Synopses & Reviews
The nurses who served on the front line during the First World War were often only yards away from the front line, in an environment a world away from the comfort of home. These ministering angels were symbols of hope to the men under their care. In Women in the War Zone, Anne Powell has selected extracts from firsthand accounts of the experiences of those women who served abroad, from Petrograd to Basra, Antwerp to the Dardanelles, Russia and Romania, the Somme, Ypres and Arras. Their stories are of extraordinary courage and compassion. Featuring detailed biographies of all female medical personnel, this book honors the often unsung contribution they made to alleviating the suffering of the First World War.
Synopsis
Incredible stories of British female doctors and nurses who served abroad during World War I include a nurse who survived a torpedo attack on a ship with serious injuries; caring for the wounded in Malta; nursing the casualties from the battles of Arras and Ypres; a radiologist who created a garden in France; and a VAD nurse in the hospital in Petrograd at the time of Rasputins murder. Extracts from letters and diaries provide a full picture of various first-hand experiences, and honor the often unsung contribution made by those who helped to alleviate suffering. Includes such names as Millicent, Duchess of Sutherland; Grace Ashley Smith; Edith Cavell; Vera Brittain; and Freya Stark.
About the Author
Anne Powell became absorbed in the history and literature of the First World War while living outside Mons in Belgium, where her husband was serving on the staff of Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe. There they became frequent visitors to the battlefields and cemeteries of northern France and Belgium, often with their children. She has also edited A Deep Cry: Soldier-Poets Killed in France and Flanders and The Fierce Light: The Battle of the Somme, July-November 1916.