Interview with Meg Ewart (When the war came to Australia)

Mrs Ewart joined the Army in 1941 and worked with the 2/10 Field Ambulance. She was posted to Darwin and was disappointed as she wanted to go to an active area. The 28 sisters travelled on the troop ship Katoomba. They were not expected at Darwin and emergency accommodation was provided using tents. She describes the Japanese raids of 19 February 1942, they lost one patient from a ricocheting bullet. Mrs Ewart recounts how there were many extra patients as a result of the Japanese attack, and the nursing staff had to evacuate the patients to the hospital ship Manunda. She mentions transportation leaving Darwin- by hospital ship or train to South Australia. She describes the second hospital site in Darwin- moved "behind the lines", a dispersed hospital, tents through the bush, working in primitive conditions. She describes the aftermath of the raid- lack of hospital facilities for the number of casualities and burns victims. After Darwin Mrs Ewart was posted to the staff of the austerity campaign - she had to speak of experiences in Darwin, being mindful of the censorship surrounding Darwin at the time. She describes the relations between wounded men & patients and mentions that many soldiers wrote to her and maintained a correspondence after the war. It was vital for nurses to maintain professional detachment while nursing wounded men. If a nurse married, they had to leave active areas, and were posted to Concord or another big hospital - difficulties could arise if they became pregnant in an isolated location. Mrs Ewart comments that the worst aspect of wartime nursing was seeing pain and suffering and being homesick; the best aspect was doing something for the boys, going on picnics etc. She describes the working conditions for the nursing staff and the use of breakthrough drugs, sulphaminide and penicillin. She mentions the treatment of wounded Japanese soldiers and how the nurses adapted their uniforms to suit the tropics.