Page 40 - QARANC Vol 16 No 1 2018

38 QARANC THE GAZETTE
Mary Elizabeth Nora Irish (nee Howard) Born 4 August 1915. Died 19 November 2017
Mary trained at Gosport War Memorial and Royal Portsmouth Hospitals, becoming a State Registered Nurse. In 1939 she applied to the Regular QAIMNS, afterwards joking that she was refused entry because of being unable to play hockey. However, she was called up to Netley Military Hospital when war was declared three weeks later and joined the Queen Alexandra’s Imperial Military Nursing Service Reserve (QAIMNS[R]).
Initially Mary was deployed to Egypt in a tented medical ward. Here, with very little support, she was in charge of 40 patients with diseases such as yellow fever, smallpox and polio, which she knew nothing about and had never dealt with.
Later, on night duty on her surgical ward, patients complained of rats nibbling their toes. Switching the light on she saw the rats scuttling out of their beds. She demanded the Colonel’s presence as he had ignored written requests. On witnessing the problem, he was astounded and immediately ordered the roof to be cleared. Mary had prevented an outbreak of bubonic plague. Here, in Egypt, she amicably shared a tent for four years with three other nursing sisters who became lifelong friends.
Mary was posted to a Casualty Clearing Station (CCS) in Anzio; however, she explained that they were a bit late due to Vesuvius erupting. Arriving at the beachhead by hospital ship she had to jump to a small boat “down there somewhere”. There was a huge swell and Mary had always been terrified of the sea. Every time she thought about jumping, there was a big expanse of water. Eventually, closing her eyes, she jumped landing in the arms of a sailor who said “Sister Howard what are you doing here”? Mary had nursed him in Gosport for an appendectomy. She asked what the “splish sploshes” were and was told, “That’s just shells, but don’t worry they are not doing very well this morning”! Crawling up the beach under shellfire, she heard a soldier exclaim “Christ, a woman”. When she arrived at the CCS, the Colonel met her and asked “Do you play hockey”?
At 65 General Hospital, Naples, patients were on stretchers in the corridors, up the stairs and everywhere. There were no beds and not enough staff. Matron met each patient and ensured they had a cup of tea and a cigarette. In her memoirs Mary is very open about her experiences and difficulties of working with very limited resources in such a demanding environment.
At Cassino, Mary describes the ambulances arriving at the Field Hospital, after bringing the injured down the mountain, avoiding mines and driving without lights. She was in total admiration of the drivers. Then the rousing cheer when the ambulances arrived safely, with lights, as the battle had been won.
Mary married Kenneth Irish in 1945. She had met him in Sienna during the war where he was an Army dental surgeon and stretcher bearer. They ran two dental surgeries at the family home in Southampton. Ken worked seven long days so Mary took responsibility for raising their three girls and keeping the practice shipshape. Her nursing experience made her quick to recognise medical symptoms resulting in early treatment for her daughters.
The family moved to the village of Titchfield, near Fareham, where Mary grew raspberries for Covent Garden. She also enjoyed tailoring and lampshade classes, joined the village Women’s Institute, was a founder member of its market
and was very involved with the community centre. She encouraged her girls with their skating, horse riding and Guides and supported them throughout their lives.
Mary devoted several years to caring for Ken during his illness later in his life. Following his passing, anxious to avoid being a burden on her daughters, she bravely began buying and selling antiques/bric-a-brac. She loved watching the sea, visiting tea rooms and clothes shopping. At home ornithology became an absorbing pastime from the comfort of her armchair. Mary was desperate to keep her mind active, so she played Scrabble, solved crosswords and invented word games. She loved her grandchildren and great grandchildren and was always happy to listen and give advice. Mary relished company and conversation; she was a fantastic narrator and delighted in saying - “it is not worth telling a story unless you exaggerated a little”!
It was clear to me and Cpl Emily Johnson at Mary’s funeral on behalf of the Corps and the QA Association, that she was loved and respected by so many. It was clear that she was immensely proud of her service in the QAs. We were both incredibly honoured to be invited by Mary’s family to attend such a service in memory of an incredible woman, nurse, wife, mother, grandmother and great-grandmother.
I would recommend Mary’s memoirs that have been put together by her Grandson and are available to read at - http:// www.italystarassociation.org.uk/history/memoirs-of-mary- irish/.
Cpl Jason Stokes
Defence Medical Group South