Brewster 'A Glimpse of War through a Private's Eyes', a retrospective account of experiences in World War I, 1915-1917 / John James Brewster - Page 561
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[Page 561]
at Rouen. This No 5 General was a Tommy Hospital of considerable size but owing to the large number of wounded the surplus had to be accommodated in Marques & Tents instead of huts (as at Calais).
The Stay at this place was very restful & the attendance as is usual was very good. The Sentry appeared to be making splendid progress but on the third day after an inspection by the Doctor (Major) in charge the Sentry was informed that he had "finished war" & would be sent to England along with 10 others in the same marque.
This decision caused great elation among those bound for "Blighty" but their joy was very short lived for in the afternoon information came to hand that "the English Channel was blocked" & no Hospital ship could leave.
Later on it was reported that no "crossings" had been made for nearly a fortnight & further that at least one Hospital Ship was known to have been torpedoed & sunk.
The next day an order was issued to the effect that owing to the expected arrival that day of a further large number of very bad stretcher cases all those who could be possibly be moved would have to be sent elsewhere. Australians to their own base Hospital at Etaples.
In the afternoon the Chief Doctor (in charge) visited the marque & explained matters & all the Australians excepting one had to be moved away.
The Doctor explained to the Sentry that had the "Channel" been open he would have arranged to have sent him to a Hospital in England but now he had no alternative but to hand the Sentry over to his own Australian Command at Etaples & as he had some idea how things were managed there he was very sorry, for from his own experience there, the men would be casually examined, then drafted into tents, & kept for some time on "light duty" some of this "light duty" being such