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Nurses in Salonika

Started by Deleted_phin_* , Feb 27 2003 10:02 PM

18 replies to this topic

#1 Deleted_phin_*

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Posted 27 February 2003 - 10:02 PM

I recently inherited a great Aunts service medals, she seemed to have a full set from WW1 and also a nursing badge and one with Salonika on it. Can any one tell me how to find out about her service record please? I  know about PRO but have failed  to find anything, so if you can tell me where to look that would be very helpful.

#2 MartinWills

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Posted 27 February 2003 - 10:40 PM

You don't mention your great aunts name or any of the details that probably appear on the medals which would help us to try and point you in the right direction.

Nursing service records have not all survived but there several categories in the PRO WO series that may include her details. A number of these are relatively recent additions to the PRO catalogue and are not necessarily found by searching on nurse or nursing.

One of the most productive, and which may include your great aunt is WO398 where I was lucky enough to find an extensive file on a relation of a welsh friend who had a diary written by her relative in Welsh.

If you can post a little more detail I am sure that one of us anoraks can point you in the right direction, assuming that anything survives on her unit. If you have already been more than thorough with the PRO, my apologies.

#3 Deleted_phin_*

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Posted 28 February 2003 - 08:54 AM

Martin

thanks for the prompt reply. No I've not been thorough at PRO, just had a quick look whilst there on another hunt!

She was Sister I(Ida) Cross according to her medals, which is a full set of three, and was in the Territorial Force Nursing Service, as both medals and a separate badge confirm.

Any suggestions?

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#4 MartinWills

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Posted 28 February 2003 - 11:19 PM

The WO 399 series includes the TFNS.  A browse and search of the online PROCAT shows service records for Ida Cross (there are two sets, i.e. two who served under this name) can be found as pieces WO 399/1894 and WO 399/10658. Hopefully one of these two should be your lady. Do let me/us know how it goes.

If there is an interesting tale you might like to consider sending a small piece to the Salonika Campaign Society (google will find them). One of the SCS stalwarts, Simon Moody has a particular interest in Women and War.

TFNS (or do I mean TTFN)

#5 Deleted_phin_*

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Posted 01 March 2003 - 10:07 AM

Thanks, it may be some time, but I'll be following it up. laugh.gif

#6 Deleted_phin_*

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Posted 30 April 2003 - 05:43 PM

Well I hunted her down from the info supplied and discovered that both sets of records were or the same person, who was my Great Aunt. So I got PRO to send me the records and have found out loads, including that the Salonika badge that I have is borne out by her record. She served from 1914, hence a full set fo medals, till 1921 She was in a variety of stationary hospitals, and served in Cairo, Beni Suez, Alexandria, Constantinople and Salonika, and was in the Army of the Black Sea. How do I find out more about this and where and who she was looking after? Where was Taranto, Mashlak and the 2nd London London General Hospital. How do I find out about the No 20and No 45 Stationary Hospital, etc?

Thnks for the help so far, any more advice will be most welcome.

Phil  biggrin.gif

#7 Sue Light

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Posted 30 April 2003 - 06:35 PM

Phil

Can I suggest that you track down a copy of 'One hundred years of Army Nursing' by Ian Hay [pub. 1953 Cassell & Co.].  It is available from most county libraries, or through inter-library loan - the sort of thing they have hidden away in their reserve stock.  I have a copy in front of me, and it has good chapters on Gallipoli and Salonika, Egypt and Palestine, and Mesopotamia - many references to the places you mention, and a good account of the lives and work of the nurses and campaigns.  To try and sort out any extracts for you would mean copying half the book!  Probably not everybodies idea of interesting reading, but you would certainly know what she had been up to by the end!

Regards     -        Sue

#8 Theo

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Posted 30 April 2003 - 07:39 PM

I know of a book by a Scottish nurse who served in Salonika and other 'sideshow' theatres.  Unfortunately I cannot remember what it's called but will look at the copy Bromley House library, Nottingham has when I visit on Saturday morning.

