Page 25 from Ethel Moir Diary, Vol 3

Category

Library Item

Item no

26206

Title

Page 25 from Ethel Moir Diary, Vol 3

Description

towers mighty Vesuvius, smouldering & smoking away. We went thru' the residential part of the town, past lovely summer villas
with glorious gardens & grounds & everywhere heavily laden orange & lemon trees & sweet smelling, brilliant-hued flowering shrubs. Pompeii stands up v. high, with magnificent "views" on all sides. The ruins are fascinating, such wonderful excavations.
It was once a prosperous, provincial town, all the nobility of Naples residing there in summer. The first eruption is said to have taken place 63 A.D. Then the town was started to be re-built & had not long been completed when it was overtaken by the terrible & final catastrophe of Aug: 79 A.D. The whole number of inhabitants who perished, is said to be 2000 - all perished in one single night. The town was completely buried by the catastrophe & was entirely lost to view. During the middle ages, Pompeii was still unknown, it was only in 1748 the first excavations were made & are still going on.
It is extraordinary to think, that in little more than 150 years so much has been discovered & found to be in such splendid
condition too - temples, houses, shops, Roman baths etc: etc: & to think , that it was all built in the beginning of A.D.! We wandered about the fine old ruins, along the narrow [?] streets, in & out, & as we wandered , I seemed to see the little "Blind Girl" in her loneliness & sadness feeling her way along with her stick & feel "The Last Days of Pompeii" to be a "living thing"!
The sun was setting, as we wended our way back to Naples.

Artist / maker

Moir, Ethel

Date

1918

Size

20.4 x 19.0 cm

Type

Document

Location

Edinburgh and Scottish Collection

Image from the diaries of Ethel Moir (volume 3). Ethel was a nursing orderly who served with the Scottish Women's Hospital during World War One.

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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Architecture > Monuments > Statues

Events > Wars > Wars

Events > Wars > World wars

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

Homes > Derelict buildings and excavation sites > Ruins

People > Health and safety > Nurses

Places > Europe > Italy