traty estia

TRUE STORY

AN AUSSIE LASSIE

By Susan FA-B-1 FPE

During World War II I served with an Australian Army Medical Corps Field Ambulance - the somewhat misleading name given to all- male-staffed hospitals close to the line. Late in 1943 the unit trans- ferred back to Australia, and for a while I was on loan to a General Hospital 20-odd miles from Sydney. It was a hospital, I might say, with the most beautiful Sisters and Nurses you ever saw. (For non- British readers, a Sister is a registered nurse, and is commissioned; a Nurse is a registered nursing aide.)

On a rather pleasant night a group of us, nurses and medics, went to a camp concert staged in the Garrison Theater by the Koalas, one of the more famous parties with the Aust. Army Entertainment Service. It was a good show, and I need hardly say who was most enthralled by the female impersonator! He was absolutely fabulous. And gorgeously gowned. He fooled us all, every last one of us. (Years later when he was a patient of mine in Japan during the Occupation, I found that he was as queer as a nine dollar bill. But that's another story.)

On the way back to the Hospital area after the show I found myself by accident (honest, mate) with a group of four nurses somewhat sepa- rated from the rest of the crowd. The girls were carrying on about the F.I., his skill and so on, and yours truly (always a bit rash) boasted that 'any Digger could do it if he set his mind to it.'

The inevitable challenge came, of course. And I was in a quandry. On one hand there was the opportunity to dress for the first time in a num- ber of years, and in public at that. On the other hand there was the pos- sibility of disaster. . . even court-martial. Well, they say that attack is the best defense, and I attacked. "You'll have to make it a fair dinkum

22