A week ago, I learnt the very sad news that friend and long-time member of the SCS, Adrian Wright, had died in Thessaloniki. Adrian will be known to many members of the Society, in particularly those who have joined one or more of our annual battlefield tours. For many years, Adrian acted as SCS standard bearer during official Remembrance ceremonies at Lembet Road Military Cemetery and the Five Nations Memorial, Polykastro. He would also often join tour parties during travels in northern Greece.
Along with Apostolos Nalmpantis and Minas Drestiliaris, Adrian has assisted the Society with location recces of new sites for the annual battlefield tours and with research into photographs and documents. Adrian’s linguistic skills opened very useful avenues of research into French, German and Greek sources relating to the Salonika Campaign. A particular memory that comes to mind is that of a day on part of the Birdcage Line with Adrian and Minas. From the sites of the vanished villages of Pirnar and Daudli, past the traces of trenches, dugouts and concrete shelters to the summit of the Matterhorn we walked. My friends sharing with me their discoveries in the landscape.
Adrian was always willing to share his wide knowledge of the campaign and wider Greek history with all those who shared his passion for the subject. I and many others have shared interesting conversations with Adrian both out in the field and over a meal or drinks. Sadly, such meetings became less frequent in recent years as Adrian’s declining health precluded him from many of our activities. Yet, whenever possible, he managed to join us in Thessaloniki to talk history. Now, it is with a sense of shock and true sadness to think that such moments and meetings will not come again.
At Adrian’s funeral the SCS was represented by Apostolos Nalmpantis and Minas Drestiliaris. I would like to thank Apostolos for organising an SCS badged poppy wreath. That Adrian’s family allowed the wreath to be buried with him was a very fitting tribute to a man who has done so much to help further knowledge of and commemorate all those who served in Macedonia between 1915 and 1918.
Adrian, Rest in Peace, you were a truly good man and I am proud to call you my friend.
I doubt that members of the Salonika Campaign Society really need International Women’s Day to remember the service and sacrifice of the women of the Scottish Women’s Hospital who served in the Balkans. The Society has remembered them in books, in talks and presentations, at events and in articles, both printed and online. Even so, it may be helpful to have a reminder of these redoubtable women and their noble enterprise, through the graves of just four of their number. I photographed these on a visit to Thessaloniki ten years ago, at the CWGC Lembet Road Military Cemetery. They are: Sister Mary de Burgh Burt, Sister Florence Missouri Caton, Masseuse Olive Smith and Alice Annie Grey.
Last year I resolved to share the story of the sinking of the hospital ship, Rewa. I decided to do this on the anniversary of the event in 2026. The trouble was, I failed to check the date and, convinced that it was in February, by the time I looked up the details I realised I had missed it – 4 January! I could have left it until 2027 but, instead, decided to post the story today, Fred Braysher’s birthday, as it was Fred (my grandfather) who told me the story 44 years ago.
Once again it’s time to celebrate the Lunar New Year – or Spring Festival, if you prefer – and this time it’s the ‘Year of the Horse’, which makes finding a Salonika-related photo remarkably easy! Before we look at that, it’s worth noting that in 2026 it’s a ‘Fire Horse’, something we haven’t seen since 1966. Apparently, after an introspective ‘Year of the Snake’, we are now galloping forward with vibrant and fiery energy, which symbolises adventure, vitality, and momentum. So hold onto your hat!
Tonight (Monday 9th February) at 7pm, Nick Ilić will be giving a free online talk (as part of the Serbian Council of Great Britain Serbian Month programme of events).
Nick says on ‘X’, “The talk is about the ‘Second Serbian Campaign’ that was taking place 110 years ago during the Great War. The events culminated in what became called the ‘Serbian Golgotha’ – where rather than surrender to the advancing German, Austro-Hungarian and Bulgarian Armies, the Serbs decided to retreat over the Albanian and Montenegrin mountains to the Adriatic Coast. Thousands perished. The Serbs did not march on their own over the mountains – with them went the international military and medical missions that had deployed to Serbia in 1914 and 1915. It is a most remarkable, heroic, tragic and little known story. The events also witnessed the deployment of the French and British Salonika Armies to come to the rescue of the Serbs – but to no avail.”
My thanks go to Rob Elliott and Andy Hutt who have both provided further information on 22nd Division’s production of The Chocolate Soldier. Before I share their pearls of wisdom, here is a link to a page with photos (scroll down!), which I found AFTER posting my article. I added it as a comment, but that may have been missed and the photos are certainly worth seeing:
Wilton’s Music Hall is a fascinating theatrical venue in the heart of the East End of London, close to Cable Street where, in 1936, at least one Salonika veteran – PC Fred Braysher – took part in the infamous ‘Battle of Cable Street’.
Searching for information recently about nursing in Salonika, I stumbled across Mettle and Steel: the AANS in Salonika.It’s an account of the punishing nature of Australian military nursing in Salonika. From 1917, Australian nurses were sent into this difficult and unfamiliar theatre of war to relieve the British, French and Canadian nurses and to provide nursing care to British soldiers and prisoners of war. As nursing ‘our boys’ was a major motivation for overseas service, it was something of a disappointment for many that they could not nurse Australian soldiers.
