Margaret Hickey

Irish Days: Oral Histories of the Twentieth Century

Kyle Cathie Ltd., 2002.

Our hospital was in St. John's Wood...One day we went down, another sister and myself, went down to Regent's Park to study. We were heading for our final. And this bobby came along and he said, "I'm very sorry, now, sisters," he said (he knew we were from the hospital), "but I must ask you to leave because the people in the flats are unhappy about you here." This was the time people came down dressed as nuns...they were dropped from the 'plane...D'you remember that? Germans disguised as nuns. The people in the flats were naturally very frightened. They saw us and they thought, "Here's more of it. Here's two more," you see.

Sister Carmel Walsh, born in Kerry in 1918, was sent to London in 1944 to train as a nurse. Germans disguised as nuns was one of the many rumours that circulated in wartime Britain, but it was a shock to find oneself under suspicion. 'I had my textbook open and I was studying the heart and the other nun had the kidneys, and I said, "Gracious! We're only studying." But he said, "Sister, I know exactly what you're doing, but the people in the flats, they don't understand. So I'd be very grateful if you'd move." So we did move - out of their way, anyway; we went for a walk.'

That night there was an incendiary bomb fell at the hospital gate...He was on duty, and he got a broken ankle. And he was admitted to my ward!..I looked at him, and I said, "D'you remember me? "God," he said, "I do and I don't." "Well," I said, "you were the man that sent us out of the park yesterday!" Well! "Well," he said, "Sister, I hope you won't take that out on me"

The nuns had the last laugh though.