Page 112 - KBHA BULLETIN 6

dance on board the General Botha Training Ship at Simon’s Town. Not just a dance in a

clubhouse or a hotel but on a ship anchored in the bay. Mrs. Thesen chaperoned us.

Life was pretty unsophisticated. The height of sophistication after attending a concert or a

“bioscope” up the line was to stop at “Spotties” on the Main Road at Retreat and have
coffee and hot dogs in the car, on the way home. During wintertime we spent a lot of time

climbing on the mountain and getting to know our fynbos – most of us took botany as one
of our matric subjects. During summer holidays we went swimming outside the tidal pools,

showing off our daring in front of the many visitors from Transvaal.

Rumours of war

Our brothers and boyfriends joined (as volunteers) various regiments such as the Dukes,
the Cape Town Highlanders, the Cape Mounted Rifles, and the RNVR. Some of our

friends were very keen on horse-riding and joined the CMR as they visualised themselves
as cavalry men, wearing riding boots and jingling spurs. Unfortunately, the CMR was

mobilised soon after the outbreak of war and was changed to a motorised unit, all glamour
lost forever.

Some of us joined the Muizenberg branch of the Red Cross Society to train as VADs
(Voluntary Aid Detachment). We attended, every Monday evening, lectures and

demonstrations given by the District Sister Crawford in a specially equipped room in the
Muizenberg Pavilion. Once we had passed our examinations in First Aid and Home

Nursing we were issued with our uniform and badges and felt ready for posting to the
Hospital Ship AMRA or a military hospital “up north”.

The colonel of the SA Military Nursing Services (Miss Connie Nothard) happened to be in
Cape Town on a recruiting drive. I went for an interview and was told in no uncertain

terms that the SAMNS was looking for registered nurses, especially theatre-sisters. So my

109