Scottish Nurses in the Great War

THE TRAGEDY OF ST OMER

‘Sad’ Nurses Row at Longuenesse, St Omer – Northern France

by Evelyn McKechnie

Four Scottish nurses were killed by enemy bombing on the night of 30th September 1917 at St Omer. Two were VADS and two were from the Territorial Force Nursing Service. This is their story.

By September 1917, the Great War had been raging for three years with tremendous loss of life on all sides. Nurses were going over in greater numbers from the UK mainland to the base hospitals in France to cope with the huge influx of wounded soldiers.

8,140 women served at some time as mobilized members of the Territorial Force Nursing Service, and of these 2,280 served overseas. 150 lost their lives, 40 of those nurses were from Scotland.

There were many layers of nursing care from the Queen Alexandra’s Imperial Military Nursing Service, where training was mandatory, to the VADS (Voluntary Aid Detachments) that had less training.

The formidable Doctor Elsie Inglis, helped set up the Scottish Women’s Hospitals for the Foreign Service Committee to help support the war effort. This organisation, which was staffed almost entirely by women, set up fourteen field hospitals to treat the wounded in France, Serbia and Russia.

Her story is amazing and that warrants another separate article, although much has already been written about Elsie and her legacy.

Caring for the wounded

The soldiers were suffering more and more complex injuries from the ever increasing efficiency of weaponry being developed at pace – gas, grenades, flame throwers, machines guns, heavy artillery – the wounds, both physical and mental were horrific.

For some of the young soldiers, the women who tended them in the base hospitals, were literally like angels sent from heaven – often the wounded would die in pain asking for their mothers while holding a nurses hand. That happened and it happened a lot.

There are many diaries of nurses and of soldiers, which give first hand accounts of the time spent behind the lines in the base hospitals in France. Nurses endured so much horror and many gave the ultimate in sacrifice – their own lives in order to help others.

The bombing of St Omer
29/30th September 1917

The Third Battle of Ypres (the Battle of Passchendaele) in Belgium had started on 31st July 1917, but due to heavy rains it became bogged down on the first day.

The advance to the coast never happened, and the battle ended at the small village of Passchendaele, a mere 5 miles from Ypres. The cost for all belligerents was between 400,000 and 800,000 casualties, that figure is still hotly debated by historians.

St. Omer had been the General Headquarters of the British Expeditionary Force from October 1914 to March 1916 before moving to Montreuil-sur-Mer. But it remained a very important town as a major medical centre, for transport and for logistics.

The Royal Flying Corps also established headquarters at the aerodrome next to the local race course.

The RFC base grew in importance as it increased its logistic support throughout the four years of the war becoming the largest on the Western Front.

German bombing to disrupt behind the lines

The level of activity at Saint-Omer was extremely high on the night of the 29th September 1917 due to the heightened battle 50 kilometres north. Subsequently, the Germans wanted to disrupt behind the lines as much as possible. St Omer had already seen many attacks by bombing from the air.

Between 9.15pm and 10.45pm, a very heavy air raid ensued, 60 bombs were dropped, six or seven hitting 4 Stationary Hospital (at Arques) and three falling on 58th (Scottish) General Hospital.

One of the three bombs that fell on the 58th Hospital hit a marquee full of patients, subsequently causing the most serious casualties to medical staff and patients. 52 large marquees and 20 bell tents were damaged and two marquees and a tent destroyed.

The War Diary of 58th (Scottish) General Hospital, records in details the story of that terrible night.

1/10/17 During a hostile air raid on the night of 30/9/17 – 1/10/17, three bombs were dropped in the camp at 10.40 pm, ( 2 on Marquees for patients and 1 in the nurses compound). Of the 2 bombs which dropped on the marquees, 1 struck a marquee which was, fortunately unoccupied, the other struck a marquee occupied by patients and 2 nurses, who were on duty. The bomb which fell in the nurses compound struck a bell tent, which was unoccupied as the 2 nurses who sleep in the tent were on night duty. The casualties which have resulted are :- Nurses killed 3, wounded 3 ( 1 dangerously). Other ranks :- killed 16, wounded 60. Total killed 19, wounded 63. Of the other ranks wounded, 14 were transferred to other hospitals and one of these has since died.

There has been much damage to canvas and equipment. 54 marquees (hospital, large) have been damaged (2 have been absolutely demolished, while the damage to the others varies from almost complete destruction to mere riddling). 21 bell tents have been damaged (1 was completely destroyed by a bomb and 20 have been riddled). Many pieces of iron pierced the new corrugated iron sleeping hut for sisters. 1 piece pierced iron and 3 pieces of asbestos boarding. Numerous panes of glass have been broken in the permanent buildings. One of the ablution houses has been damaged.

Surgeon General MacPherson, the ADMS and the Matron in Chief called today and it was arranged for the transfer of all lying cases to other hospitals so that at night the walking cases left in hospital might go to the cave in the public garden and sleep there. In the evening patients and unit moved to the cave in the public garden and only the police and a few orderlies were left in the camp. The 3 wounded nurses were transferred today to No 10 Stationary Hospital.

2/10/17 The 3 nurses (Sister Climie, Nurse Thompson and Nurse Coles) and the 16 other ranks killed by hostile aircraft on the night of 30/9/17-1/10/17 were buried today at 4:00 pm in the Souvenir Cemetery Longuenesse. Sister Milne, who was dangerously injured in the same air-raid died last night in No 10 Stationary Hospital. 2 other ranks who were wounded have died today, so that the statistics as a result of the raid are, to date :- Dead, nurses 4, other ranks 18. Wounded :- nurses 2, other ranks 58. Totals Dead 22, Wounded 60.

