Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Daughter of James OGLETHORPE and Mary nee SINNET
Of Benlick St., Bathurst, NSW

A NURSE BACK FROM HELIOPOLIS
NURSE OCLETHORPE SPEAKS
COURAGE OF THE WOUNDED

Nurse May Oglethorpe, a daughter of Mr. and mrs. Oglethorpe, of Bentinck street, who has been stationed at Heliopolis, in Egypt, attending wounded Australian soldiers is at present at home in Bathurst. Nurse Oglethorpe returned to Australia by the troopship Themistocles, which arrived during the early portion of the present week. She was one of a dozen sisters selected to accompany the 700 men who journeyed out to Australia by vessel, and is naturally elated at the fact that she was given the opportunity of making the trip back to her home country, and seeing her parents for a few days, prior to again taking up Red Cross work overseas.

A MODEST LADY

The nurse who is of that bright cheerful disposition that is usually associated with those of her calling and which appears to be the primary essential of the nursing profession, speaks of her experiences in an interesting strain. She is of a modest nature, and prefers not to discuss the more delicate side of the nursing question at the front-that of the actual attendance on the maimed wounded ones. But so far as general reminiscences in connection with what she has seen during her period of association with the wounded one is concerned, Nurse Ogelthorpe has a wealth of interesting reminiscences to make known.
All the Sisters at Heliopolis were particularly anxious to be selected for transport duty, she declares, and when I was one of the lucky ones who were asked bo make the journey by ho Themistocles, I was naturally greatly elated. I think that I am an excellent sailor had much to do with my good fortune, as it is vitally necessary that
one should be able to stand the sea effects when on transport or hospital ship duty.

DREADFUL WOUNDS

Many of the poor boys who came home with us were in a dreadfully maimed condition, and were suffering greatly. But the Australians proved to be real heroes in this respect and I never heard one of them complain while in the hospital at Heliopolis or on the boat. They were always cheerful, and gave us very little trouble. The dozen of us sisters who were on the boat were there for the purpose of attending those cases where the men were so badly wounded as to not be out of danger. The rest of the host of them looked after themselves for the most part, and we all got on wonderfully well together.

'The great desire of all the nurses at the Egypt hospitals is to get to the Dardanelles, so that they will be where the actual fighting is. Out at Heliopolis and elsewhere the work is hard and interesting, but of course we see nothing of any real warfare, and only have the wounded boys under our care after they are brought back from the fighting area.'

'My stay at home will be only a short one, as I expect to leave Australia again on the 25th of the present month. I am hoping that I will return by the Themistocles, and that I may be fortunate enough to be stationed at the Dardanells a little later on. I am proceeding to Melbourne on Monday, so will be saying 'Goody-bye' to Bathurst very shortly now.'

TELLING PHOTOS

Nurse Oglethorpe, who was trained at St. Vincent's Hospital, Sydney, speaks enthusiastically of the life at the hospitals overseas, and, with the commendable idea of graphically illustrating the many sights of interest that she has seen, she has made a collection of a number of most interesting snapshots of the various hospitals, their surroundings, the pyramids, Egyptian native groups, and scenes among the wounded on the transports.

Some of the latter photographs depict men suffering from most pitiful mutilation, and Nurse Oglethorpe tells feelingly of the courageous demeanor of these wounded ones in their suffering and distress. One little snapshot group taken on the Themistocles on her recent trip shows a happy looking youth, smiling broadly, and with his right arm in a sling. His head has been photographed held quizzically on one side, and it is only when one is told that his is the result of shell-fire, and that the young man for the rest of his days must go through life with his neck so bent that his head will always be held practically on his shoulder, that the pitiful nature of the soldier's wounds is realised. Others are shown to have lost limbs, and to be disfigured about the face, but on the countenances of all of them appears that cheerful smile which is typical of the true soldier and good Australian.

Nurse Oglethorpe has temporarily forsaken the honourable uniform of the Red Cross nurse while on her present visit. She states that everyone who finds out that she has been on nursing duty with the Australian heroes is anxious to 'have a chat with her,' and learn of her experiences. Hence her use of the mufti of civilian attire while on leave. The nurse resolutely refused to be interviewed at first,and even when she had told the 'Times' man all she had to tell, and exhibited her interesting collection of photographs, she concluded with a naive request - 'Don;t put my name in the paper please.' But Miss Oglethorpe must realise that her views on things in connection with the Empire's struggle for supremacy are well worth public ventilation. Therefore she will probably forgive us for having the temerity to publish this account of our representative's chat with her - without a touch of the censor's pencil.

The Bathurst Times Saturday 18 September 1915 page 2