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CROWN COPYRIGHT: THE NATIONAL ARCHIVES: WO222/189, ITEM 1D
ITALY 1943-44
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CROWN COPYRIGHT: THE NATIONAL ARCHIVES: WO222/189, ITEM 1D
ITALY 1943-44
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Final part of Matron Cocking's account
Previous page
On Monday, 4th October, 1943, we came to Reggio in Italy. Here we waited for a few days before we entrained as some bridges had been damaged and were being repaired. We then went on to Bari, but did not function as a hospital, owing to lack of accommodation. Here we found hairdressers, tailors, cleaners and hat renovators, of whom we were all in sad need. We found we could not buy any new materials, but it was a joy even to have one’s old garments spruced up.
We were beginning to think of ourselves as the ‘Unwanted Unit’, when, in November, orders came for the Advance Party to proceed to Santa Maria, on the further side of Italy. As I found I could stay at 92 General Hospital in Naples, I went with it. We travelled by truck, up by Foggia and across the Apennines to Naples, a delightful run. We reached the town after dark and found that they kept their black-out only too well! We spent hours trying to find Headquarters. Forms kept looming out of the darkness and a Yankee voice would say “Say, pal! Where you goin’?” To which we would sadly reply, “We only wish we knew!” Once we found H.Q. our troubles were over.
Next day, Major Craik and I were taken over to Santa Maria to see the prison, our proposed future residence. It was still functioning as an Italian gaol and I can’t say more than that it was all you would imagine an Italian gaol to be! So that was written off! Every day for a week we toured the surrounding district in search of a suitable site. We went over schools, monasteries, wine-factories and finally a castle. Wherever we went, people were very kind to us, but I had no idea it could have been so difficult to find us a corner in which to work. We had great hopes of our castle, a very fascinating one, spacious, more or less adaptable and in lovely surroundings, but it was decreed that we were to go to an old Italian Military Hospital at Nocera. This was being held in readiness for No.103 General Hospital and we were sent to function there until they were ready to take over. Two days later we joined the rest of our Unit at Nocera and started work immediately to relieve the pressure in other hospitals. We had two 100 bedded expansions from 104 General Hospital attached to us here and found that we needed all the beds we could get.
The Mess Buildings were not yet completed, so we had to live in one wing of the Hospital buildings. The wards, when we got them cleaned and in working order, were quite nice, lofty and spacious. The roofs were in bad repair and were in process of being mended when we arrived. As the rainy season arrived at the same time, we spent the first week or two moving the beds to avoid a waterfall and arranging bowls to catch the drips! There were no actual baths, but plenty of showers and the hot-water system worked!! Sanitary arrangements as usual! We enjoyed our work at Nocera. Our patients were a cheery and appreciative crowd, the majority of them having come recently from the front line. I have never seen such enthusiasm shown over Xmas preparations, even the officers caught the infection. They did all the decorations themselves and they made a work of art of it; they also got up two concerts among themselves which they presented to the other patients and the Staff.
Nocera itself lies in a hollow surrounded by hills, giving it rather a sinister aspect. Probably this has some effect on the inhabitants for never have I seen such people, especially the men. Their clothes have all faded to a uniform shade of dusty grey and their faces are the same colour. They look sullen and hopeless, as though they don’t care what happens to them; the majority of them will steal anything. Probably lack of food is the chief reason, for we found the girls who came to work in our Mess both reliable and reasonably efficient.
103 General Hospital began to arrive over Xmas and on New Year’s Eve we found ourselves on the way to Pontycagniano, in the teeth of a howling gale. This time, we were going to an old Italian barracks which were being vacated by the R.A.F. The latter were very good to us, had a blazing log fire in our Mess Room to greet us, and had even laid on a New Year’s Party to revive our dampened spirits!
