Page 171 from Ethel Moir Diary, Vol 1

Category

Library Item

Item no

25199

Title

Page 171 from Ethel Moir Diary, Vol 1

Description

Dec: 21st Here we are once more in a delightful Russian troop train. This time our "'appy 'ome" is truly delightful - a horse box! Very dirty, very smelly & very cold. "The Fortunes of War" - cheeryoh! We kicked our heels at a little wayside station all afternoon yesterday, waiting for general Sakaroff [Sakharoff] & his staff to pass. We were sitting in the "feeding room" when they came in, so had a good view of them - they were all attired in very gorgeous uniforms & were very much bemedalled. They ought to know us the next time they see us, for they didn't "half-stare"! Their curiosity proved too much for them, for very soon one of the officers came across & spoke to us & asked a few questions, but we found he already knew about as much about the "S.W.H." as we did ourselves.
From what one of the officers said, things are not as they should be in the Russian Duma. The Tsarina is decidedly pro-German & not for us. Her party - a man of the name of Rasputin & Stürmer [Sturmer] being the chief instruments - are all for peace. Their idea is to make a separate [separate] peace & then declare war against us.
This may read exaggeration to you people at home - but it's not - the army & people are up in arms against the Tsarina & the court party, they who are playing in to Germany's hands.

Artist / maker

Moir, Ethel

Date

1916

Size

20.4 x 16.0 cm

Type

Document

Location

Edinburgh and Scottish Collection

When war broke out in August 1914, the people of Britain responded. Men volunteered for the army and others set about establishing relief units to help the army or provide assistance to civilians and refugees. The Scottish Women's Hospitals were one of those - yet they were also very different, because they were set up with two specific aims: to help the war effort by providing medical assistance, and to promote the cause of women's rights and by their involvement in the war, help win those rights.

The SWH's original idea was set up a hospital in Edinburgh to help treat the war wounded. However this was soon abandoned in favour of setting up hospitals in the field, close to the fighting. Fundraising commenced and by the end of August 1914, more than five thousand pounds had been raised.

The SWH founder Dr Elsie Inglis approached the War Office with the idea of medical units being allowed to serve on the Western Front. The offer was turned down and she was told by an official "My good lady, go home and sit still". Undeterred, Scottish Women's Hospitals opened its first 200 bed Auxiliary hospital at the 13th Century Abbaye de Royaumont in France.

The Scottish Women's Hospitals were very closely associated with Serbia and although they operated hospitals in France, Macedonia, Greece, Corsica, Romania and Russia the majority of their work was to help Serbia. Conditions in Serbia were dire; the army had less than 300 doctors to serve more than half a million men. By the winter of 1915 Serbia could hold out no more, and were forced to retreat into Albania. The SWH had a choice to make, stay and go into captivity or go with the retreating army into Albania. Some stayed and several including Elsie Inglis were taken prisoner and later repatriated to Britain. The army retreated over the mountains with no food, shelter or help suffering many casualties.

Following her repatriation to Britain in February 1916, Elsie Inglis set about equipping and staffing a hospital to serve in Russia. It served in southern Russia and in Romania, providing medical help to the Serbian Division of the Russian Army. This division was made up from Serbs and Yugoslavs who had been taken prisoner by the Russians but had volunteered to fight for the allies. The SWH once again had to retreat. The hospital was withdrawn and they sailed back from Archangel to the UK. The day after they returned back, Elsie Inglis who had been ill for some time, died.

Towards the end of the war the SWH in Serbia provided medical care to soldiers, civilians and prisoners of war. A new fixed hospital was established in Vranje and by early 1919 this was handed over to the Serbian authorities bringing to an end the SWH. Most SWH members returned home and resumed their pre war lives, others stayed behind to continue to provide medical care in Serbia.

Over 1,000 women from many different backgrounds and many different countries served with the SWH. Only medical professionals such as doctors, nurses, laboratory technicians and X ray operators received a salary, all others received no pay at all and were expected to pay their own way. Some women joined because it was one of the few opportunities open to women to actively help the war effort, for others it was the rare chance for adventure.

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Events > Wars > Wars

Events > Wars > World wars

Healthcare and welfare > Healthcare and welfare facilities > Scottish Women's Hospitals

People > Health and safety > Nurses

Places > Europe > Ukraine