大象传媒

Miriam was born in Wellington,Somerset on 27th Sept. 1917,the second daughter of the late Frank and Ethel Batstone. She started training in the Nursing profession as soon as she was able at Torbay Hospital.After a full 3 years training she gained State Registered Status and became a Staff Nurse.In 1938 she moved to Exmouth Hospital.
The Second World War boke out just over a year later and Miriam joined The Queen Alexandra's Imperial Nursing Service.
Miriam's first posting was to the large Military Hospital at Netley, Southampton, which was a bleak Victorian building and the catering was poor. However the local W.V.S.gave them splendid support within wartime limitations.Netley was a Medical Corps Base Hospital which utilised trained staff on a holding basis until they were posted.In a matter of weeks she found herself on board the "Windsor Castle". It was later reported that the convoy which they joined was the largest that had left these shores,with the destination unknown to the passengers.
They experienced a good deal of "attention from U Boats(real and false alarms) but were lucky indeed.Miriam's outstanding memory was the high standard of catering as compared with Netley Hospital which they enjoyed on board.
Eventually they reached Capetown and after a mere glance at Table Mountain they set off again to Durban.There they had a break of several days with the local people entertaining them right royally,including a wonderful visit to the Valley of a Thousand Hills. Then it was re-embarkation and the long haul up through the Indian Ocean to Karachi. Hardly any time in Karachi and then they travelled on to the Military base at Quetta in Baluchistan.
Several Military Hospitals were in the area which served both the civillian and military population and these units served as a transit base for incoming Nursing Staff.Very high day temperatures meant that the Q.A's wore the all white tropical uniform but at sundown when temperatures plummeted they donned their grey "dress" with the scarlet piped capes. Acclimatisation here was short lived and Miriam moved to Gahati.Here she received her posting to the Arakan Front in Burma.She was ordered to get there herself.Service folk usually travelled in recognised units which fitted neatly into the established travel system, but she was alone and of course the Arakan area was right the other side of India.She received very little help and travelled continuously night and day carrying only her personal kit.It must have been a terrifying experience and certainly unique.The railway carriage seats were simply wooden slatted benches and forced train stops wre common.The passengers were not allowed to get off even to stretch their legs. That luxury was only permitted at recognised stops,but at these stops there were,surprisingly,several varieties of good quality food available.
As they travelled towards Calcutta, at one of these stops Miriam saw another lone Q.A.standing on the platform.They rushed at each other,found they were going to the same destination so joined forces.Her name was Miss J.M.Barrie and she was from Dundee. After this meeting they travelled on further towards Calcutta until at another stop they met three more Q.A's,Miss O'Sullivan of Sneeme,Killarney,Miss F.J.Blaylock of Carlisle and Miss D.M.Field of Peterborough-so "now there were five".Miss Field had had years of nursing experience in Burma and had earlier marched out the hard way with some of our troops and refugees when we had withdrawn from Burma and was now returning to the Arakan- with three pips on her shoulders.She therefore became Matron,in the expectation that she and the four Nursing Sisters together would comprise the Staff of a Casualty Clearing Station.
The five stayed awhile in Calcutta and really enjoyed the hospitality of the civilian population, particularly via "The Lady Mary Herbert Club" until the organisation of the C.C.S. had been set up. When the signal came for them to move forward they did so by train-but now they were a Unit.This train was one of a convoy of three and their's was commanded by Colonel "Ginger" Hayes who later became a personal friend of Miriam and her fiance Peter Gilroy.
The Arakan is the coastal province of Burma bordering the Bay of Bengal with the Port city of Rangoon at the southern end and the Indian city of Chittagong (now Banladeshi) at its northern end.The Arakan area contained a number of airfields,some of which the Japs had already captured in their attempt to invade India.There was extremely hard fighting with heavy casualties,which were taken direct from the front line to the Casualty Clearing Stations which were set up as close to the Front as possible(compatible with safety).Minor casualties were dealt with and returned to their units but more severe cases(if capable of withstanding the hard travelling conditions) were sent further back to better equipped Hospitals.However the men needing immediate surgery etc. were dealt with in the nearest casualty Clearing Stations.

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