大象传媒

We had soldiers come and stay sometimes, and that caused great excitement, as you can imagine. Some of them went to eye-block, and some of them went to the plastic ward, some to orthopaedic ward; but it was wonderful. They helped us with all of the domestic work we had to do. They were adept at serving meals 鈥� one handed; one legged; walking sticks 鈥� no matter. We used to have to polish the floor with a dummy, and they swung it round, and they found a new use for it- they polished the centre table with it, and it came up beautifully.

We had to sort all of the soiled linen- dry and wet into two piles, and they were very naughty 鈥� they used to put a mouse in with the linen sometimes, a dead mouse to frighten us. But they used to help us count it and sort it.

We also had to serve the breakfast when we were on night-duty and they鈥檇 help you with the teas.

I had one soldier who was pushing it around very enthusiastically, with his walking stick in one hand and he pushed it so violently that all the cups went flying off 鈥� so we had to pick them all up. They were all super though, and great fun.

I remember one incident when the soldiers who were patients on the eye-block they鈥檇 gone out into town for the evening. They came back and they were going up and down, up and down in the lift (I expect they were a bit merry) and the night superintendent was demanding that they come down 鈥淎t Once!鈥�, But they were just laughing.

This story was submitted to the People鈥檚 War site by Becky Barugh of the 大象传媒 Radio Shropshire CSV Action Desk on behalf of Patricia Davies and has been added to the site with her permission. The author fully understands the site's terms and conditions.

See more of Pat's stories:

• 1) I suppose it was inevitable鈥�
• 2) Getting used to being on the wards
• 3) The unchanging rota
• 4) Othopaedic Wards
• 5) The Miners
• 6) Keeping coffee warm in the sterilizer
• 7) Mouth gags and tongue clips
• 8) Dear Flower Girl
• 9) Theatres
• 10) The Nurse鈥檚 Home
• 11) The 鈥楪uinea Pig Club鈥�
• 13) Enamel washbowls on your heads
• 14) Extra Work
• 15) Shake and Shake鈥�
• 16) Little Nurse
• 17) A lot of things were introduced during the War
• 18) Only two nights off
• 19) Making and Breaking
• 20) My little bucket and I
• My visit to post-War Germany

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