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[Page 6]
Next morning 35 of us went to Schoolbreds to be outfitted. Our uniforms were very colorful (so much so we were often asked to book tables for officers in hotels & restaurants), navy blue, double breasted with brass buttons down e*ach side of the jacket, stars on the shoulders (rank of lieutenant); a high collar edged with red and the medical emblem on the collar. Our working uniform was saxe blue with white collar, cuffs and apron, and navy blue cape lined with red and also brass buttons. There was quite a mix up with so many of us but it was a pleasant one. We were measured up eventually and then proceeded to see London, or as much as we could with such a short stay.
On 1st March we went to Victoria Station, took train for Folkestone and sailed for France. After a pleasant crossing we arrived at Boulogue.
We made an early start in the morning to visit the Australian Hospital / and nurses at Wonereaux, but unfortunately there was not enough time or our driver could not understand our bad French. We returned at 2pm and left for destination unknown. !
Arrived at L.e Trepoit, after passing through some lovely country. It was a delightful day - blue sky and sea. We drove up to our hotel in an ambulance and got settled in. In the afternoon walked up 350 steps to report to the British Hospital No. 3 General. It had been the Imperial Hotel situated right on the cliff edge, a magnificent site, but all those steps were hard to take although, there were landings where one could rest and look at the glorious views. Twice a day, in order to attend special or very ill patients, we walked up those steps. We liked the work and the English nursing sisters.
Our tents were put up about March 29th and others partly ready for patients. It was not very satisfactory with such strong winds blowing they were frequently down. Even our mess tent came to grief at times. We were never sure whether the winds were to blame or the orderlies, who perhaps knew little about them. Just prior to winter we had orders to leave L.e Trepoit, taking only one suit case. However the situation improved and we stayed on. We knew little about the war, only what the boys could tell us about their own sectors.
Before it was too cold a hospital had been built for the patients, with operating rooms and an administration block (picture enclosed) and the nursing staff was installed in huts.
Nursing was sometimes very hard in Le Trepoit and in between convoy we tried to keep the patients in hospital as long as we could. The troops were very sick of the trenches and most of them had trench feet When considered well enough to return to the lines, we still did our
best to keep them even to pulling a Scotch cap under their arms in their hospital blues, and if lucky enough to have a Scotch Major doing the interviewing, they would often get an extension. The trenches were