Mrs Connie Fletcher – Obituary

(1923-2015)

Constance Mary Nevard was born in Bermondsey and trained to be a nurse at The Miller Hospital in Deptford and as a midwife at St. Helier Hospital, Carshalton. She gained experience at Nonnatus House, some years before Jennifer Worth’s Call the Midwife was set. At 27, she joined the Colonial Nursing Service as an opportunity to travel.

Connie stepped on the boat train at Liverpool St. Station on November 16th 1950 with the thought, “Brace yourself Nevard, this is it!” She travelled to Aden with two other nurses and boarded a cargo ship in Rotterdam – Kong Haakon 1V. On the approach to Suez she bought a red fez from a vendor’s small boat, wearing it “with a gay summer dress at supper to celebrate our descent on the East.”

Arriving at Aden Harbour at dawn on December 17th, she went out on deck with a coat over her night attire. “Little Aden lay to portside, with a carpet of sand at their feet. To starboard, the high brown-red rocks of Aden welcomed a new adventurer. The white houses and roads looked very neat and British; and, yes, there were green trees to be seen too!”

They drove from the quay “and climbed along zig-zag roads high up and through the narrow Crater Pass … and soon were installed at the Sister’s Mess. This is a yellow, two storey building, with lounge, dining hall and guest room on the ground floor. Our Eastern bedrooms (quite large) are above.”

She married George Fletcher (1906-1998) at the Township Office in Crater in December 1953 and their reception was at The Crescent Hotel, Steamer Point. George had come to Aden after service in The Royal Navy. He worked for Mr Besse, impressing him at his interview by solving the mystery of some radio reception interference – George pointed out that it was placed too near the refrigerator. He later worked for Phillips.

Their children Robert and Susan were born at Crater Hospital. The family lived in a top floor flat at 19, Besse Flats, Maalla. As the area became increasingly unsafe, they eventually returned to England in 1959, settling in Twickenham – George working as a Technical Author and Connie as a Health Visitor. They enjoyed a long retirement together in Bognor Regis, with happy memories of their time in Aden.

The above quotes have been taken from Connie’s diary of her outbound journey to Aden, Halycon Days.

Photos of Connie 1950