Page 60 from Ethel Moir Diary, Vol 3

Category

Library Item

Item no

26241

Title

Page 60 from Ethel Moir Diary, Vol 3

Description

May 17th Verbliani.
It's simply weeks since I wrote anything in this old diary!
We are decidedly busy in the hospital these days & not much time for much "off duty" time. The short time we are off during the heat of the day is spent in slumber! The Hospital is full to over-flowing & some of our cases are so bad, but the men are
so good & brave. They are a wonderful [?] and I do admire them so, for how they have suffered & how bravely they have fought. The virtues of homely kindness, geniality, generosity & heroic courage in adversity are mostly always to be found in
the characters of these Serbian soldiers. They are so simple too & the Serb soldier has the heart of a child & the strength of a man. Their high spirits & happiness is wonderful! The great majority of the troops have heard no word from home since they were driven out of their country nearly 2 years ago. Amidst the hardships of war, they cannot, like us, solace themselves with thoughts of home & "leave". They know nothing of their families nor their homes. Yes, they are always cheerful
& contented. It is always a tonic to dullness & discontent to be with the Serbs! They possess an irresponsible gaiety & yet a profound melancholy - this combination of
laughing gaiety & deep sadness is found especially in their music & their songs. Their historic songs about the past are songs of sorrow, of noble struggles against over-whelming odds

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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Events > Wars > Wars

Events > Wars > World wars

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

People > Health and safety > Nurses

People > Military activities > Soldiers

Places > Europe > Serbia