrowat Wounded Bivuak to see if I know anyso as to get real new of the old boy Charlie.With all kinds of good wishes for theNew Year. Your most loving & gratefuldaughter.Marie Greenbank, Monkstown, Dublin, Co. Dublin, Ireland Letter from Marie Martin to her mother Mary Martin, 29 December 1915Letter from Marie Martin to her mother Mary Martin, 1915A Postcard from Marie Martin to Miss Martin, 1915Letter from Marie Martin to her mother Mary Martin, 18 December 1915Letter from Marie Martin to her mother Mary Martin, 17 January 1916Letter from Marie Martin to her mother Mary Martin, 31 January 1916Letter from Marie Martin to her mother Mary Martin, 22 February 1916Letter from Marie Martin to her mother Mary Martin, 27 February 1916Letter from Marie Martin to her mother Mary Martin, 19 March 1916Letter from Marie Martin to her mother Mary Martin, 22 March 1916Letter from Marie Martin to her mother Mary Martin, 4 April 1916Letter from Marie Martin to her mother Mary Martin, 13 April 1916 St. George's Hospital, Malta Letter from Marie Martin to her mother Mary Martin, 29 December 1915Letter from Marie Martin to her brother Tommy Martin, 26 November 1915Letter from Marie Martin to her mother Mary Martin, 1915A Postcard from Marie Martin to Miss Martin, 1915Letter from Marie Martin to her mother Mary Martin, 18 December 1915Letter from Marie Martin to her mother Mary Martin, 17 January 1916Letter from Marie Martin to her mother Mary Martin, 31 January 1916Letter from Marie Martin to her mother Mary Martin, 22 February 1916Letter from Marie Martin to her mother Mary Martin, 27 February 1916Letter from Marie Martin to her mother Mary Martin, 19 March 1916Letter from Marie Martin to her mother Mary Martin, 22 March 1916Letter from Marie Martin to her mother Mary Martin, 4 April 1916Letter from Marie Martin to her mother Mary Martin, 13 April 1916 Marie Martin Letter from Marie Martin to her brother Tommy Martin, 26 November 1915Letter from Marie Martin to her mother Mary Martin, 1915A Postcard from Marie Martin to Miss Martin, 1915Letter from Marie Martin to her mother Mary Martin, 18 December 1915Letter from Marie Martin to her mother Mary Martin, 17 January 1916Letter from Marie Martin to her mother Mary Martin, 31 January 1916Letter from Marie Martin to her mother Mary Martin, 22 February 1916Letter from Marie Martin to her mother Mary Martin, 27 February 1916Letter from Marie Martin to her mother Mary Martin, 19 March 1916Letter from Marie Martin to her mother Mary Martin, 22 March 1916Letter from Marie Martin to her mother Mary Martin, 4 April 1916Letter from Marie Martin to her mother Mary Martin, 13 April 1916