Training and posting

[Kathie]

On the frontier between South AFrica and Bechuanaland a newspaper called the Frontier News published in april 1916 the news that Constance Alice Halse had completed a 3 months nursing course, had been taken on by the War Office and was now at Aldershott. by 22 July 1916 she was writing to the paper from Connaught Hospital, Aldershott that the English weather was very rainy, she missed long rides over the Bechuanaland desert, that they had not been busy, had not set up a marquee and prepared an extra 1000 beds. Im sure by the time the letter was published she had already been working with Somme July casualties. aFter her brother was killed in April 1917 she is in touch with the authorities and it is recorded that she was at 4 Gen Hosp, BEF.

What I want to know is:

1. How did one enrol for nuring training?

2.With whom?

3. Who decided where one got posted i.e. Aldershott.

4. For whom did one work - Red Cross or another organisation.

5. How would she have got to 4 Gen Hosp which I assume was in France?

6. Where was 4 Gen Hosp from April 1917 onwards?

Any information about hurses and where I could perhaps find her records would be apporeciated.

Thanks.

P>S> She died unmarried in her Bechuanaland desert in the 1930s.

Kathie

[Terry_Reeves]

Kathie

No 4 General Hospital was at Dannes- Camier near Etaples.

Terry Reeves

[Bob Coulson]

Kathie,

Lyn McDonalds book, "The Roses of No Mans Land" will answer a lot of your questions about nurses and their service.

Bob.

[Kathie]

thank you both - of coursse, Roses of etc - I have it and never thought to look. I will now.

Terry, was the hospital there the entire war. how would I find her records and see where she was and for how long. are there records for nurses.

Thank

Kathie

[Terry_Reeves]

Kathie

These are the movements of No 4 General :

1.9.14 - 13.9.14 - St Nazaire

14.9.14 - 15.1.16 - Versailles

16.1.16 - 1. 4.19 - Dannes - Camier

2.4.19 - 4.11.19 - Dunkerque

Forum member Sue Light may be able to help with your other questions.

Terry Reeves

[Kathie]

Sue, nice to hear from you again. As my own research progresses I more and more understand your obsession. No, I didnt get the earlier reply.

Anyway thanks for the information. I suspect constance wasnt trained as a nurse of anything else - they seem to have thoought of themselves as a rather grand family - her father was in cahoots with Cecil John Rhodes and built dams for Rhodes in Rhodesia and father Halse acquired lots of land there as well. Interesting that Constance came to the UK long before either of her brothers did - Clive jooined RFC in 1915 and was killed in 1917 (most of preceding year with broken arm) while Fred joined 1915 and was in 1st Cambridgeshires and was gassed.

So thank you - I will write to the Red Cross. All very peripheral to my interst inthe names on a war memorial of which constances brother is only one.

Thanks, Terry for movements of 4 General.

anyone reading - can one still see any remnants of hospitals - I am interested in German treatment of POW near Le Cateau where Eric Dold is buried, Rouen hospital because Joe Pattison is buried at St Sever, and what would have been the closest hosptial to Tincourt cemetery where Arthur Dell is bured. Any suggestions re hospitals and remnants???

thanks all

Kathie