大象传媒

Sister Connie M.Curtis Nursing through WW2

Extracts from autobiographical notes written by my Auntie Connie in 2001 for our family history. She is still alive and extremely alert in November 2003. Bob Curtis

Lincoln
I left Addenbrooks in 1938 and came to Lincoln to do my midwifery training at the City Maternity Home, which was at 34 Newland at that time. Mr Wells Cole gave lectures twice a week, Tuesdays and Fridays. I took my oral exam at St James Hospital in Leeds and I passed by exam after 6 months (as I was SRN) in 1939. I stayed on as a qualified midwife until I was called up for Army service. (I had previously joined the Territorial Army at Addenbrooks) In the March of 1939 I got a nasty septic finger and Mr Walters came to see me and I had to go into County Hospital for 3 days 鈥� he said I had to stay in for 3 weeks 鈥� resulting in a stiff middle finger of my left hand. When war was declared in September I was told to stand by.I got my calling up by telegraph special delivery from the Post Office on Christmas Eve 1939 and had to report to Addenbrooks Hospital, Cambridge on Dec 27th. There were two other nurses from Addenbrooks on the train going as well.In Cambridge I was billeted in a house on Dowing Street. It was very cold and frosty most days so I helped out at the hospital during the day. I got bronchial pneumonia and had to be a patient for nearly 3 weeks eventually going home for sick leave.In the meantime the unit, 20th General British Hospital, had gone to France. Having had more sick leave, due to a cold, I had to report to Millbank Military Hospital in London.Another nurse had also been ill so I had company, Nurse Gutrass. We eventually travelled to France Dans Camier to join the 20th arriving about 7.30 am. We were met by Matron, Miss Woolerton, who had been my first sister at Addenbrooks
France
We had a tented hospital at Dans Camier near Etaple. Opposite was the 17th General Hospital in big ? house. We were near a main road and railway station when the Low Countries were invaded. The Belgian refugees came through, first big cars with lots of luggage, then walkers. Trainloads of refuges came through as well. We use to go to the station handing out food to them. It really was heartbreaking, as they had no idea where they were going and what to do.The hospital didn鈥檛 have a lot of war casualties. One night we had an air raid and went down to the shelter. I had left my watch near my bed and was more worried about that than the air raid as the watch was a 21st birthday present form my mother and father. From that day to this I always sleep with my watch on!!
One day we were told to pack everything up as we were to be evacuated the next morning at 5.00 am. I packed everything but at the last minute I took my hymnbook and Bible out of my hand luggage and put them in my trunk.
We were taken to Bologne where we got onto a hospital ship (the last one to leave) and went to Southampton arriving late afternoon. The sea was as calm as a millpond. The RTO (Railway Transport Officer) met us and told us about trains, where to change, etc.
I arrived at Retford station at about 2.30 am. The porter there said I鈥檒l take you to get a cup of tea as the Lincoln train didn鈥檛 leave until about 6.00 am. When we got to the refreshment room it was overflowing with sailors! I don鈥檛 know where they were going. They found me a seat until the Lincoln train came in. I had to wait another hour or two for a bus or train to Langworth so went to the maternity home to wait. I arrived home just after 9.00 am, much to everyone鈥檚 surprise.
Leatherhead After a few days at home I was posted to the Royal Blind School (then a hospital) at Leatherhead in Surrey. I was billeted in a house near the hospital with several other nurses. The soldiers were messed in Nissen huts at the back of the main hospital.

Soon after I got there the Queen (now the Queen Mother) came to see everybody and spoke to everybody, sisters and patients. I felt very proud as she asked me if I had come form Bologne and how many of us were there.

We had an air raid warning every time London had one. I used to go to the Methodist Church in Leatherhead and a lady had lent me a book to read.