Theo

#9 Deleted_phin_*

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Posted 30 April 2003 - 08:34 PM

Thank you both. Sue, I'll seek it out, and Theo I await further info with baited breath!

Phil blink.gif

#10 Sue Light

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Posted 30 April 2003 - 08:50 PM

I don't know whether it's what Theo has in mind, but one good account is in the diary of Ishbel Ross, published after her death as 'Little Grey Partridge'. She was with Elsie Inglis' Scottish Women's Hospital.  

Regards    -     Sue

#11 Theo

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Posted 04 May 2003 - 05:08 PM

The book I mentioned was published in 1928 and is entitled 'With a Women's Unit' and subtitled 'In Serbia, Salonika and Sebastapol'.  The author is I. Emslie Hutton.

Probably not easy to get hold of though.  Trawl your local library's basement stock.

Theo

#12 Deleted_phin_*

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Posted 05 May 2003 - 03:29 PM

Thanks,  I'll do some hunting.

Phil

#13 gem22

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Posted 06 May 2003 - 07:49 PM

Cambridge University Library has a copy of I.Emslie Hutton's book 'With a Womens Unit'. I have a readers card which enables me to read the book in the library . I can take details from it but I cannot remove it or photocopy from it. If I can help please let me know. I may be going in on Saturday ( 10 May) to do some work for somebody else and I can combine both jobs.

#14 Theo

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Posted 20 May 2003 - 09:35 PM

I can photocopy from the book but obviously would need some idea of what I'm looking for.  I should be in the library Fri 30th May so if you can give me some pointers, I'll see what i can find from Emslie Hutton. It hasn't been out of the library since 1930 so I'm sure it'll be there next week!

Theo

#15 Deleted_phin_*

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Posted 21 May 2003 - 08:58 AM

Theo

thanks for the offer. I'm about to go into my local library and pick up an inter library loan copy of what I think is the same book. If it's not I'll get back to you before the weekend.

Many thanks for your help.

You may like to know thatI have received from the PRO a full copy of my Great Aunts service record, it's fascinating, that's why I'm chasing these books to get more info about the places named in her record, hopefully to give a better idea of the locations and type ofwork she was involved in.

Phil

#16 paul guthrie

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Posted 23 May 2003 - 05:01 PM

Phin this may be good enough for a Stand To! article. Also read Roses of No Man's Land by Lyn McDonald, fine book as are all of her books. I remember there was some mention of Salonika, there was a discussion of NZ nurses killed on the way there from Egypt when they drowned on a military ship, real incompetence because there was plenty of room on a nearby hospital ship which was not sunk and not a legitimate target.
I am going there and could take pictures for you but not until July 2005.

#17 Deleted_phin_*

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Posted 27 May 2003 - 09:45 AM

Paul

thanks for the info and the offer, I may take you up on it! Not sure I'm up to writing an article, we'll have to see how much I can make of what I'm getting.

Phil

#18 christine liava'a

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Posted 24 June 2003 - 09:32 AM

QUOTE (paul guthrie @ Fri, 23 May 2003 17:01:56 +0000)
there was a discussion of NZ nurses killed on the way there from Egypt when they drowned on a military ship, real incompetence because there was plenty of room on a nearby hospital ship which was not sunk and not a legitimate target.

These were the nurses on the Marquette

http://www.rootsweb.com/~nzlscant/marquette.htm

#19 paul guthrie

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Posted 24 June 2003 - 01:05 PM

I discovered this incident by accident when researching Samuell Hill, a Kentucky man who died in the New Zealand Army. I wrote a ST! article about him. I was sent a photo of his name in the Roll of Honour at the Auckland Memorial Museum. On the same page was Nora Hilyard and the search began and resulted in another ST! article about this tragedy by Robin Haslam, the man who had helped me.
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