Lot Essay
Sister Raphael of the Roman Catholic Convent, Bloemfontein, was Mentioned in Despatches by Lord Roberts (London Gazette 2.4.1901 refers).
Bloemfontein, the capital of the Orange Free State, was captured by Lord Roberts on 13.3.1900. Occupied by his force of some 36,000, and without any proper sanitary provision, it soon became engulfed by a raging typhoid epidemic. By mid-April there were 2000 men in hospital and the dead and dying overwhelmed Roberts' inadequate medical arrangements, so much so that an urgent request for an extra 30 Doctors and 300 Orderlies was sent to London. The Sisters of the Roman Catholic Convent and the Nursing Staff of St. Michael's Home, Bloemfontein, provided much needed beds and assistance during the epidemic.
Bloemfontein, the capital of the Orange Free State, was captured by Lord Roberts on 13.3.1900. Occupied by his force of some 36,000, and without any proper sanitary provision, it soon became engulfed by a raging typhoid epidemic. By mid-April there were 2000 men in hospital and the dead and dying overwhelmed Roberts' inadequate medical arrangements, so much so that an urgent request for an extra 30 Doctors and 300 Orderlies was sent to London. The Sisters of the Roman Catholic Convent and the Nursing Staff of St. Michael's Home, Bloemfontein, provided much needed beds and assistance during the epidemic.