Our Mess Room had evidently been the one used by the Italian Officers. It had a good floor and fireplace, a Bar in one corner and quite a serviceable kitchen attached. Our sleeping quarters were also satisfactory. The wards were not so good. The floors were of brick, very uneven, and felt damp. Only a few had stoves and fireplaces built in and it took a little time for Valor stoves to make any impression. As usual, our patients followed hard upon our heels, and, to our joy, we discovered some bricklayers amongst them. Discovering some unused bricks lying about outside, they soon had fireplaces up in all the most serious wards. The R.Es worked very hard, putting in lighting, making a workable Operating Theatre, more or less satisfactory latrines and wash-houses, even a laundry! Here our brooms gave out and we were unable to get replacements. For a time we were using twigs bound together till some Americans came to the rescue and gave us a supply of stout witch-brooms.
I don’t know who was responsible for labelling Italy ‘sunny’, but he certainly could not have been there during the winter months! How it rained!! What was later the Hospital Cookhouse, was, on our arrival, a miniature farmyard. The Cooks had to function more or less in the open, while it poured ‘cats and dogs’ and an icy wind blew – yet I never knew the food to suffer.
As we were very near the original landing-beaches, the neighbourhood was well mined and, as at Giarre, one could not venture off the beaten track. We admitted a lot of mine casualties during our early days, quite a number being local children. We also received many patients suffering from diphtheria, which appears to be a common infection in these parts. We were kept reasonably busy, and as the weather improved, the surroundings began to look a little less grim! The patients were really marvellous. It was almost unheard of to hear a complaint; they were always cheery, always ready to help.
By March 1944, I knew I was leaving 58 General Hospital and though I realized it was to go home, I have never felt so sorry at leaving any Unit. It was such a happy one. Nowhere could we have found a more considerate O.C. or myself a more loyal staff. On March 10th 1944, I joined 84 General Hospital at Brindisi where I found everybody very excited as they were then all expecting to go home. We worked up till two days before we left, for which I was very thankful, as there is nothing so trying as waiting for a long period with nothing to do. A few weeks after I joined the Unit we found ourselves on the sea, going home.
And now Home, after nearly 6 ½ years. I found many changes, for the England I remembered was not at War. Yet conditions were very much better than I had expected. There is not one of us who is not wanting to go out again to help those who are prepared to sacrifice so much to give us back the England we knew.
Previous page
On Monday, 4th October, 1943, we came to Reggio in Italy. Here we waited for a few days before we entrained as some bridges had been damaged and were being repaired. We then went on to Bari, but did not function as a hospital, owing to lack of accommodation. Here we found hairdressers, tailors, cleaners and hat renovators, of whom we were all in sad need. We found we could not buy any new materials, but it was a joy even to have one’s old garments spruced up.
We were beginning to think of ourselves as the ‘Unwanted Unit’, when, in November, orders came for the Advance Party to proceed to Santa Maria, on the further side of Italy. As I found I could stay at 92 General Hospital in Naples, I went with it. We travelled by truck, up by Foggia and across the Apennines to Naples, a delightful run. We reached the town after dark and found that they kept their black-out only too well! We spent hours trying to find Headquarters. Forms kept looming out of the darkness and a Yankee voice would say “Say, pal! Where you goin’?” To which we would sadly reply, “We only wish we knew!” Once we found H.Q. our troubles were over.
Next day, Major Craik and I were taken over to Santa Maria to see the prison, our proposed future residence. It was still functioning as an Italian gaol and I can’t say more than that it was all you would imagine an Italian gaol to be! So that was written off! Every day for a week we toured the surrounding district in search of a suitable site. We went over schools, monasteries, wine-factories and finally a castle. Wherever we went, people were very kind to us, but I had no idea it could have been so difficult to find us a corner in which to work. We had great hopes of our castle, a very fascinating one, spacious, more or less adaptable and in lovely surroundings, but it was decreed that we were to go to an old Italian Military Hospital at Nocera. This was being held in readiness for No.103 General Hospital and we were sent to function there until they were ready to take over. Two days later we joined the rest of our Unit at Nocera and started work immediately to relieve the pressure in other hospitals. We had two 100 bedded expansions from 104 General Hospital attached to us here and found that we needed all the beds we could get.
