Part 7 (2/2)
”The women will drive their own cars and look after them in every way.
One single male mechanic, and that is all, is to be attached to the whole unit. These ambulances may of course be summoned from their camp to hurry over any type of winter-worn road to the neighbourhood of the firing line.
”What strength, endurance, and pluck such work demands from women can easily be understood by anyone who has ever tried to swing a car in cold weather or repair it by the roadside.
”It is a very notable fact that for the first time under official recognition women have been allowed to share in what may be called a male department of warfare.
”The Nursing Yeomanry have just extracted this recognition from the War Office and deserve every compliment that can be paid them; and the success is worth some emphasis as one of a series of victories for women workers and organisations, at the top of which is, of course, the Voluntary Aid Detachment.
”The actual work of these Yeomen nurses, who rode horseback to the dressing stations when no other means of conveyance were available, has been in progress in France and Belgium almost since war was declared.
Most of their work has been done in the face of every kind of discouragement, but they were never dismayed. Their khaki uniforms on more than one occasion in Ghent made German sentries jump.” (Mrs.
MacDougal arranging for F.A.N.Y. work[11] with the Belgians in September, 1914).
”This feat of the 'Yeowomen'--who have struggled against a certain amount of ridicule in England since they started a horse ambulance and camp some six or seven years ago--is worth emphasis because it is only one instance, striking but by no means unique, of the complete triumph of women workers during the past few months!”
The next question was to decide who would go to the new English Convoy, and two or three left for England to become proficient in motor mechanics and driving.
I was naturally anxious after a year with the Allies, to work for the British, but as I could not be spared from housekeeping to go to England I was dubious as to whether I could pa.s.s the test or not. Though I had come out originally with the idea of being a chauffeur, I had only done odd work from time to time at Lamarck. ”Uncle,” however, was very hopeful and persuaded me to take the test in France before my leave was due. Accordingly, I went round to the English Mechanical Transport in the town for the exam., the same test as the men went through. I felt distinctly like the opera lady at the concert. It was a very greasy day and the road which we took was bordered on one side by a ca.n.a.l and on the other by a deep and muddy ditch. As we came to a cross road the A.S.C. Lieutenant who was testing me, said, ”There you see the marks where the last man I tested skidded with his car.” ”Yes, rather, how jolly!” I replied in my agitation, wondering if my fate would be likewise. We pa.s.sed the spot more by luck than good management, and then I reversed for some distance along that same road. At last I turned at the cross roads, and after some traffic driving, luckily without any mishap, drove back to hospital. I was questioned about mechanics on the way, and at the end tactfully explained I was just going on leave and meant to spend every second in a garage! I got out at the hospital gates feeling quite sure I had failed, but to my intense relief and joy he told me I had pa.s.sed, and he would send up the marks to hospital later on. I jumped at least a foot off the pavement!
I went in and told the joyful news to Lieutenant Franklin, who was to be boss of the new Convoy, while Lieutenant MacDougal was to be head of the Belgian hospital, and of the unit down at the big Convalescent depot in the S. of France, at Camp de Ruchard, where Lady Baird and Sister Lovell superintended the hospital, and Chris and Thompson did the driving.
It was sad to bid good-bye to Lamarck and the Belgians, but as the English Convoy was to be in the same town it was not as if we should never see them again.
”Camille,” in Ward I, whose back had been broken when the dug-out collapsed on him during a bombardment, hung on to my hand while the tears filled his eyes. He had been my special case when he first arrived, and his grat.i.tude for anything we could do for him was touching.
The Adjutant Heddebaud, who was the official Belgian head of the hospital, wrote out with many flourishes a panegyric of sorts thanking me for what I had done, which I duly pasted in my War Alb.u.m; and so I said Good-bye to Lamarck and the Belgians, and left for England, December, 1915.
CHAPTER XI
THE ENGLISH CONVOY
My second leave was spent for the most part at a garage in the neighbouring town near the village where we lived. I positively dreamt of carburettors, magnetoes, and how to change tyres! The remaining three of my precious fourteen days were spent in London enjoying life and collecting kit and such like. We were to be entirely under canvas in our new camp, and as it was mid-winter you can imagine we made what preparations we could to avoid dying of pneumonia.
The presentation of a fox terrier, ”Tuppence,” by name, I hailed with delight. When all else froze, he would keep me warm, I thought!
It may be interesting to members of the Corps to know the names of those who formed that pioneer Convoy. They are: Lieutenant Franklin, M.
Thompson (Section Leader), B. Ellis, W. Mordaunt, C. Nicholson, D.
Heasman, D. Reynolds, G. Quin, M. Gamwell, H. Gamwell, B. Hutchinson, N.F. Lowson, P.B. Waddell, M. Richardson, M. Laidley, O. Mudie-Cooke, P.
Mudie-Cooke and M. Lean (the last three were new members).
I met Lowson and Lean at Victoria on January 3, 1916, and between us we smuggled ”Tuppence” into the boat train without anyone seeing him; likewise through the customs at Folkestone. Arrived there we found that mines were loose owing to the recent storms, and the boat was not sailing till the next day. Then followed a hunt for rooms, which we duly found but in doing so lost ”Tuppence.” The rest of the time was spent looking for him; and when we finally arrived breathless at the police station, there was the intelligent dog sitting on the steps! I must here confess this was one of the few occasions he ever exhibited his talents in that direction, and as such it must be recorded. He was so well bred that sometimes he was positively stupid, however, he was beautiful to look at, and one can't have everything in this world.
The next morning the sea was still fairly rough; and I went in to the adjoining room to find that the gallant Lowson was already up and stirring, and had gone forth into the town in search of ”Mother-sill.” I looked out at the sea and hoped fervently she would find some.
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