大象传媒

In October 1943, I began nursing training at King's College Hospital in Camberwell. The first three months were spent in the Preliminary Training School, learning practical nursing skills; hygiene, physiology, anatomy etc. Only in the last two weeks did we take our first tentative steps into the wards. There were about 30 in my set; there was an exam at the end of the three months, some failed and left. We were then assigned to different wards as Junior Probationers, on a three month rotation so that differing types of illness were covered. During this first year, we had several lectures a week - these had to be attended in one's off duty time. The Ward Sisters sent in reports of our progress to Matron.

We had to be up at 6.00am, breakfast, and be on duty at 7.00am, liaising with the night staff for one hour. We had four hours off duty each day, finishing at 9.00pm. If off duty in the evening, one had to be in by 10.00pm as the door was locked. It was possible to apply for a late pass until 11.00pm, but one needed a very good reason to ask Home Sister for one. Visitors were not allowed in one's room, only downstairs in a gloomy sitting room. During air raids we had to go down to the basement. Nurses on night duty moved patients down. Senior nurses stayed with any whose beds could not be moved; it was quite an undertaking. Wards were nearly always overfull, with extra beds down the centre. 30 or more patients to be cared for by one sister and four nurses during the day and one senior and one junior nurse at night - remember that most patients were in bed for at least two weeks, even apendectomies, and bottle and bed-pan rounds were routine; also cleaning up the utensils in the sluice afterwards, a place where many new nurses shed tears.

All London hospitals used beds in the surrounding countryside. King's had units at Epsom, which had been a mental hospital, and Leatherhead. Patients were moved down there as soon as they were well enough. Nursing staff also went down there for several months and we enjoyed it. The atmosphere was more relaxed and there were no air raids.

Lectures continued during the four years of training, with exams at the end of each course; then hospital finals and general (SRN) exams. Failure to pass any of these meant repeating a whole year or leaving. Only seven of my set finished the course. Some left to get married, as nurses were not allowed to marry and stay on. Some married in secret (serving soldiers etc), but if they became pregnant there was a problem. Others left for a variety of reasons.

For relaxation, I went to the ballet or various London theatres. During an air raid, a notice would go up, but nobody ever left, to my knowledge, and the performances continued - by then most people felt that if a bomb or rocket had your name on it there wasn't any point in worrying, better to just carry on as usual.

I was at Epsom just before D Day; we knew something major was in the offing as wards were almost emptied ready for casualties, most only stayed a night or two before being moved further inland. After a month or so, more stayed for necessary surgery and medical care. It was a change for us to have so many young men as patients and there were many romances, including my best friend and myself. We also had some of McIndoes Guinea Pigs, when they needed treatment other than skin grafts, it was an exciting and rewarding time. Penicillin was introduced about this time, the effect was dramatic, intractable infections could, in most cases, be cured. However, penicillin was then given by a deep injection, being a thick yellow suspension and was painful for the patient. It had to be given several times a day, unpleasant for the patient.

I was back at King's College on VE Day, after coming off duty at 9.00pm, nearly all of us went up to London to celebrate, we felt the rules would be relaxed for one night and they were. Most off duty staff went up to town, so they had to be! We joined the crowds at Buckingham Palace, cheering until we were hoarse and the Royal family had come onto the balcony several times. Then we moved on to Whitehall and cheered Churchill. It was an amazing experience being in such a crowd of happy people, all friendly, talking and drinking. When we decided it was time to return to King's College Hospital all public transport had stopped and we had to walk back to Camberwell, five or six miles, but we all made it and reported for duty on time the next morning.

I finished my training in 1947, becoming an SRN. Much more importantly, I married my soldier patient and we had 49 wonderful years together.

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