Mrs. St. Clair Stobart and her nurses set sail in September 1914 for Antwerp, when she returned after Antwerp fell into German Hands the British Nursing Journal on 17th October 1914 gave this report.
The nurses arriving in Belgium.
WOMEN'S NATIONAL SERVICE LEAGUE HOSPITAL.
Mrs. St. Clair Stobart, of the Women's National Service League, and her fine band of medical women and nurses, had a most exciting time. Their hospital corps which went to Antwerp on
September 22nd, was working in a concert hall at Burchem, in the direct line of shell fire from he south, and close to a large ammunition depot. Dr. Florence Stoney, who acted as medical superintendent, and who with the 'staff has arrived in England, has given to the press a most graphic account of the terrible twenty-four hours under fire, and she speaks with much ratitude of the help given by an English colour-sergeant, T. Cunningham, of Chatham, who behaved splendidly in spite of a bad wound in the head. “Not one of the staff of women doctors, nurses, and orderlies lost her head."
Mrs. St. Clair Stobart, of the Women's National Service League, and her fine band of medical women and nurses, had a most exciting time. Their hospital corps which went to Antwerp on
September 22nd, was working in a concert hall at Burchem, in the direct line of shell fire from he south, and close to a large ammunition depot. Dr. Florence Stoney, who acted as medical superintendent, and who with the 'staff has arrived in England, has given to the press a most graphic account of the terrible twenty-four hours under fire, and she speaks with much ratitude of the help given by an English colour-sergeant, T. Cunningham, of Chatham, who behaved splendidly in spite of a bad wound in the head. “Not one of the staff of women doctors, nurses, and orderlies lost her head."
Mrs. St. Clair Stobart described the escape in the Daily Mail -
"We arranged, if a bombardment began, to remove our wounded into the cellars - three dirty little caves under our kitchen. At midnight on Wednesday the bombardment began. We were roused by a rushing, fluttering sound through the air that seemed to go burr-bump. '' One shot came into the house next to us and ripped the roof clean off. The house on the other side received another shot which went through the middle of it. It caught fire. Another shot made a hole 6ft. deep near the main door of our hospital. Another fell in the road just outside ; another thirty yards away, and another ten yards beyond. They might have been firing at the hospital.
‘ The staff that, night walked to their sleeping place in the convent across the road with shells flying about. But first they had got their wounded patients safely to the cellars. Slight, frail nurses carried heavy men on their shoulders-the men’s arms around their necks. Shells were bursting all round, but never once did I see anyone taking the slightest notice of them. The nurses’ coolness was marvellous. In half an hour all our 130 patients were packed in the cellars.
‘(Next day), Thursday, we found nearly all ’ Antwerp had fled. All the shops were shut; no food, not even bread, was to be got. Not a soul was to be seen. At last I found a motor lorry to take away our six most serious cases. We were left with sixteen, who could not move.
At two o’clock on Thursday we found a second motor-lorry, and on this we packed sixteen wounded, a woman doctor, three nurses, and an interpreter. The loading was done with the shells still dropping around us. “we waited for help-three hours, four, five -and nothing came. Then, in desperation, I went out on the main road, the Chausske de Malines, to see if I could see anyone. Imagine my delight at seeing whirring along the road towards me, at a breakneck pace, three London motor-omnibuses. I stood in the middle of the road, stretched out my arms and shouted. They were carrying ammunition. I urged them to take our staff along. “ If you’ll be as quick as lightning,” said the driver of one, “we’ll take you along. But we must get beyond the bridge of boats before it is blown up.” I rushed into our hospital, hurried up the staff, and in a few minutes we were sitting in the omnibus, right on the cases of ammunition they were carrying. There were sixteen of us. We rushed down into Antwerp and over the bridge just before it was blown up. On the other side we were put down, and after going a short way we found ourselves among lines of soldiers. A Belgian general and three of his staff were there. I went to him and asked could he lend us motor-cars to get to somewhere whence we could get to Ostend. He let us have motor-cars to take us as far as St. Gilles. Thence we got to Ostend and over by boat.”
‘ The staff that, night walked to their sleeping place in the convent across the road with shells flying about. But first they had got their wounded patients safely to the cellars. Slight, frail nurses carried heavy men on their shoulders-the men’s arms around their necks. Shells were bursting all round, but never once did I see anyone taking the slightest notice of them. The nurses’ coolness was marvellous. In half an hour all our 130 patients were packed in the cellars.
‘(Next day), Thursday, we found nearly all ’ Antwerp had fled. All the shops were shut; no food, not even bread, was to be got. Not a soul was to be seen. At last I found a motor lorry to take away our six most serious cases. We were left with sixteen, who could not move.
At two o’clock on Thursday we found a second motor-lorry, and on this we packed sixteen wounded, a woman doctor, three nurses, and an interpreter. The loading was done with the shells still dropping around us. “we waited for help-three hours, four, five -and nothing came. Then, in desperation, I went out on the main road, the Chausske de Malines, to see if I could see anyone. Imagine my delight at seeing whirring along the road towards me, at a breakneck pace, three London motor-omnibuses. I stood in the middle of the road, stretched out my arms and shouted. They were carrying ammunition. I urged them to take our staff along. “ If you’ll be as quick as lightning,” said the driver of one, “we’ll take you along. But we must get beyond the bridge of boats before it is blown up.” I rushed into our hospital, hurried up the staff, and in a few minutes we were sitting in the omnibus, right on the cases of ammunition they were carrying. There were sixteen of us. We rushed down into Antwerp and over the bridge just before it was blown up. On the other side we were put down, and after going a short way we found ourselves among lines of soldiers. A Belgian general and three of his staff were there. I went to him and asked could he lend us motor-cars to get to somewhere whence we could get to Ostend. He let us have motor-cars to take us as far as St. Gilles. Thence we got to Ostend and over by boat.”
Photos from - The Great War in Different Light
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