Student Nurse in London Blitz

I am writing on behalf of my mother, who left Redruth Hospital in Cornwall to continue her nurse training at Lewisham Hospital the beginning of the war, joining her elder sister. She has shared some of her stories with me, and I am attempting to have them permanently captured, even though she feels her memories aren't important! She moved from Redruth, as it was grossly understaffed, with my mother placed in charge of a children's ward at night aged 16, caring for many sick babies and children. The stress of this prompted her to seek to transfer to Lewisham. There she was faced by bomb blast victims, picking glass out of their backs, along with the hierarchical hospital structure.Along with walking on wards, she was expected as was the custom then, to attend lectures in her own time at the end of a night shift and other times, which meant study was extremely difficult. Apparently the hospital was soon considered too dangerous for students and my mother was transferred to the Southern Hospital at Dartford which was used as a backup for those who were able to be moved, and my mother finished her training there, starting her first staff nurse post on ENT. There were many young servicemen, having their tonsils out apparently! Apparently, consultants used to come down from London to see the patients, and all had their own trolleys which had to be laid up exactly as dictated, or there would be trouble!

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