| Summary: |
Audio recording of oral history interview with Irene Edwards, covering the period 1906-1938.
Cassette side OA1/29/1: Anglo-Indian family origins. Childhood in railway community: ambition to marry British soldier; segregation from Indians; Christmas celebrations. Train journeys between father's postings; visiting Taj Mahal. Various postings. Supplementing diet with game. Recollections of ayah. Indian exorcism of family house. Training as nurse at St George's Hospital, Bombay. Makeshift uniform. Being teased by nurses for lack of sophistication. Dislike of night duties; being helped by 'untouchable'.
Cassette side OA1/29/2: Stories of 'untouchables'. Nurses' ethnic origins. Patients and their diseases. Sexual innocence and naivety compared with other nurses; practical jokes; becoming hardened by nursing. Obtaining position at Lady Reading Hospital, Peshawar 1929: its situation; type of patients; their injuries. Story of journey to Peshawar. Location of hospital outside Peshawar perimeter. Problems of being youngest nurse and only Anglo-Indian. Losing'chi chi'accent.
Cassette side OA1/29/3: Learning social graces. Social status as Anglo-Indian; acclimatisation. Social acceptability during summer followed by rejection on arrival of 'Fishing Fleet' in winter. Favourite social events: government balls; dances; parties. Nurses' accommodation. Story of cobra in bathroom. Prisoner gardeners. Spending wages on clothes; bearer's disapproval. Recollections of patients; Indian customs of treatment and visiting. Pathan women's clothes. Offers of marriage.
Cassette side OA1/29/4: Prejudice against Anglo-Indians; their own prejudices against Indians. Social rituals: calling cards; attending church. Ambition of Anglo- Indian to marry British. Story illustrating Anglo-Indian avoidance of Indians. Visit to Peshawar of Lord and Lady Willingdon 1932; her visit to hospital and passion for mauve. Visits to Khyber Pass and Indian rifle factory. Army occupation of hospital during Afridi and Red Shirt disturbances: deteriorating situation; restrictions on nurses' movements; incidents during occupation.
Cassette side OA1/29/5: Account of Afridi attack. Award of frontier medal. Account of murder of Captain Coldstream 1932. Nursing smallpox outbreak in improvised isolation hospital outside Mhow. Reasons for Coldstream's murder; execution of murderer. Description of isolation hospital; its success. Work of Indian dressmakers and cobblers. Indian drinks. Stories of local tiger attacks. Evocative sounds and sights of India.
Cassette side OA1/29/6: Evocative smells of India. Delights and horrors of life in India; efforts to help poor. Attitude to Raj; feeling it was permanent. Relations between British, Anglo-Indians and Indians.
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| Main author: |
Edwards; Irene (fl 1906-1972); nurse |
| Other authors: |
Allen; Charles (b 1940); historian and interviewer |
| Extent: |
2 hr. 45 min.
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| Admin history: |
British civilian nurse in Bombay and Peshawar 1906-1938 |
| Access status: |
Closed
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| Access conditions: |
Access to sound recording of this interview is currently unavailable at SOAS Library. The transcript can be consulted. Researchers can access a copy of this sound recording at the British Library Listening & Viewing Service. Reference: C1510/29/01-06. For more details see www.bl.uk/listening or contact listening@bl.uk / 020 7412 7418.
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| Copyright: |
Copyright held by British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) |
| User restrictions: |
Private study only. For publication or broadcast please refer to Archivist |
| Language: |
English
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| Copies: |
Copy available at British Library Listening & Viewing Service. Reference: C1510/29/01-06
Copy available at Imperial War Museum. Reference: 004928/06 |
| Related material: |
Transcript available at SOAS Library. Reference: OA1/29/T |
| Format: |
Archive
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| Subjects: |
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