Diary of a Nursing Sister on the Western Front, 1914-1915

"Naught broken save this body, lost but breath. Nothing to shake the laughing heart's long peace there, But only agony, and that has ending; And the worst friend and enemy is but Death."

William Blackwood and Sons Edinburgh and London 1915

CONTENTS.

PAGE I. WAITING FOR ORDERS, AUGUST 18, 1914, TO SEPTEMBER 14, 1914 1

The voyage out--Havre--Leaving Havre--R.M.S.P. "Asturias"--St Nazaire--Orders at last.

II. LE MANS--WOUNDED FROM THE AISNE--SEPTEMBER 15, 1914, TO OCTOBER 11, 1914 33

Station duty--On train duty--Orders again--Waiting to go--Still at Le Mans--No.-- Stationary Hospital--Off at last--The Swindon of France.

III. ON NO.-- AMBULANCE TRAIN (1)--FIRST EXPERIENCES--OCTOBER 13, 1914, TO OCTOBER 19, 1914 65

Ambulance Train--Under fire--Tales of the Retreat--Life on the Train.

IV. ON NO.-- AMBULANCE TRAIN (2)--FIRST BATTLE OF YPRES--OCTOBER 20, 1914, TO NOVEMBER 17, 1914 81

Rouen--First Battle of Ypres--At Ypres--A rest--A General Hospital.

V. ON NO.-- AMBULANCE TRAIN (3)--BRITISH AND INDIANS--NOVEMBER 18, 1914, TO DECEMBER 17, 1914. 111

The Boulogne siding--St Omer--Indian soldiers--His Majesty King George--Lancashire men on the War--Hazebrouck--Bailleul--French engine-drivers--Sheepskin coats--A village in N.E. France--Headquarters.

VI. ON NO.-- AMBULANCE TRAIN (4)--CHRISTMAS AND NEW YEAR ON THE TRAIN--DECEMBER 18, 1914, TO JANUARY 3, 1915 143

The Army and the King--Mufflers--Christmas Eve--Christmas on the train--Princess Mary's present--The trenches in winter--"A typical example"--New Year's Eve at Rouen--The young officers.

VII. ON NO.-- AMBULANCE TRAIN (5)--WINTER ON THE TRAIN AND IN THE TRENCHES--JANUARY 7, 1915, TO FEBRUARY 6, 1915 165

The Petit Vitesse siding--Uncomplainingness of Tommy--Painting the train--A painful convoy--The "Yewlan's" watch--"Officer dressed in bandages"--Sotteville--Versailles--The Palais Trianon--A walk at Rouen--The German view, and the English view--'Punch'--"When you return Conqueror"--K.'s new Army.

VIII. ON NO.-- AMBULANCE TRAIN (6)--ROUEN--NEUVE CHAPELLE--ST ELOI--FEBRUARY 7, 1915, TO MARCH 31, 1915 199

The Indians--St Omer--The Victoria League--Poperinghe--A bad load--Left behind--Rouen again--An "off" spell--_En route_ to Etretat--Sotteville--Neuve Chapelle--St Eloi--The Indians--Spring in N.W. France--The Convalescent Home--Kitchener's boys.

IX. WITH NO.-- FIELD AMBULANCE (1)--BILLETS: LIFE AT THE BACK OF THE FRONT--APRIL 2, 1915, TO APRIL 29, 1915 237

Good Friday and Easter, 1915--The Maire's Chateau--A walk to Beuvry--The new billet--The guns--A Taube--The Back of the Front--A soldier's funeral--German machine-guns--Gas fumes--The Second Battle of Ypres.

X. WITH NO.-- FIELD AMBULANCE (2)--FESTUBERT, MAY 9 AND 16--MAY 6, 1915, TO MAY 26, 1915 273

The noise of war--Preparation--Sunday, May 9--The barge--The officers' dressing-station--Charge of the Black Watch, May 9--Festubert, May 16--The French Hospital--A bad night--Shelled out--Back at a Clearing Hospital--"For duty at a Base Hospital."

I.