My Three Escapes
1. One Monday morning (I was on night duty) I decided to go to the village and return the book I had been lent. I was nearly home when the air raid siren went (about 11ish) so I hurried in and had just had a wash and was about tot get into bed when there was a very big bang. (I shared a room with a friend) so we all went down to the shelter in the garden until the all clear. After a while an air-raid warden came along and said are you all alright so we said yes. I will never forget what he then said 鈥� I think you girls should get dressed and go out and find the nearest church and get down on your knees and thank God you are still alive. We hadn鈥檛 seen the house then. When we left the shelter to go indoors we found the front and back doors blown in and the ceilings down. One sister鈥檚 cap she had left on the bed was a mass of holes. We had to pack up and leave but the room where my friend and I were almost in bed was the only one intact 鈥� not even a cracked window. It was 2.00pm before we got to bed that day in another house.
2. (day duty) One night I had to take a patient from the ward over to the main building for examination (6-7pm). It was quite a big room and the Doctor (Coe) finished his examination and said 鈥淎lright Sister. Take him back.鈥� We had just got to the door to go out when he said, 鈥淏ring him back. Ill do another examination.鈥� We had just got the patient on the couch when there was a terrific bang. We all got onto the floor. It was decided to keep the patient in the main building for the night. So I left only to find the front door had been blown in, a big tree across it. I鈥檝e always been grateful to that Doctor for changing his mind because patient and I would both have been killed at the main door.
3. My third escape, which was the most frightening, was one night on night duty. My nurse, who was ? and I were just going to have our midnight meal, when we heard a whistling bomb coming down. The noise was getting louder and louder and I really thought we were going to be hit but the bomb landed about 5 miles down the road. All I could think of was my mother and father 鈥� what they would do.

Bangor, Northern Ireland
Posted to Bangor N. Ireland to Pickie Hotel for a while then moved to the Strand Hotel ..?? cause.
Was billeted with Mrs MacAfee just round the corner. All meals at Strand. We were waiting for a hospital to be built at Orangefield, Belfast. (had to go to Stranraer for crossing to Larne then train to Belfast and Bangor).
I was there several months and had one or two holidays from there. On one I travelled with a sister who was going to Manchester so though I would go with her. I arrived on Sunday morning and rang Uncles Garage for a taxi to take me to St Clements Road. I had to wait until Auntie and Uncle returned form church.
Sunday night was the night of the Manchester Blitz 鈥� very frightened. Owing to the Blitz had to go to a station quite a distance away to get a train for Lincoln Monday a.m.
On the other leave a bomb fell into the loch just opposite the Strand but didn鈥檛 do any damage!
We did a lot of walking during the day to keep fit. After a few months I was posted to Oxford (Examination School) to join 35th British General Hospital. We were there only a short time before going overseas.
We travelled up to Glasgow and the ship, The Durban Castle, for an unknown destination. We went up north, south of Iceland then down mid Atlantic. The first stop was at Freetown. We were not allowed off the ship.
I can鈥檛 remember how many ships we had in the convoy 8 or 12

D S S D
S S S S
S S S S
D S S D

D were destroyers to do the fighting if attacked!!!!

We had boat drill every morning as well as one or two emergency drills 鈥� we had to carry life belts all the time. Clocks and watches were put on half an hour each night until Cape Town.

We had three days in Cape Town. I had made friends with a regular Naval Officer who took me up to Table Mountain. I didn鈥檛 like the lift. It is very flat on top 鈥� has a caf茅 and souvenir shop as well.

I also was taken to Simons Town, a big British naval base. I had to get permission to go. From Cape Town we went to Bombay.

We were billeted at the Taj Mahal Hotel, a very big hotel 鈥� it had air conditioning. My room number was 514! Which I shared with three others. After 10 days in Bombay I was sent to Peshawar Cantonment about 10- 20 miles from Peshawar City. I was there for about three months. It was the hottest summer they had had for several years! The hospital was quite a long way from the sisters quarters so a bicycle came in useful! The Indians are very quick on the uptake- e.g. I went into a shop one morning and asked for 3 packets of S.Ts as quick as lightening the man said Misses going to move!? I was but not for another week.
After about 3 months I was recalled to Bombay where we were at the Majestic Hotel for one week before getting on ship for Iraq.
We arrived at Basra and were sent to a village called Asher just outside Basra for a few days. We then went to a tented hospital in Sluba Desert 鈥� 38 General Hospital. I was lent out to work at the 61st BCH further in the desert each day and had transport there and back. The 61st had a Regular Army Officer also a regular Matron.
Everything was army khaki and desert but we used to get the most beautiful sunsets every night that I have ever seen.

Baghdad On December 21st 1941 we went to Baghdad to a big house on the banks of the Tigris. The house was built around a tree and when it rained we had to put on Macintoshes to get to the dining room downstairs. We did not have a sitting room and had to stay in our own bedrooms. I shared with Louise Coleman and Nellie Williams 鈥� I have letters every Christmas from them.
One Sunday night I went to a C of E church with Willie and Colie 鈥� St Georges 鈥� a small church and it had flags of all nations around the walls.
To get into town we had to walk quite a long way or else take a small open boat (ferry) across the river. We were not there very long then back to the ship at Basra for an unknown destination, which turned out to be Columbo, Ceylon.
Ceylon We arrived in Colombo on Palm Sunday 1942 in the afternoon and were billet at Wesley College for 10-14 days. We (non cons) went to Masadana Methodist Church for the evening service 鈥� a small church with a beautiful stained glass window of the light of the world.
On Easter Sunday morning at about 8.00 am Ceylon had its one and only air raid. A Japanese plane was brought down and three Japs killed. Our Colonel had them buried at Mount Lavina in front of a house, which was later the officer鈥檚 ward.
That week we went to Mount Lavina and took over St Thomas鈥檚 Training College. It was not very far from the hotel and the sea.
I had a medical ward for a long time and then Dysentery and Skins.
I used to go to Colpetty Methodist church every other Sunday night. There I met
Rev Basil Jackson
Rev Max Woodward
Rev John Wright
Rev Eddie Lee
Rev John Dolby
Service at 5.30 pm followed by refreshments and singsong afterwards ending at 9.00pm by prayers. Then I used to catch a train 9.40 pm back to Mount Lavina to be met at the station by Sgt. Higgins and escorted to my bungalow.

The Rev Max Woodward left to become a naval chaplain.

I used to spend my day off at YWCA Miss Estelle Amoron being in charge. I had several holidays up country with Mr and Mrs Abdee and the Misses Annie andElsie Kellard.
I was 鈥榣ent out鈥� and went to Trinomalee for 2 months. Later on I went to 51 IGH at Ragmara for 5 months looking after east Africans. I was very happy there.
Near the end of the war we had to pack up and come home. We got on the train at about 8.00pm and arrived in Jaffra the following morning, then by boat over the Palk Strait to South India, then by train to Dhulia. The train used to stop at various stations at meal times so we could walk around a little.
We were on the train 5 days and 4 nights arriving at Dhulia at night. Stayed there one night, then to Bombay to board the 鈥淪trathnoaren鈥� to come home.

We left Bombay in early May and were somewhere between Bombay and Port Said on V.E. Day. We had a service of thanksgiving when we got to Port Said. Came home through the Med and landed at Liverpool. It was raining!
I eventually got home safely with a bad cold.
After a week or more at home I was sent to Catterick military Hospital on the Maternity ward. Was there a few weeks and was then off sick with a septic finger which I had opened up in OT Then I was warded with anemia 鈥� had a course of iron injections. Cyril (my brother) was also stationed at Catterick 鈥� we met once or twice while I was there.
One day I had a letter from Rev. Max Woodward to say he had been at the Methodist conference in Nottingham. There was a meeting for Army, Navy and Airmen. The first speaker was Rev J. Ellison Platt an army chaplain who had been taken POW. On his march he saw a Methodist hymn book on a rubbish dump at Lille. He picked it up and my name was in it and Addenbrookes. It was the only hymnbook in the POW camp Colditz and was used by all denominations at their services. I had left the book in my trunk at Dans Camier. Rev Woodward told how he knew me and I eventually got my book back. Came to Lincoln and demobbed at York in January 1946.

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