During the war, 2,280 nurses served overseas, tending the wounded in military hospitals. Of that number, 150 died, 40 of them Scottish. One of these was Agnes Climie, a young nurse who was posted to France. During a night air raid on 30 September, 1917, she was singing to a nervous patient when bombs hit the ward.
Agnes was one of six children living in Cathcart. Their father, John, worked as a cashier with a timber importer, and his promotion to secretary meant the family became wealthy. Agnes would probably not have had to work, but found a vocation in nursing, training at the Royal Infirmary. In 1914, just after war broke out, she joined the Territorial Force Nursing Service, and was on the staff of the 4th (Scottish) General Hospital at Stobhill. She had been promoted to staff nurse two years earlier, and in May 1917 was sent to The 58th (Scottish) General Hospital at St Omer in France.
The field hospital was made up of marquees. On the night of 30 September an air raid began, lasting several hours. The event was described by the Matron in Chief, British Expeditionary Force, who visited the hospital: “The whole unit seemed shocked and dazed. Everyone spoke of the wonderful courage of the women.” She described the contrast of the damage, where some marquees were “blown to atoms” and others – some nurses’ quarters – were “simply perforated with shrapnel”.
Agnes was not on duty during the raid, but had gone to her ward to calm her patients. She was singing to one of them when she was killed. Three other nurses died in the attacks, Elizabeth Thompson, Daisy Coles and Mabel Milne. Many others were killed or injured, including officers and patients.
Agnes, who was 32, was mentioned in dispatches by Field Marshal Haig. She was buried at Longuenesse (St Omer) Souvenir Cemetery alongside the other nurses who died that night.
Artists Response
From getting the story in the brief I further researched Agnes Climie to get more insight into the type of person she was. I wanted to capture her role in the war as a nurse which is why I chose the nurses uniform. I also wanted to make it a tribute to her personally, which is why there is a map over lapping the uniform of where her home in Cathcart was. I chose to have the pinpoint of her home at her heart for this reason.
The colours chosen for the print were decided because I wanted the outline of her, her home and name to be vibrant, positive and righteous of a person who wasn’t even on her shift but was visiting a worried patient the night she died.
Charlie Bulmer
City of Glasgow College
Instagram: @charlie_b_art
Charlie is a 20-year-old art student, English born and brought up in the Scottish Highlands. He moved to Glasgow for further education when 18 and has developed his creative skills vastly since going to City of Glasgow College. Charlie aspires to moving forward in his field of study towards degree level and in doing so looking towards career opportunities.
