Page 52 - QARANC Vol 14 No 12 2016

50 QARANC THE GAZETTE
Eveline Duff
Major Eveline Duff nee Rowston was born in February 1915. She was one of triplets and the daughter of an Army Officer. Born in Dorchester each of the 3 girls weighed in at about 2lbs and don’t forget this is long before the NHS and such facilities as a Special Care Baby Unit.
The girls and Mum went home and a midwife was employed to help look after them. One morning however Mum asked the midwife if she wouldn’t mind lighting the already laid fire. The midwife immediately put on her hat and coat and left for good as “she was not a maid.” Mum and Granny then looked after the girls. They were not Christened until nearly 1 year old at St George’s Church Fordington. As they arrived on the Sunday morning Mum remarked that there must be something on as a crowd had gathered. Eveline’s Dad then said “they have come to see our girls. Eveline was the last surviving triplet.
She trained at the London Hospital Whitchapel when student nurses worked unbelievably hours and saw incredible poverty and suffering, the London being in what was one of the poorest areas of the capitol. Think TV’s “Call the Midwife” but before Penicillin and the NHS. After finishing both SRN and Midwifery training in 1939 she volunteered to join Queen Alexandra’s Royal Army Nursing Corps and was sent to Palestine where she was to meet a handsome RNVR officer at a party in the Ward Room at Port Said. Sadly he was married so nothing became of
their friendship and Evelyn went on to serve a full career in the Corps. She served in many parts of the world including Pakistan and Kenya working in all fields of nursing.
Her last posting was at Bovington as Matron. At that time Bovington still had a maternity unit and she combined her Matron’s role and midwifery. Towards the end of her service the handsome RNVR officer, who had never forgotten her tried to find her. At his first attempt he was told that she was in Northern Ireland, sadly she was actually in Catterick.
She retired in 1960 at the end of her service they were married in 1961. Commander Douglas V Duff DSC was a writer of adventure books for boys and Eveline accompanied him around the world on lecture tours. A great happy ending.
Eveline never forgot her comrades in Arms and she was a member of the Bournemouth branch of the QARANC Association until it closed. On the formation of the Jurassic Coast branch she was one of the founder members, attending the inaugural meeting and lunch at the Lobster Pot on Portland. For your interest Eveline was the only QA I know who could recite Humpty Dumpty in Urdu.
Eveline’s funeral took place at St Anne’s Church Radipole on 2nd November 2015.
Lt Col (Retd) Marjorie Bandy Chairman Jurassic Coast Branch
Diana Mary O’Brien 1920–2016
The Millbank Branch are sorry to announce the death of Diana O’Brien at the age of 95. Sadly she died in hospital following a stroke.
Her funeral was held at the Golders Green Crematorium and led by Hugh Bernard a Civil Funeral Celebrant.
Diana was born in Allerton to Richard and Katherine Sugden, sadly her mother passed away when Diana was about 8yrs. She had a sister Josephine who died a few years ago. Diana enjoyed the company of her half-sister Yvonne and half-brother Richard. Diana was a bright pupil at the Queen Elizabeth Grammar School in Kirkby Lonsdale Cumbria. She was keen on classical ballet and loved music.
With WW2 looming her father did not want his daughters to work in a factory so they trained as nurses in Yorkshire. After training Diana joined the QAIMNS Reserve in 1943 as a Lieutenant until 1946. A great deal of her service was spent in Italy.
After the War she continued her nursing career across the country including Morecombe. She came to London in the 1950’s. She became a part time nurse at the Royal Free Hospital Hampstead. Diana lived with her friend George Yanakopolis at Parliament Hill London. She enjoyed many holidays with her sister Yvonne enjoying the Heligan Gardens in Cornwall.
In her later years she suffered with mobility problems but always tried to attend the Millbank events and one of her last visits was to be present at the Guys Christmas Lunch with her good friend Michael. It was a joy to see her enjoying the occasion as following this she suffered the stroke.
Diana was a good listener but a very private person always smiling and laughing. We at Millbank will miss her presence very much.
Josephine Jones