Evie's War by Anna Mackenzie Page B

efforts on me!
Sunday 23 May
    Winifred did not accompany Lady Braybrooke to Church. Just last week she told me she feels less and less inclined to sit through sermons given by ‘old men who do not in the least understand the suffering that is going on and which is not in the least helped by their sermonising and homilies’. Such baldly expressed sentiments left me rather shocked, but I have decided, on reflection, that I can understand her views. Lady B was very breezy in response to my aunt’s enquiries, claiming sleep to be of the utmost importance given the nature of her niece’s work. It is certainly the case that, when in short supply, it quickly comes to seem of greater merit than sermons! However, knowing that neither Mother nor Aunt Marjorie would share Lady B’s tolerance I dragged myself up to attend the early Service, though I am afraid I listened to the Vicar with a slightly jaundiced ear.
24 May, 1st Eastern
    Italy has joined the War. We can only hope it will send the Kaiser a message.
25 May
    Matron has asked me to take on a case injured during the recent Advance near Neuve Chapelle. Major D suffers a nervous twitch and partial paralysis. Perhaps worse, he seems unable to refrain from revisiting the horrors he has seen, his outpourings proving greatly disturbing to the other men. Matron’s proposal is that I sit with him for an hour a day, in the hope his sense of honour will oblige him to control his mind and words. She warns that I may nonetheless hear details that will shock, and suggests I take the evening to think it over. There is nothing to think over, the decision being made.
26 May
    Major D politely insists that I must have better things to do than sit with him. We talked a little of his home, which he recalls fondly, while claiming to harbour no wish to return, believing he would ‘only besmirch it’. On this he refused to be drawn, but it seems clear he considers himself tainted in some way. Tomorrow I hope he will adjudge me untainted by his company, and from that will be able to draw comfort.
27 May
    Today Major D asked for my observations of England and seemed much amused by stories of my young cousins. I was embarrassed to discover that I could not answer his query regarding how Monty had settled at school, and determined to write to him as soon as possible.
28 May, Littlebury train
    I have asked Matron whether she might arrange for someone to sit with Major D over the weekend, as he confided today that he looks forward to my visits. Matron believes him slightly cheered, though apparently his nightmares are no better. When the opportunity arises I plan to ask Uncle Aubrey for details of the battle where the Major was wounded so that I might be equipped should he mention it.
29 May, Deans Park
    My uncle took some time to consider my request, eventually conceding that the accounts carried by our newspapers occasionally leave out some of the more difficult details, as well as any information better kept from enemy hands.
    There were two attacks around Neuve Chapelle, on the 9th and 15th. The difficulty of the conditions meant thatneither achieved all objectives, nevertheless ground was taken from the Enemy. Uncle Aubrey acknowledged that there were a good many casualties (though he said the German casualty rate was in all likelihood higher) which perhaps explains Major D’s low state of mind. Uncle Aubrey confirmed it likely that the Major had lost a good number of men, and expressed sympathy accordingly. Seeing one’s men suffer is the greatest difficulty faced by an Officer, he says, adding that their success is a commensurately large source of pride. Before closing our discussion Uncle Aubrey expressed doubts regarding Matron having allocated me such a challenging undertaking, but was reassured when I explained that I have not been given the task of discussing the battle, but of turning the Major’s mind to happier topics. As I told my uncle, this I shall