WW2 nurse - Ethel Lote

At the age of 15, Ethel Lote from Sheffield joined the St John’s Ambulance and at 17 she began working at Manor Hospital as a junior. She then nursed at Burntwood Asylum, Staffordshire, which had opened as an emergency hospital for military and civilian patients, including those from the Birmingham Blitz. Ethel first worked on the gynaecological hut as one of only two nurses on duty. She recalls the arrival of the wounded soldiers of the British Expeditionary Force from Dunkirk, still covered with mud from the beaches, followed later by casualties from other theatres of war. She also talks about strict discipline and the benefit of having Matrons on the wards.
The Archive also holds Ethel’s memoirs, photographs, and an audio interview.