CRIMEAN EXPERIENCES

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2871, 8 September 1916, Page 3

CRIMEAN EXPERIENCES

THE DAYS OF FLORENCE NIGHTINGALE Lieut. John. Henry Baldwin, wlio died at Moaneo this week, ill his 87tb year, arrived in New Zealand in the Southern Cross in 1857. Ho possessed a vivid recollection of tlie stirring days when Great Britain was lighting against the Russians in tho Crimea, and had with her Turkey, the country that is now opposed to the Union' Jack. His ivifo and only daughter predeceased him by many years. During tho time of the Crimean Wars tho late Lieut. Baldwin was a lieutenant oil one of the _ transports, the Queen of the South, which travelled between England and the 'Black Sea, and tho following extracts have been taken from his diary, written at tho limo War Declared. "On March 28, 1854, war was declared by the Allies on Russia. I was then fourth officer on the Queen' of tho 1 South. When we arrived in South am p- | ton water we got the news from a | Dutch sailing ship; which we spoke to off the Isle of Wight. The Dutchman was outward bound. The captain spoke through the trumpet, 'England's at tear wid de Russ r "On arrival at Southampton the Queen of the South was chartered by the Government as transport, and wo took, on board part of tho C Company of Royal Artillery. We sailed for Constantinople, via Malta, and on arrival there were ordered to proceed on to Balaclava. After landing everything wo returned to Southampton and took out more troops. Florence Nightingale. "Miss Florene'e Nightingale was then | head nurse in tho Crimea, and the Scutari Hospital was lier headquarters. After several battles had been fought, we were ordered to go to Varner (now spelt Varna) for Turkish troops, as the Russians were going to make an attack on Eupitoria. That battle commenced'about 4 a.m. It'was my watch below, and one of my brother officers came to take my place and told me to go and have a look. ' From the ship's deck we saw the Russians marching to battle. The battlo did not ' last long, and the Turks were, victorious. When tho battles of Incoman (as it was spelt) and Bedan were fought, most of,the transports were employed carry, ing the sick and- wounded from Balaclava to Scutari. My duty it was to take the 6ick, wounded, and depd ashorei and hand tbem over to M>ss Nightingale at Scutari. That nurse was always at the landing place, and would say to me, 'See that the men are very careful with them.' Sho had a very kind heart. "One day I was talking to Miss Nightingale when the hospital doctor joined' us. We 'chaffed her by telling hor that according to the custom of the oountry she was wearing her Turkish cloak inside out!' The fur should have been on the inside. She replied, 'Tho bears wear it on th 9 outside and so do I.''"Miss Florence Nightingale told me that she was born in Florence in. 1820, and wa<s named Florence after' that lovely city on the river Arno. She was'the youngest of Mr. W. Shore Nightingale's two daughters.. Her father was a wealthy land-owner esquire of Emberloy Park, Hampshire. peace Declared. . "When peace was declared all wera glad to get out of .the Crimea as tho sickness was terrible. 31any poor fel-j lows would l have died had it not been

for Miss Nightingale. Tho French were better off in every way; they had underground mossrooms. and seemed to understand roughing it better than oui fellows. It was appalling to see tho poor follows on heard our ship aftei Alma. "Wo went to Genoa with Italian troops, and wc wore all glad of tho change. The Italian public were very kind and nothing was too good for us. • ' "When we were at Constantinople waiting for the troops, Captain Beal came into the officers' mess and a3kcd If anyone could speach French. He wanted an interpreter so that he could converse with the officials, who wero mostly Poles. .As I could speak that language I went ashore with the captain and had a very good time. Grand Sight. "I .was later moved 1 on to another transport, and she was one of the last D-hips to bring troops away after peace was declared. It was a grand sight; to see the Russians march back into Balaclava, when that town was given back to them. The French and English bands played them in, each playing their national anthem. It was the sight of a lifetime and one I will never forget. "Our ship was one of the many v hich brought back the sick and convalescent from Balaclava and Scutari, and when wo arrived off the Isu? of Wight tho Queen's yacht, tho Victoria and Albert, came out from Cowes with the 1 Queen on board, and we slowed' down, as Her Majesty wished to speak to the ship. The yacht came alongside and the Queen personally asked the captain how the men were." The • deceased leaves two granddaughters, Mrs. Colin M'Kenzie, of Alfredton, Eketahuna, end Miss Adeline Oaverhill, Mastcrton. Miss Tuke, of Lighthouse Road, Napier, Mrs. Raymond. of Auckland, and Mrs. Gudgeon, of Auckland 1 , wero also related to tho deceased.. Miss Tuke lias in her possession a sketch which was made on board tho Argo in 1856 for tjie late Lieutenant Baldwin. It was made by the lato R. Landells, special artist at the Crimea, for the, "Illustrated London News," and was signed by him on May 23. 1866. It represents an English and 1 a French ■ soldier talking at the gate of the Horse Guards, with a private of the Guards in the near, background and a couple of streettuichins near by: