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An Army Nurse leaves Gebeit for Cairo in 1942

Annette Le Page was a nurse who had trained in London. She came from Guernsey, which had been occupied by the Germans, so she was out of contact with her home and family. The following is an extract from the diary which is in the form of the letters which she could not send to her family.

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Mon. January 26th, 1942. 7am.
Back at Gebeit. Margaret & I were loath to settle down, especially as we had two more days of our week鈥檚 leave to come. We set out for the hills at 11am, carrying tins of soup, sausages &fruit plus frying pan. We built a fire and cooked our lunch 鈥� jolly good it was too.
We lazed & read until 4.30pm. when we returned to be confronted by Mary Jack that Margaret Hingston, Nancy Laythorpe, Ella Hubbard-Voyce & I were to be transferred to the 63rd general at Cairo.
We were heartbroken at the thought of being separated. We were hoping to travel with the unit to Palestine.
We talked and talked, everyone upset at the news. The powers that be are trying to cancel it, but matron is not due back until Thursday.
Tues
Padre took four of us to Erkovit 鈥� our famous beauty spot 39 miles away. The road was terrible & we had to be dug out of the sand by the natives at one stage.
We had a picnic lunch there 鈥� the grass was green & flowers everywhere 鈥� like small 鈥渉ot pokers鈥� 鈥� it was marvellous. We retuned just before 3pm. Margaret & I dashed to our rooms and were out on the camels by 3pm.
Miss Johnson had a picnic supper by moonlight for the 鈥渇amily鈥� 鈥� we again cooked sausages, tomatoes (tinned) Brussel sprouts (also tinned) & poached some eggs in tomato juice. Delicious! Beautifully hot. We had taken flasks of coffee & then after all the cooking and eating was over we made a huge bonfire - (a farewell picnic).
Wed. Jan 28th
A year ago tonight we arrived at Gebeit. I packed in the morning, cleaned my Beatrice stove & hurricane lamp, packed my bed & blankets. What a parting 鈥� we just managed Jack, Margaret & I to go for a walk before lunch.
On Duty in the afternoon.
Everyone hopes to cancel our transfer.
Mary Jack is most upset at being left behind 鈥� so am I at the thought of being separated from her.
Thurs.
Matron was unaware of the transfers and is trying to stop them.
I have just made some sandwiches for Margaret Hingston, Joyce Weston & I take with us on a long camel ride this afternoon.
Saturday Jan, 31st
Have had quite a hectic day. Played tennis with Betty Tucker in the morning & had coffee with her at Mrs Grahams, quite a joy to have it in a private house. Went to the officer鈥檚 mess after lunch and played tennis the entire afternoon.
Miss Johnson, Mary, Margaret Hubbard, [Shanksmith] & Matron & I went for a camp fire supper picnic 鈥� we built another huge fire & cooked sausages, eggs, & Brussels sprouts 鈥� excellent.

Sunday. Feb 1st
The worst has come 鈥� we have to go on Tuesday. We are all very sorry at the parting

Monday Feb. 2 (Auntie鈥檚 birthday)
We are making the most of our time in the Sudan.
We waked to the water hole again to say Good bye.
Tuesday
Our last day has come 鈥� we packed in the morning & in the afternoon Margaret & I went for our last camel ride in the Sudan, we fairly galloped over the desert, climbed hills & thoroughly enjoyed the scenery.
Looking back on our stay in Gebeit, we seem to have forgotten all the difficulties, the terriffic heat which strained our tempers, and only remember the joys and pleasures of the last few months.
We had a marvellous send-off 鈥� The Col. came to the mess & said a few kind words, & then he & the Matron came to the station to see us off. Almost the entire medical & Nursing staff came to see us off 鈥� after all the cheerio鈥檚 & unexpected salutations 鈥� the train moved off. I hated to leave Mary Jack. As we passed the camp for the next 10mins 鈥攖he sergeants mess waved the lamps & [waved] from their mess, & as we passed the wards the night sisters came to the railway lines & waved their hurricane lamps shouting out their messages of good luck, & so we left.
We all foregathered for a much needed cup of coffee & felt that whatever had happened we good could not have had a better send-off & now we go again almost into the unknown.
Feb 8th.
We have arrived at the 63rd Gen. Hospital after five days journey through the desert and up 鈥� or rather down the Nile. The desert part was rather boring 鈥� the 48 36 hrs on the steamer was more interesting 鈥� then more train journey, and eventually arrived in Cairo at 7.30am.

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