大象传媒

As a farmer鈥檚 daughter on the Welsh border in Shropshire, I was needed at home to work for my parents. Despite objections, my friend and I decided we wanted to do something else for the war effort. We both volunteered for the Civil Nursing reserve which could mean being sent anywhere in the country. My parents weren鈥檛 very happy to loose a pair of hands but at 24 I cold make up my own mind.

First we were sent to Ellesmere Cottage Hospital for just a fortnight鈥檚 intensive training, these included assisting operations in theatre. One thing stands out in my memory was my first time in theatre to observe a tonsil operation, this involved a large amount of blood, and I can still remember the fainting feeling!

After this we went to the Royal Salop Infirmary but it wasn鈥檛 long before we were needed at the specially converted Hodnet Hall emergency hospital in response to the bombings in Birmingham. Post-operation patients were evacuated from the city, along with some soldiers. We and the patients were transported following operations on old red busses 鈥� not the most comfortable!

Hodnet Hall was a stately home whose top floor had been converted into an emergency ward to meet the demands of war. Although nursing was hard going at times, I always felt lucky to be living in such lovely surroundings. I shared a room with 6 others; we slept on iron army beds. We had to make our own entertainment using the Hall鈥檚 dinning room to put on our own concerts. Christmas 1942, I remember we nurses were invited to a concert and dance at Stoke-on-Tern, the front seats were reserved for us. The R.W.F entertained us with comic items ad Welsh songs. After the concert we were escorted to the officer鈥檚 mess for a lovely supper. The rest of the evening was spent dancing. Travel was difficult with a few bus services, when we were off duty we had to cycle or walk anywhere we wanted to go. We used to start walking towards Market Drayton and hitchhike the rest of the way. One day I remember cycling to Wellington to see 鈥楪one with the Wind.鈥�

I had to take three months off to nurse my mother and during this time the bombing abated in Birmingham and the need for Hodnet was not so great. I was sent to Cheddleton where, amongst other things the radium department of the North Staffordshire Royal Infirmary had been evacuated to. We used to prepare the radium needles to be used to treat cancer patients as well as nursing injured soldiers. Whilst at Cheddleton I had the opportunity to see the Saddlers鈥� Wells Opera Company at Hanley.

When Cheddleton closed, Matron was needed for the isolation hospital on the Isle of Wight and she asked a few of us to follow. It was there that I spent my last nursing years.

The time I spent nursing changed and enriched my life. It gave me the chance to make life-long friends and make a difference to the war effort. It was a great and unforgettable experience and a very happy time. I married twelve months after returning home but never nursed again.

This story was submitted to the People鈥檚 War site by Anastasia Travers a volunteer with WM CSV Actiondesk on behalf of Olwen Owen and has been added to the site with her permission. Olwen Owen fully understands the sites terms and conditions.

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