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[Page 10]
But we did enjoy the surroundings. The officers clapped for service which they didn't get and eventually dropped a cup on the floor. Much to our amusement the waiter came along and in a most pleasant manner put the cup on their account.
Later we saw over two submarines E12 & E14. It was most interesting even though we did not understand too much about them. Met Captain Bruce who had been decorated for work at the Dardanelles. His submarine had been caught in a net from which they had escaped after two hours. On surfacing they were almost struck by a torpedo. They managed to sink a few ships but were most modest about it all.
On Oct. 30th we had a masquerade dance, prior to being transferred back to No. 4 Canadian General. The ten of us who had joined up with No. 1 went as orphans in cotton dressed with our hair done up in plaits. Mine being curly, would not stay put so the nurses ironed it. We look perfect frights, much to the amusement of the visitors, but the original staff did not appreciate it at all.
In November we went to No. 4 Canadian General Hospital. This was a much bigger hospital. By this time we 10 nurses were great pals. In our time off we saw the town and went for ambulance picnics. There were quite a fe enteric cases and of course the usual war casualties, but nothing like the trench feet and war casualties in France.
Christmas came and we made the wards as pleasant as possible. We had a happy time and once again drank toasts that the war would end. There was a blizzard blowing that day, an unusual happening in Salonica.
Now nurses are always called by shortened sirnames and it was so in the war. I was known as Loney, and the name stayed with me long afterwards. On Feb. 27th my friend Georgia MacKenzie (Mac) and I went to see the Old Wall, some 2000 years old. While we were there twelve Bulgar plans came over and bombed the No. 1 Stationary Hospital, the hamlet and Sowerhill camps. One hundred of the tropps were killed and three hundred wounded. On Feb. 30th five nurses and myself went to N. 1 Stationary to help. The boys were in their blue uniforms and could easily be seen from the air, but the Germans put the excuse forward that there had been a munitions dump nearby.
In the ward I was in, a little donkey would come around and we got very fond of him. As the boys got better I noticed that the donkey was acting in a very queer manner. One afternoon I watched. They dressed him up in a hospital shirt and gave him methylated spirits. After a while the donkey enjoyed it, he would show off a bit at first jumping around - great fun for the boys but we felt sad for the little donkey and wondered what his end would be.