Extracts and Comments
(from Sources as shown) | |
Newbury1: from SA.
Bassett: COCKS EA South Aust., Transvaal Nurses, photo.
Gray: 10GH Norval's Pont & 2GH PRENA.
Roe: ?2GH Pretoria.
URL3: photo.
Smith2: SA Nurses, King's South Africa Medal.
Roe: AG COOKS sailed for Aust. from Port Natal aboard the 'Orient' 11.7.1902.
Source:# 1147 Agnes G COCKS, a South Aust. civilain nurse who was part of the group recruited and funded by the SA Fund for War Nurses.
URL4: BACK FROM SOUTH AFRICA. Nurse AG COCK, who went to the war nearly three years ago with the small, but exceedingly useful band of nurses from this State, and returned home on Sunday [7.9.1902], speaks in high praise of British soldiers generally. "We could not have been treated better," she says. "The soldiers are fine fellows, and excellent patients. I never heard them murmur during those early days of war, when fractured bones were common." Nurse COCK was moved about by the military authorities a great deal. For three weeks her field of labor was at Wynburg, and she spent ten months at Bloemfontein, two months at Pretoria, and five months on the hospital ship Arcadia, in Delagoa Bay, in addition to doing duty in other places. A trip to England was included in the programme, and also a run down to New Zealand, as a grand finale to a splendid record of service. Miss COCK is not tired of South Africa, and she has decided to go to Johannesburg shortly to settle. In her opinion "South Africa is a money-making place." From acquaintance with the Boers she is able to say that they are "very obedient patients, but rather sullen.' She adds "I never heard a British 'Tommy' 'talk at' the Boer patients, or say nasty things to them." Nurse COCK was at the Mooi River when peace was proclaimed. The British officer in command there read out the terms of the compact, and the natives danced for joy. "I was very sorry the war was over in one way," she confessed, "but for the sake of the sick and wounded, the soldiers on trek and in camp, and of the wives, children, and relatives of those fighting I was glad that peace had been agreed upon. Nobody could ever get used to the sights we saw in the hospitals in the early days of the war, when it was difficult to get supplies up the line, and when the accommodation was unavoidably primitive. We buried as many as 60 patients in one day at Bloemfontein, and there were 30 deaths a day for months. Twenty, thirty, and sometimes forty sick men would be placed in a room where we afterwards put only a dozen beds, and a tin of milk had to last for about a dozen men, whereas when the line was clear the same quantity would be issued to one patient." However, the medical authorities did all that they could to allay suffering and to save life, and to this end money was spent as fast as it was required.
URL5: Nurse COCK, who left this State for South Africa with five other nurses, under the charge of Miss BIDMEAD, in February, 1900, returned to South Australia by way of New Zealand and Victoria by the Melbourne express on Sunday morning [7.9.1902]. The South Australian nurses were placed in sole charge of the Bloemfoutein artillery barracks, which was turned into a hospital, for five months, immediately on their arrival at the seat of war. Their labors were exceedingly arduous, especially during the first portion of their service, owing to so many soldiers being attacked by enteric fever. Nurse COCK went to New Zealand with one of the contingents from that colony, and owing to the outbreak of small pox on board she was detained there in quarantine for about a month.
URL6: Nursing Sister COCKS of SA, aboard the Orient from Durban at Albany WA 24.7.1902.
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.
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