The four nurses killed from Longuenesse were laid to rest on the 2nd October at 4pm by the staff of the hospital. The matron in chief Maud Mc Carth wrote in her diary: 

“It was an enormous gathering which lasted over 2 hours – the walks up to the graveside from the gate were lined with walking patients from 58 General Hospital. Overhead aeroplanes were hovering all through the service“

The four women rest in Plot VI row B at Longuenesse (St Omer) Souvenir Cemetery – Agnes Murdoch CLIMIE, Daisy COLES, Elizabeth THOMSON and Mabel Lee MILNE.

Agnes Murdoch Climie, Staff Nurse TFNS -Glasgow

Agnes was born Cathcart, Glasgow in 1885. She was the eldest of a family of six. Her father was a timber merchant cashier. Agnes went to school at Queen’s park and because her father was promoted, gaining more financial prosperity, the family moved to detached house. Although she did not have to work, Agnes wanted to be a nurse and trained in the Glasgow Royal Infirmary between 1908 and 1912.

When war was declared in August 1914, Agnes had no hesitation in joining the Territorial Force Nursing Service. One week later she was on the staff of the staff of the 4th Scottish General Hospital at Stobhill, Glasgow where she remained until until early 1917.

Stobhill Hospital was a large hospital with over 1000 beds. Wounded soldiers used to arrive from overseas base hospitals by train and a special platform was built from the railway siding to help transfer them to the hospital.

Just a year after the start of the war, Agnes was promoted to Staff Nurse and sent to France on 29 May, 1917, to the 58th (Scottish) General Hospital, St Omer.

She had only been in France four months before tragedy struck. Agnes was off duty and she came back to tend a very nervous patient during the bombing. It is reported she was singing to help calm him when she was killed.

Sister Mabel Lee Milne. TFNS-Dundee

Mabel Lee Milne was born in Dundee in 1886, gaining her education at Perth Academy. Mabel began her nursing career at the 2nd Scottish General Hospital, the former Craigleith Poorhouse building in Edinburgh. It was another large hospital, on a par with Stobhill with over 1000 beds.

Her matron’s report before she left for France read:

‘Staff Nurse Mabel Milne was called up for duty in the 2nd Scottish General Hospital on October 1st, 1914. She is a good nurse, most kind and attentive to her patients and well up on her work. She has no administrative ability, is rather easy going and a little apt to be forgetful. Always pleasant and well liked. Left for France May 1917.’

On May 29 1917, a 31-year-old Mabel started work as a staff nurse at the 58th (Scottish) General Hospital in France. It is highly likely that the two TFNS nurses, Agnes and Mabel, journeyed together as they set off on their travels to France .

Mabel did not die immediately after the attack. She was severely wounded, and despite the efforts of the staff, her injuries were too extensive and she died two days later, on the 2nd October.

Pupils from Perth Academy visited the grave of former pupil Mabel Milne in 2018. The following photos are published by their request. (Photos : @PaMemorial)

Daisy Kathleen Mary Coles – VAD British Red Cross
Aged 24 – Peebles

Daisy Kathleen Mary Coles was born in Peebles, Scotland. She was the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Walter G. Coles, of Priorsford House, Peebles

Just after hostilities commenced in the Great War, Daisy joined the Voluntary Aid Detachment as British Red Cross, Order of John, in September 1914. Her first position was at 2nd Scottish General Hospital, located at Craigleith, Edinburgh.

In 1917, Craigleith Hospital sent a detachment to St Omer at the 58 (Scottish) General Hospital. Daisy Coles was one of the new nurses to be sent out to France.

Daisy had a brother, Captain Lionel Coles was served with the 16th Battalion Royal Scots, also known as McRae’s Battalion. He was killed on the first day of the Battle of the Somme, the 1st July 1916 at Contalmaison. He is buried at Gordon Dump Cemetery, grave V.E.5.

Daisy was killed outright on the night of the bombing, most likely on duty in the marquee that took a direct hit.

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Elizabeth Thomson, VAD – Creetown, Kirkcudbrightshire- Age 25

Elizabeth Thomson was born in Creetown on 7th July 1890 to Mr and Mrs John Thomson. Known as Bessie, she volunteered to nurse at outbreak of war , and was posted to the Old Mill Military Hospital in Aberdeen. She volunteered for overseas service in 1916, and was serving in the 58th (Scottish) General Hospital on that tragic night of September 30th, 1917.

Like Daisy, she was mentioned in dispatches on 24th December 1917.

Bessie is commemorated on the Creetown War Memorial with 57 other casualties of the Great War from the area.

We Will Remember Them

60 bombs were dropped that night on St Omer and just three took out the lives of these young nurses and of 16 other ranks. The 58th (Scottish) General Hospital suffered severe damage and many patients were moved to surrounding hospitals.

The war continued for another horrendous years with mounting casualties on all sides and nurses continued to help and heal. They saw the horrors of war up close, some were not professional nurses like Agnes and Mabel, but at every level of care, these brave women felt they had to try and help ease the suffering of the soldiers. Their sacrifices should never be forgotten.

Much has been written about shell shock and the horrors of war, but many of the women who served were very, very young, just like some of the soldiers. What they saw and heard, they would carry with them for the rest of their lives. For those that died, we should always remember them.

Lest We Forget

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