The Mess Buildings were not yet completed, so we had to live in one wing of the Hospital buildings. The wards, when we got them cleaned and in working order, were quite nice, lofty and spacious. The roofs were in bad repair and were in process of being mended when we arrived. As the rainy season arrived at the same time, we spent the first week or two moving the beds to avoid a waterfall and arranging bowls to catch the drips! There were no actual baths, but plenty of showers and the hot-water system worked!! Sanitary arrangements as usual! We enjoyed our work at Nocera. Our patients were a cheery and appreciative crowd, the majority of them having come recently from the front line. I have never seen such enthusiasm shown over Xmas preparations, even the officers caught the infection. They did all the decorations themselves and they made a work of art of it; they also got up two concerts among themselves which they presented to the other patients and the Staff.
Nocera itself lies in a hollow surrounded by hills, giving it rather a sinister aspect. Probably this has some effect on the inhabitants for never have I seen such people, especially the men. Their clothes have all faded to a uniform shade of dusty grey and their faces are the same colour. They look sullen and hopeless, as though they don’t care what happens to them; the majority of them will steal anything. Probably lack of food is the chief reason, for we found the girls who came to work in our Mess both reliable and reasonably efficient.
103 General Hospital began to arrive over Xmas and on New Year’s Eve we found ourselves on the way to Pontycagniano, in the teeth of a howling gale. This time, we were going to an old Italian barracks which were being vacated by the R.A.F. The latter were very good to us, had a blazing log fire in our Mess Room to greet us, and had even laid on a New Year’s Party to revive our dampened spirits!
Our Mess Room had evidently been the one used by the Italian Officers. It had a good floor and fireplace, a Bar in one corner and quite a serviceable kitchen attached. Our sleeping quarters were also satisfactory. The wards were not so good. The floors were of brick, very uneven, and felt damp. Only a few had stoves and fireplaces built in and it took a little time for Valor stoves to make any impression. As usual, our patients followed hard upon our heels, and, to our joy, we discovered some bricklayers amongst them. Discovering some unused bricks lying about outside, they soon had fireplaces up in all the most serious wards. The R.Es worked very hard, putting in lighting, making a workable Operating Theatre, more or less satisfactory latrines and wash-houses, even a laundry! Here our brooms gave out and we were unable to get replacements. For a time we were using twigs bound together till some Americans came to the rescue and gave us a supply of stout witch-brooms.
I don’t know who was responsible for labelling Italy ‘sunny’, but he certainly could not have been there during the winter months! How it rained!! What was later the Hospital Cookhouse, was, on our arrival, a miniature farmyard. The Cooks had to function more or less in the open, while it poured ‘cats and dogs’ and an icy wind blew – yet I never knew the food to suffer.
As we were very near the original landing-beaches, the neighbourhood was well mined and, as at Giarre, one could not venture off the beaten track. We admitted a lot of mine casualties during our early days, quite a number being local children. We also received many patients suffering from diphtheria, which appears to be a common infection in these parts. We were kept reasonably busy, and as the weather improved, the surroundings began to look a little less grim! The patients were really marvellous. It was almost unheard of to hear a complaint; they were always cheery, always ready to help.
By March 1944, I knew I was leaving 58 General Hospital and though I realized it was to go home, I have never felt so sorry at leaving any Unit. It was such a happy one. Nowhere could we have found a more considerate O.C. or myself a more loyal staff. On March 10th 1944, I joined 84 General Hospital at Brindisi where I found everybody very excited as they were then all expecting to go home. We worked up till two days before we left, for which I was very thankful, as there is nothing so trying as waiting for a long period with nothing to do. A few weeks after I joined the Unit we found ourselves on the sea, going home.
And now Home, after nearly 6 ½ years. I found many changes, for the England I remembered was not at War. Yet conditions were very much better than I had expected. There is not one of us who is not wanting to go out again to help those who are prepared to sacrifice so much to give us back the England we knew.
***