The war was very dangerous and my life along with many others was at stake every day. The other nurses and I worked in field hospitals, evacuation hospitals, front lines, general hospitals and sometimes in hospital ships. No matter where I worked, the conditions I had to face were gruesome. At some situations, there would be men lying on the floor awaiting surgery because all the bunks were filled. Each day, the hospitals were filled with injured men and the temperature of the room felt over 50 degrees. Everyone in the hospital worked at an intense speed and as the afternoon came, more wounded men arrived and there were shortages of medical supplies. Army doctrine would be working hard to keep the medical supplies under good watch in order to immediately replace the quickly used up stocks. There was great pressure for everyone working; many doctors had to perform surgeries by passing scissors back and forth to another because of the shortage of supplies. We would also use cleaning rags instead of face masks and operate without gloves during surgeries to improve efficiency.
To make situations even more extreme, working in the front lines was like a heart attack each second. I would wake up early in the morning and along with other nurses, we would board boats that carried around 5 nurses, 3 medical officers, and 20 enlisted men. I wore a helmet and carried a pack containing musette bags, gas masks, and canteen belts. The only thing that would distinguish the other nurses and I from fighting troops would be the Red Cross arm bands and lack of weapons. Our shelter would be in abandoned areas like beach houses but however, barely getting enough time for rest, the commanding officer would bring us to the abandoned civilian hospital and we would begin caring for the injured men. At these places, there was no electricity or running water, the only medical supplies were the ones we brought ourselves. Each moment, my heart would be pounding due to the loud sniper fires and bombs falling. Nevertheless, I continued to hold flashlights so the doctors could operate and had to remain completely focused for these men’s lives were on my hands. Once again, there were not enough beds for all the wounded soldiers and they would have to lie on the concrete floor in pools of blood.
The conditions in the field hospitals were slightly better. Approximately 80 operations a day could be performed and 85% of the soldiers operated in field hospitals survived. When the recovering patients grew strong enough, they would be transported by ambulance to evacuation hospitals. The evacuation hospitals had 53 nurses and could accommodate up to 750 patients. General Hospitals were normally established in buildings with running water and electricity. Even though the general hospitals were much more comfortable and seemed safer, they were frequently subject to enemy air attacks. General Hospitals were usually the last place soldiers would be sent to unless they needed specialized lab tests or long periods of recuperation and therapy.
I did not work in hospital ships often but when I did, they were quite efficient and saved many people’s lives. These Hospital Ships offered maximum safety, comfort, medical care and was well protected. The ships’ purpose was to perform operations on patients overseas which weren’t as popular as normal hospitals on land. Did you receive any sort of injuries during the war that required you to visit the hospitals? If so, how did you feel when you saw all those people who were in so much pain? Do you have any suggestions on how the hospitals or workers could have improved to make the lives of the wounded patients better?
Thankfully, other than minor cuts and bruises, I did not suffer any great injuries that would require me to visit a hospital ship. It was heartbreaking seeing all the men injured. I saw them being transported to a hospital ship,in pain and unable to move. Most of them were quite young, full of optimism and energy, and seeing them lying on the ground really saddened me. Unfortunately, some of them did not survive. I remember wanting to get revenge on the German U-boats who had caused such great damage on Canadian and British vessels. This really motivated me into working my hardest so that by winning, it would mean that they did not die in vain. It would be difficult to improve the hospitals with such limited material, but I think maybe to let them write a letter to their loved ones, or if they are not able to do so then to have the nurses write it because I'm sure for those who know their time is almost done, they would want to tell their family one last thing.
ReplyDeleteThe conditions of the hospitals on the front lines sound horrendous. Those poor soldiers...It must have been horrible, lying on the ground, in a pool of blood, listening to other men screaming in pain, doctors and nurses yelling at each other...
ReplyDeleteI recieved two serious injuries throughout the war. The first one I was working on a car in the garage and the suspension holding it up broke and the back part of it fell on my legs. Luckily, they were only broken and I was only at the hospital for a few days. The second time, when I was helping to clear rubble of the street, I cut myself on the arm. It wasn't deep, but it became infected and I spent about two weeks in hospital.
Because the hospitals were inland, away from the battles, the conditions weren't that bad, however they were full and I kept having to move beds.
I'm admire your ability to work under pressure, as it must have been so hard not to panic and loose control of oneself. Although there seemed to be a good survival rate in the hospitals, it would have been hard to see all these young men die. The good news is, they did not die in vain, and they shall be remembered by all forever.
You are extremely brave to have lived and worked efficiently through those excruciating and dreadful conditions. You were surrounded by suffering, and yet you had the courage to continue working and helping the wounded men. Though it sounds like some procedures could have been better, such as the sharing of surgical equipment, I am confident that all medical caregivers were trying their best and that there was really not much you could improve when you only had access to a limited amount of supplies. I received many deep cuts that required medical attention while working in the factory, but hospital conditions in Canada were practically heaven compared to what you faced overseas.
ReplyDeletePrivate, your wound got infected, but you were not sent home? Are there any specific criteria that have to be met in order for an injury to be considered a blighty?
ReplyDeleteAnd, speaking of remembering people, I think this will further strengthen the images in peoples minds when they consider what it means to be Canadian. These are the kinds of amazing things Canadians have done and still do!
Those conditions are horrendous. I thought that for sure, no one could have experienced anything near what I did during my missions which could potentially last several months. I must admit though, your experiences come pretty close. You may not have had to deal with it for as long as me, but the trauma from everything around you and everything you were seeing must have been unbearable. I must ask, how ever did you cope? I still have nightmares to this day about my war expereinces...
I couldn't usually afford to use medical services of the country I was in. Going to a hospital would mean that several people would be looking over my papers. It also means that they will have a record of my being there. These are two things we were taught to avoid if at all possible. I either had to learn to help myself of I had to seek help from a contact that was a doctor.
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ReplyDeleteI was never directly in battle. I was helping clear the streets of London, as it had been severely bombed. It took two weeks for me to recover fully. It wasn't necessary to send me home - personally I think it was more trouble than it was worth, especially since other people needed those services a lot more than I did.
Might want to ask a nurse that - is there a criteria for a wound to be considered blighty?
Overseas, while training in Yorkshire, England I landed my plane awkwardly, and my thigh collided into the side door. With my luck, a sharp object poked my thigh and I experienced a deep cut. I suffered excruciating pain and I never thought my thigh would ever stop bleeding. I was rushed into the closest hospital and demanded to be treated by a doctor. The hospital was packed with injured soldiers from battle. My injury seemed like nothing compared to some soldiers that were fighting for their lives. Surgical equipment did not seem very sanitary and it seemed like nurses were trying to serve everyone quickly. The hospital was complete chaos. Nurses calling for assistance, patients yelling in pain, blood everywhere, and it seemed like there weren’t enough nurses in compassion to wounded soldiers. Hospitals back at home were much nicer and less crowded.
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