Evening star., 1944-12-17

land in Myitkyina. But, after snipers
had been cleared away, they recon-
mended making daily trips. During the
thick of combat, the hospital ships
were often overtaxed, some of the
nurses would ride back on troop-carrier
planes, caring for the less seriously
injured patients. These were usually
taken to evacuation hospitals not far
from the combat area. The most seri-
ously injured men were taken inme-
diately to a large general hospital,
arriving some times within four hours
of the time of their injury. The speed
with which these hospital ships land,
load, and leave is a miracle of efficiency.
Most of the nursing done on board
a hospital ship includes giving hypo-
dermics to relieve pain, ephedrine for
severe cases of asthma and oxygen for
chest and abdominal wounds. These
and life giving plasma transfusions are
administered with the same efficiency
as If the patients were in a stationary
hospital
1t. Insley with Second 1t. Betty Ann
Berry of 1907 Ardmore boulevard, Will
kinsburg, Pa, were on the hospital ship
which went to Fort Hertz in Burma the
day it was bombed. They worked with
Capt. John Duncan and Sergt. Stanley
Cohen, both of Philadelphia, Pa. After
caring for numerous Burmese casualties.
they brought three seriously injured
American airmen back to India 1t was
a dangerous trip for their unarmed ship
flying over enemy territory and across
great distances of mountains, jungles
and rivers
I'VE used a number of Red Cross re-
inforced bandages on that trip" 1t. In
sley recalls. On the less exciting trips
when the flight nurses take convalescing
and ambulatory patients to hospitals
farther behind the lines, for later trans
portation to the States, they have found
Red Cross recreation kits immensely
helpful
THE candy, chewing gum, cigarettes,
cards and games in the Red Cross kits
help keep patients from getting restless
in their cramped quarters during the
long flights. There's not much room to
stretch your legs in hospital ship, you
know!" says 1t. Gleason.
Red Gross Aid
1t Insley also reports, that through
Red Cross efforts, the dearth of reading
material is being cut down Red Cross
recreation workers at the air strip where
the nurses are stationed have been sup
plying them with magazines from the
States. When the flight nurses return
to their station, they live in bashas
made of bamboo, mosquito netting, tar
paulin and other materials. Ingenious
ly, these are combined to give protection
against the monsoon rains, the steam
ing hot sun and the many forms of
insect and rodent life.
In this setting, it looks odd to see pink
and white lingerie drying on lines out
side an Army constructed shower and
washroom. Another strange sight is the
swimming pool which the nurses helped
build during their leisure time between
flights. On the pool rides an inflated
rubber life raft Around the pond,
and the bashas are beautifully blooming
flower gardens which the nurses tend
spasmodically, and the enlisted men
Systematically.
To become member of an air evacu-
alton unit, nurses with special qualifica-
tions take two-month course at Bow
man Field, KY. AS members of the
Army Air Corps, they are entitled to the
same rotation privileges as the pilots
and many of them will have completed
their tour of duty soon.
Six of the girls were formerly with
American Airlines before the war. These
ex-stewardesses are: Second It. Mar
garet Bean of Edgewater, Md: First 1t.
Pauline Curry of 270o Wisconsin, avenue
NV, Washington, D. c.; First 1t. Jane
Murphy of 104 North Front St., Milton,
Pa; Second 1t. Dorothy Cameron of
474 Charming avenue, Westfleld, N. j.:
Second It. Bernice Mcdonald of Al w.
Main street, Burkburnett, Tex; Second
1t Esther Baer of 1101 N. jefferson
street, Peoria, III.
For information concerning nurse
recruitment, call the Office IN the
Red Cross Chapter House at 1880 &