Nursing: In Manchester

Nicky Rutter, my mother, was a paedriatic nurse in Manchester at the outbreak of war. Even hospitals were evacuated from the large cities at this time, and she and her colleagues were evacuated to Rainhill.

There was a large amount of resentment among her colleagues as they were sent from a purpose built new building to a converted former workhouse. But, after a long fight to get rid of the cockroaches the girls settled down to the new routine and even began to enjoy it.

Alas. the new hospital was perhaps even more vulnerable to bombing in Rainhill than it would have been in Manchester and many night were spent down in the shelters.

The first rush came was when the ward was given over to the men evacuated from Dunkirk, and later there were German prisoners of war to cope with.

One of the latter group grew particularly amorous and despite numerous warnings he persisted in 'goosing' the nurses' bottoms as they bent over while making the neighbouring beds.

Eventually, patience was exhausted and late one night duty, a nurse bent over a neighbour's bed and was duly 'goosed.' Alas for this hapless youth, the said nurse not only spoke fluent (and 'vernacular') German, but she had already made her plans. She warned the young man, quietly summoned some colleagues to sit on him, and proceeded to pluck the hairs on his legs, one by one, with a pair of tweezers. Any cries were muffled with a pillow!

Needless to say, he didn't try that trick again!

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