IA'S GREAT NEED

Mrs. St. Clair Stobart with Mr. Greenhalgh, doctors, nurses, and
orderlies, were to have left for Serbia on Saturday, March 27. On
Friday the unit met at 39, St. James' Street to have their photos
taken, then at 4.30 a service at St. Martin's-in-the-Field, conducted
by the Rev. Percy Dearmer. We had two hymns, a nice address; a
collection was taken of just over L12 for our unit. After the service
we went to a farewell tea at Lady Cowdray's, 16, Carlton Terrace. Lady
Muir Mackenzie and several others from the Women's Imperial Service
League were there. Sir T. Lipton, who had just arrived home, told us
of his experiences in Serbia, with all the horrors and hardships. Lady
Cowdray presented the unit with a Thermos flask each, as a parting
gift. Lady Muir Mackenzie gave each a Tommy's cooker, which I found
most useful. We heard that the Admiralty had again put off our unit,
and that half of us only could leave on the following Wednesday or
Thursday. The following Monday we had orders from Mrs. Stobart that
nineteen of us would leave on April 1 with her (the heads of the
departments, with one or two other members). We also heard that Dr.
and Mrs. Dearmer were going with us, the former as Chaplain to visit
the sick and wounded, and his wife as an orderly to our unit.

MY DIARY IN SERBIA

Thursday, _April 1, 1915._

Nineteen of the unit left for Serbia. We met at Euston station at
9.30. The train left at 10.30 a.m. for Liverpool. We had crowds of
friends to see us off. All the equipments for our Field Hospital had
gone the previous Saturday by the _Torcello_ from the East Indian
Docks by the Admiralty transport. We are taking out sixty-three tents;
the large ones hold fifteen to twenty patients. We have 300 beds and
all other equipments to fit up a Hospital, with over L300 worth of
food-stuffs.

All the unit are in a dark grey uniform with large pockets, making it
most useful, and nice hats to match.

We arrived in Liverpool at 2.30 p.m. on Thursday; then collected our
luggage. We were each allowed to take one cabin trunk and a hold-all.

On reaching the docks we got on the boat _Saidieh_ for Salonika. We
left the docks at 10 o'clock, and lay in the harbour till Good Friday,
starting at 8.30 p.m. We could not leave before, we heard, owing to
messages sent to the captain. It was nice and calm Friday night, but I
did not take off my clothes and could not