Page 10 - QARANC Vol 14 No 10 2015

8 QARANC THE GAZETTE
India 1944 – 1947
To put readers in the picture, I should perhaps say that I started my general nursing training in June 1939 in Jersey Channel Isles, where I lived, just before war was declared. In view of the expected German occupation in June 1940, I was evacuated and with special dispensation from the G.N.C. (General Nursing Council), I was allowed to continue my training in England. This I did at the Royal Free Hospital in London, but after 3 years of nursing during the Blitz, I decided I’d like a change and joined the QAIMNS in November 1943, because I was now and SRN.
After two months in Oxford learning how the Army “did it”, I and about thirty others travelled by train to Scotland, embarked on the Clyde, destination unknown, but which later turned out to be India. I was hoping to go to Italy!
From Bombay, now Mumbai, four of us had a forty eight hour journey to Secunderbad, in Southern India and a few miles from Hyderabad. The hospital, previously an Army barracks, had only been opened three weeks before we arrived and was only one of three in the area of about three square miles, although we had no contact at all with the other two hospitals.
Our living quarters were quite excellent and consisted of a living room, bedroom and down a couple of steps to a small room with a tin bath and loo, into which one always looked before use. Why? Fear of snakes and we were told to look in our shoes for scorpions – their stings are vicious. These quarters were in blocks of 6 or 8. There were several blocks and we each had our own bearer, but shared a dhobi for washing our clothes. We were spoiled but we worked hard and took our off-duty when able. The Mess was near-by and where I learned to eat proper curry! We learned a few phrases of Urdu coming over on the ship.
Most of our patients were Indians, including Gurkhas, but there was an E.N.T. ward for British soldiers. They had all been fighting in Burma. On day duty we wore white dresses and our fly-away caps, but on ‘nights’ we wore khaki trouser and shirts, to avoid mosquitoes.
My first few months in the hospital were on the medical wards, and then I was given the maxillary-facial ward where there were some very sad cases.
Lady Louis Mountbatten visited the hospital, and I suppose because the Max Fax ward was a little different she came to see us. I was introduced to her and she toured the ward with the matron, surgeon and me in tow.
Near the hospital there was a small village with stalls and tent type coverings. One could buy ‘odds and ends’ but in Secunderabad we could buy material and have dresses made very cheaply.
We nurses bought cycles because, as nurses we were not allowed to travel on buses with the locals, and the taxis were too expensive for our meagre salaries. This was the only way for us to visit Secunderabad and explore the countryside. It was not much fun cycling in the heat and when the monsoons came they were almost welcome. You became wet very quickly but then you dried out quickly as well.
On Wednesday and Saturday evenings there was always dancing at a near-by officers club and there was never a
shortage of an escort.
Following some months on day duty, I went on to nights
on the same ward. On my first night I was attacked by a patient with a knife. This resulted in a facial wound to me and one to my right hand. My trousers saved me from anything worse as I was able to kick. My screams brought help from a near-by ward as my Indian orderlies had disappeared. I learned later that the patient had nothing against me personally – I never thought that he had. I think it was severe depression following his dreadful facial wounds. Soon after this happened he attacked his guard.
Following sick leave, I returned to the same ward but on day duty and then a month or so later I was posted to Avadi, twenty miles from Madras. The hospital was surrounded by rough land and there was little in the form of transport. The war was now over.
Living quarters were less resplendent, we had basha huts. These are made of mud and grass and where it was nothing to see rats running up and down the supporting posts.
The mess was good – the food also. Off duty was pretty boring as it was difficult to get to Madras and there was nothing to do in Avadi.
I was put on a British Officers’ Ward and later had to open up another ward for officers where I stayed until my discharge in 1946, which I requested, as I had by then married an officer in Secunderabad – not a patient! We returned to England in 1947.
Betty Jenkins (nee Sinnatt)