Letter · 31 Dec 1914 · Bernay, France
Terrible trench foot
Ella attended Grafton School in Auckland and completed her nursing training at Auckland Hospital. She died in Alexandria, Egypt. Her obituary in Kai Tiaki (NZ nursing journal) states: 'A sad death reported by cable from Alexandria is that of Sister Ella Cooke, who trained at the Auckland Hospital, and afterwards was a member of the Public Health Nursing Service. She went to England shortly before the war started and immediately went to work in France under the French flag, near Rouen. She was afterwards attached to the Queen Alexandra Reserve, and sent to Alexandria, where her death occurred accidentally [she was killed in a railway accident]. Sister Cooke was a devoted and clever nurse, and a very great favourite. Her loss is much deplored.'
Extract from this letter
"I wonder will this New Year bring us better luck? At 4 a.m. today numbers of wounded men straight from the trenches came into the Hospital. Many have been in the trenches for weeks, and several explained to me that they had not had their boots off for 4 months! You can imagine the state most of them are in. Many have swollen feet and frozen up to the ankles; most I am afraid will lose both feet, and many the legs up to the knees."
