Extracts and Comments
(from Sources as shown) | |
Murray: GLENNIE, Devoted Service Cross 26.06.1902.
Newbury1: GLENIE Agnes Maud.
Bassett: S. Aust. Transvaal Nurses, photo.
Gray: GLENIE MA arrived Capetown ex. Aust. 10.3.1900.
URL3: photo.
URL3: returning to SA per Aurania 4.5.1902.
URL5: Nursing Sr. AM GLENIE, presented with Devoted Service Cross (S. Aust. Fund for War Nurses) by Lady Tennyson 12.7.1902, already wearing Royal Red Cross.
URL6: returned per 'Aurania' via Melbourne, served 2 years and on duty until the hour she arrived in Melbourne.
URL7: NURSE BIDMEAD. Nurse BIDMEAD, who left this State in February, 1900, in charge of five other nurses, namely. Misses O'SHANAHAN, COCKS, WATTS, STEPHENSON and GLENIE, who volunteered their services in connection with the South African war, returned to Adelaide by the RMS Omrah on Monday [16.6.1902]. When interviewed yesterday she said - "We were soon sent on to Bloemfontein, while we were attached to the No. 10 General Hospital, the headquarters being Grey College, in that town. All public buildings in the place were reserved for hospitals. When we arrived the New South Wales Hospital Field Brigade were just vacating the Artillery Barracks for the front. All the South Australian nurses were placed in sole charge of the place, and there we remained together for about five months. Enteric fever was raging badly during that period, and we were kept busily engaged for a long time; too busy, in fact, to be able to make many enquiries about the progress of the war. There were a number of wounded Boer prisoners, including Commandant BANKS, in our hospital. They were of a rather sullen disposition. I always refrained from entering into any conversation referring to the disputes that led up to the war, and everything passed off amicably at the hospital. Two Irish Americans, who had fought on the side of the Boers, were rather frank in their expression, but very good-natured, and nothing said was taken amiss. "In a house near our hospital 11 Boers were arrested while in the act of cleaning their rifles. During the time we were at the Artillery Barracks we had 500 cases under our charge, and out of these only 27 deaths occurred. Nearly all the deaths resulted from enteric fever, and very few from wounds. I can tell you we felt proud of our splendid record. We gained a wonderful experience. At first we were short of some necessary articles for our work, but that was not to be wondered at considering the crowded state of the hospitals in such a short time, and that there was only one railway for forwarding everything required from Cape Town. In fact, it is surprising how such splendid arrangements could have been made in so short a period of time. I had only a small knife for spreading the poultices, and as every minute was precious to me I used a bayonet for the work. It acted so efficiently that I continued to use it afterwards. "The soldiers were very grateful for anything that was done for them, and wanted to make some presentations in return. I protested, saying they should take them to those nearer and dearer to them. One man who was wounded in an engagement had his badge discolored by the missile which injured his arm. He asked me to accept the badge us a reward for my kindness, but I refused it. However, he persisted, and said, 'It's no good me taking that home, as the old woman would only throw it out side.' Although I stoutly refused to take some presents I found that I had to accept them after all, as they were left addressed to me." Nurse Bidmead showed a shield, on which was displayed a large number of badges, including those of the Black Watch, the Staffordshire Regiment, the Seaforth Highlanders, the Royal Horse Artillery and the Seventeenth Lancers, or the "Death or Glory Boys." Continuing her narrative, she said - "The shield was made by a number of soldiers, who were convalescent. They were in high spirits, and consequently rather noisy. For the sake of the other patients I hit upon a plan to keep them quiet. I suggested that they should make the shield, and they willingly undertook the task. They spent two days over it, and criticised each other's work as to the proper arrangement of the badges. At the end of the five months we six South Australian nurses were separated. One was sent to Pretoria, another to Harrismith, and a third to Modder River. 1 went to the headquarters of the No. 10 General Hospital at Gray College, and remained there til] the end of last year, when I proceeded to London. When I was there it made my blood boil to hear some of the false charges against the British for their treatment of the Boers in the concentration camps. Although I had not been in the camps, I had spoken to friends who had, and I knew that the statements circulated were incorrect. I was asked when in London if I would go back to South Africa again, but declined, as I knew that my services were not so much needed as at the beginning of the war. Nurses O'SHANAHAN, COCKS and WATTS are still in South Africa. Nurse STEPHENSON returned to South Australia at the end of last year, and Nurse GLENIE just recently." Nurse BIDMEAD has a number of interesting relics of the war besides the shield to which reference was made, including a salt cellar and bell made of pom-pom and Mauser cartridges.
URL8: Miss GLENIE, one of the six nurses who went to the war from South Australia, returned to Adelaide by the express from Melbourne on Sunday morning [c6.1902], having travelled from South Africa by the transport Aurania, which reached Melbourne on
Saturday. Miss GLENIE had been on active service for over two years on the battlefield, and she was at work on board the transport until the hour the vessel reached Melbourne. Sister GLENIE has returned to South Australia looking the picture of healih. Sister BIDMEAD is returning by the Omrah, which is due at Largs Bay on June 16. Sisters O'SHANAHAN and WATTS are still at work in Africa, the Imperial authorities having retained their services.
URL9: Miss GLENIE, one of her {Nurse O'SHANAHAN's] companions who went from South Australia, returned to Adelaide by the express from Melbourne on Sunday morning [1.6.1902], having travelled from South Africa by the transport Aurania, which reached Melbourne on Saturday. Miss GLENIE had been on active service for over two years on the battlefield, and she was at work on board the transport until the hour the vessel reached Melbourne. Sister GLENIE has returned to South Australia looking the picture of health.
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