Accession Number: H16005 A group of Australian Army nurses about to depart from Adelaide for Salonica, 14 June 1917. From the left: Miss Molly Wilson, Mrs J. Tyers, Miss Edith Horton, Miss Marion Geddes, Miss Laura Begley, Mrs Jessie McHardie White (Principal Matron), Mrs Forsyth (wife of General Forsyth), Miss Violet Mills (Matron of No 5 Australian General Hospital who was on a visit to Adelaide), Miss Alice Prichard and Miss Florence G. Gregson.
I hadn’t quite appreciated the scale and complexity of the Australian nursing presence: four contingents were dispatched via Egypt, under constant U-boat threat, and then distributed across a shifting network of British hospitals in Greece and the surrounding hills. Each unit was allocated one Matron, ten AANS Sisters and eighty Staff Nurses. The nurses were led by senior matrons such as Jessie McHardie White, who oversaw not only clinical standards but the welfare and morale of hundreds of nurses. Staff Nurse Lucy May’s personal account helps convey the experience of Salonika in winter:
[12 October 1917] Water racing thru wards & reached halfway up bedsteads, haversacks, boots, socks, pants floating down road… [21 October] Lanterns blowing out & leaving you in dark… [23 October] Still don weather attire, only wearing men’s pyjama pants, putties, gum boots, man’s shirt also. Had dress tucked around waist all night… [2 November] Imagine me [on night duty] over my ankles in mud, dragging one foot out then other foot & standing on one leg in grim peril or sitting down hastily…feeling the rain oozing through my mack. This is the life?”
As winter ended, the nurses then faced oppressive summers dominated by malaria. The AANS uniform was adapted in an attempt to counter the mosquito risk. A ‘mosquito proof’ nurse would be clad in her working dress, huge gloves, rubber boots and thick veil which, according to Lucy Tydvil Armstrong:
“made it quite impossible to carry out our duties, when men were rigoring and vomiting all night long, we just had to do away with the precautions, & run the risk of being bitten with mosquitos.”
Accession Number: H15761 A group of Australian Army Nursing Service nurses at the 52nd British General Hospital at Kalamaria, Greece ready for night duty wearing headdress provided for protection against mosquitoes. C 1918.
Despite the precautions, Matron McHardie White later reported that, ‘most of the nurses were affected by it [malaria] one time or another…’ By August 1918 45 nurses had been sent back to Australia from Salonika and another 14 were waiting to go, mostly on grounds of ill health. The death of Sister Gertrude Evelyn Munro in 1918 underlines the very real cost of the AANS service.
Accession Number: H13100 Sisters Gertrude Evelyn Munro and Amy Christie of the AANS. The photograph was probably taken at the 60th British General Hospital, Salonica.
Despite deteriorating health and official doubts about the value of their continued presence, the nurses remained in Salonika until after the war ended, not returning home until early in 1919. Their courage and professionalism were acknowledged through praise and decorations from British, Serbian and Greek authorities. Matron McHardie White, as just one example, was awarded the Serbian decoration of the Order of St Sava and was made a Member of the British Empire.
Nurses’ Narratives
It’s always interesting to read first-hand accounts of experience and so it was good to see that some diary and retrospective narratives written by the AANS nurses have been, and are being, transcribed. Staff Nurse Vivian A Lee Shea, for example, recalled,
We arrived in the midst of summer & the height of the Malaria & Dysentry season, & work commenced right away. We had much to learn. We were all new to each others ways & the medical Staff & personnel had only just landed as we ourselves had.
The Hospital was rather well situated at an elevation of about 2000 ft above sea level & this gave us a cooler summer, but made it impossible to live there in the winter months. During the winter months we occupied the Prisoners of War Hospital in the Base area. Here we nursed British Troops, as well as prisoners of War, the latter were representatives from practically every one of the Baltic States. Germans Bulgars, Turks, Romanians, Greeks Albanians & Serbs, in fact any one found in enemy lines.
Annie E Major-West remembered,
We remained in Salonika till February 1919, during the whole time the work was very heavy at times the hours on duty were particularly long. these conditions were occasioned by the prevalence of Sickness amongst the Sisters and Medical Officers. Frequently the Bulgars & Germans were over in Planes endeavouring to bomb the Town but the Vicinity of the Hospital was never damaged, during the Month of August 1917 the town was partially destroyed by fire, Supposed to have been the work of Spies.
Our congratulations go to overseas SCS member Glenn Stennes. In recognition of his work in maintaining and improving access to sites on the Doiran battlefield, Glenn has been awarded the British Empire Medal (BEM) in the New Year Honours Overseas and International List 2026, for “services to UK Military Heritage Preservation.” Congratulations Glenn!
I’m pleased to share this Christmas card from Noah, our adopted mule, who lives at the Redwings Horse Sanctuary Centre at Caldecott, and add my own festive wishes to all our members, friends and visitors.
Salonika Campaign Society, 1915-1918 