Humphries-E-C-Staff-Nurse


Volunteers of Essendon and Flemington, 1914-1918

 

RMS Orontes, cleared out for Colombo, Naples, Marseilles and London on 4 August 1915.  Photo courtesy of Christine Laskowski.

 

Humphries E C    Staff Nurse        Evelyn Clifford              Nurses    29    Nurse    Single    Pres   

Address:    Ascot Vale, St Leonards Rd, 214 (NOK)   

Next of Kin:    Humphries, G, brother, 214 St Leonards Rd, Ascot Vale   

Enlisted:    4 Aug 1915       

Embarked:     RMS Orontes 4 Aug 1915   

 

 

OUR HEROIC MEN. AND WOMEN TOO.

"GOD MADE 'EM TO MATCH THE MEN.

 

A very interesting letter from Nurse Evelyn Humphries, has been received by Mrs. W. Hugh McMahon, from Heliopolis Palace Hospital, Egypt. It run thus : "We have left Lemnos and returned to Heliopolis, but we are only here for a little while and expect to move somewhere else shortly. I was sorry to leave Lemnos for many reasons, but, of course, for others I am glad. For instance, it was delightful to get a bath and clean clothes and the fresh things to eat after so much tinned food was very welcome. At first it was hard work to get sufficient food for our boys - let alone ourselves. We belonged to the stationary (first after a clearing), not to the General Hospital there, where were 23 sisters, whilst at the General there were over 100; nevertheless I am glad to be one of the 23. Previously they had no sisters, so the men were more than pleased to have us to look after them. Poor chaps! They needed it, too. Most of them were on the ground, and to attend to one man you knelt on the next man's mattress; and as these were jammed tight together, you had to be careful lest you knelt on your patient. Each tent served 20 men. We were wanted there if ever we were in our lives, and I was so glad to be one of the fortunate ones chosen, though at the time we did not consider ourselves fortunate. 

 

The day we landed the officer in charge came down to meet us, and said, 'Oh, you have come to a dreadful place. Everyone dies here-two sisters died last week.' Very cheerful, was it not ? I may have to return to Australia on transport, but I hope not. I have no wish to return until it is all over, but the sooner that is so the better. I cannot say enough for our boys - we had Greeks, French, and Turks as well as our own and English boys, at Lemnos, but no one comes up to our own Australians - they are fine ! I know which I would rather nurse. I consider they deserve everything we can give them. Our men have won a name for courage and endurance, but me-thinks our women are heroines too. "God made 'em to match the men."

OUR HEROIC MEN. (1916, April 4). West Gippsland Gazette (Warragul, Vic. : 1898 - 1930) , p. 7 Edition: MORNING.. Retrieved March 8, 2015, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article68621866

 

Additional to the above letter was a paragraph not included there:

 

I saw Dr. Crai?? and the Rev T. P. Bennett at Lemnos, after they left the Peninsula, for all the troops came there; so we were not allowed to send any letters away from the island for some time after. We got quite a lot of letters and papers when in we arrived at Alexandria, that we would have given the world for there. Dr. Mack night called to see me--he is looking very well indeed. I came across boys   from Warrnambool now and again-- Charlie O'Malley and Harry Hemmons I saw at Lemnos and I hope to see them again here."

 

WOMAN'S MISCELLANY. (1916, April 1). Warrnambool Standard (Vic. : 1914 - 1918), p. 1 Edition: COUNTRY EDITION. Retrieved March 8, 2015, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article73874950

 

War Service Commemorated