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‘Sapper Dave Barwell from Edlington, a miner by trade, was released from the army to return to work in the mines. Dave had been acting as the unit medical orderly. He had to persuade someone to take the job as this was a precondition for his release back to civy street. As soon as I agreed to take on the medical job he got away very quickly.
‘The next morning when the sick reported I was surprised to see my first patient with some kind of a head covering. On examination it was evidently some kind of eczema and I put him on one side to see a doctor.
‘The next person on sick parade was also a case for the doctor's attention. My predecessor had been treating the victim with Thermogene on his chest. The result of the medication was some painful burns on his chest. For me this was a useful introduction to medicine. My cures might be just as bad as the original problem.
‘My first day as a medical orderly was not very encouraging. The usual need was to treat cuts, bruises and boils. On one occasion, I mentioned to the doctor that my experience was one year's training for a St John's certificate for first aid. He laughed and said all I needed was some aspirins, some Number 9s (the army's laxative), sodium sulphate for waxed ears and plenty of common sense.’

This story was submitted to the people’s War site by a volunteer from CSV Oxford on behalf of the late Bill Harvey. It is a transcript of his own diary and several interviews. He gave written permission for the material to be edited and published.

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