大象传媒

I was born Irene Green on l8th. December l914 - a great disappointment to my mother who already had madge and ida and was looking forward to a boy. At the time my dad was serving in the Lancashire Fusiliers having previously served in the Boar War. Incidently my father didn't see me until i was four years old and I remember the day he came home. He was "that man "to me" I saw him taking his puttees off and he didn't mind that I was a girl and had a great love for children. He loved me and we were very close.

My mother got her wish when my brother eric was born six and a half years later. My childhood and teenage years varied a great deal between happy and sad times, especially during the General Strike. Such a lot happened during those poverty stricken years - until l937 and then the rumours of War.

At the time I was working in a gown shop on Lord Street Southport and I knew that I would have to do something for the War effort and decided to attend St.John's First Aid classes and Home Nursng and received certificates for these.

On my half days and saturdays I attended Ormskirk County Hospital to gain experience in nursing, more or less a crash course Little did I know then that I would be there for a further six and a half years and continue in the nursing profession for over sixty.

War broke out in September l939 and I well remember that fateful Sunday - I was with my family in Newton-le-Willows and it was not long afterwards that I received orders to go to the hospital where six army huts had been installed in the grouds. These were numbered 1 to 6. Starting on hut one, where Sister Fry was in charge, and although there were to patients, my career had commenced.

We were on night duty and the sister lectured us and said we would be working from 8pm until 8am and never under any circumstances should we fall asleep. Also we would receive the princely sum of l7/6 per week, and whoever we were billeted with would receive one pound -1-0 per week from the government

I remember vividly Dunkirk - June 4th. 1940.
We had returned troops sent to us and I was with sister Fry on night duty again. The ward was full with 42 patients and not one could speak English. The bread was given out for breakfast, ready for whatever was coming from the main kitchen. The poor souls must have thought they were on bread and water diet as they had eaten the bread. I told sister Fry they had eaten the bread and she said "Go Green and tell them they are having bacon." Oh dear! In I went and had to grunt like a pig, but they understood. Th next morning it was eggs - no trouble - but the third morning it was sausages. I could not sing "Oh sweet mystery of life," but they got the message.

The comradeship between the staff was wonderful and I made lots of friends, especially Elsie (Griffiths). We became very close. She lived at home in Burscough Road. One afternoo she invited me home to tea. It remains in my memory to this day and I was introduced to hr family - Mum, Dad, Edward, Evelyn and Ruth.

My eyes rested on the table - there was a sauucer of meat and potatoe pies (little meat as it was rationed) Mrs Griffiths was a wonderful cook and could make a good meal out of a Corset bone. How I enjoyed that pie which was followed by peaches and home made sponge cake.

I lived with my friends at Skelersdale until the winter of 1040. Again on night duty,it snowed heavily during my sleepig hours and I walked to the hospital - a mere 3 miles. There was a raid on at the time and I prayed as I walked asking God to spare me.

It was a busy night as casualties were coming in and I could nt face that journey back home again. Elsie said, "you can come home with me" and I didn't need askig twice. We arrived and our greeting was "poor wenches, get near the fire, while I get you something to eat." We both fell asleep - a gentle tap on the shoulder and were eating our meal.

Then Mrs Griffiths said, " you can stay here until the end of the war." I was supplied with a nightdress and a toothbrush until I received by belngings and fortunately the roads were made passable the next day.

The years I lived with the Griffits's family were happy and I was treated as one of the famly. We had sme god times as well as sad. On our days off seveal nurses would go to Southport, ad I particularly remember on one occasion Elsie saw a hat in the window of an exclusive shop (we wore hats in those days) Elsie said "Go in Green and ask the price" so in I went and came out with a smile on my face and said "It is only 5 guineas (five pounds 50 in to-days money). she said "Go back in ad tell them that I want one for best." That was five and a half weeks pay to us.

The discipline is very slack today compared with the war years. Doctors were called "Sir" and stand to attention whenever Matron did her rounds, unless attending to a patient when you wre allowed to carry on.

We gave concerts for the troops in our spare time and there were talented people among the staff, excluding me, but believe it or not I was Cleopatra. So we got together, my dress was made out of an ld sheet and net curtains and we borroed jewellery. I have a photgraph taken with Mrs Gamp. On other occasions we held dances at the hosptial in a room where the floor was so uneven we were doing the Polka when it should have been a Waltz.

The 102 General Hospital wwas stationed in\Ormskirk at the Teachers Training College. The college is still there today, but much enlarged. Several nurses were invited to go there as thye had dances anc oncerts whenever possible. I went on severaloccasions and on one visit Glen Miller and his band played. It was at this hospital that I met my husband. I was a introduced to him as "This is QMS Smudge" and to this day I still call him by that name. We became friendly and whenever we could we went ou. By this time Elsie waas engaged to a boy named Richard Harrison - sadly he was killed and I don't think that she ever got over it, as he was a local boy.

When on day duty Mrs Griffiths prepared our breakfast and sometimes we would gt the bus, but we were wise. Flo Critchley lived at Halsall (she was one of my friends who I still visit when I go to Lancs) she was one of the few who had a car and was able to get a small amount of petrol, as there was not transport between where she lived and Ormskirk - a saving of 2d bus fare.

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