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Archibald MacMechan

Halifax Disaster Record Office Materials

Youthful Patients Relate their Experience

3 pages : 30 x 41 cm.

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He was immediately taken in hand by the willing people at the hospital, on arrival and the same night he underwent an operation, when his left leg was taken off. "Even now I can feel the toes of that leg" he said last evening, "I did not get wise to the fact that it was "off for two days." He said, when asked as to what pain he suffered -" Oh, it didn't pain an awful lot, only when they get those awful probes. That is the time I do feel terrible pain, but it has to be done I suppose."
Willie likes the nurses and doctors very much. He said, very wisely too, that he could not tell which nurse he liked the best, but it would be best to say that they were all dandies. The doctors were kind and gentle with him. This little fellow, twelve years of age was in the fourth book at school and was looking forward to getting up into the fifth after Xmas. "No chance now for a while." he said. When he is twenty one he hopes to have another leg, but in the meantime, refuses to do any worrying.
Arthur Finlay was busy playing checkers when the Chronicle man was introduced to him. He finished out his game before entering into conversation and easily defeated his solder opponent. He said that all he knew was that he was in St. Joseph's Church on the morning of the explosion, when all of a sudden a thunderous roar lifted him off his feet, and away over St. Joseph's School he went, landing on the fence behind the school. His leg was smashed by the ankle and he lay for a few moments in a stunned condition. A soldier came along in a few minutes and hearing him "hollering" went over and attended right away to his leg, which was bleeding terribly. The soldier was pretty clever, the boy said, for he put the leg in splints. Then he felt the pain, and it came on worse, when the soldier carried him home. Here he found that his family had all got badly cut. His father had cuts in the leg and head, the mother the head was badly cut. One of his sisters was unconscious for quite a long time, her neck being very badly cut, while the other sister had her head cut. The brother was unfortunate also, a big spike tearing into his back.


Reference: Archibald MacMechan Nova Scotia Archives MG 1 volume 2124 number 304

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