In the Company of Nurses: The History of the British Army Nursing Service in the Great War

Abstract

This is the authorised history of the British Army Nursing Service in the Great War. Constructed from unpublished official and unofficial documents, letters and diaries of the time, this important volume tells the much-neglected story of the Queen Alexandra's Imperial Military Nursing Service (QAIMNS) during the First World War. Yvonne McEwen's ground-breaking original research moves away from the long-held, uncritical, and overly-romanticised views of First World War nursing and addresses the professional, personal and political consequences that arose for nurses in the pivotal years from 1914 to 1918. This centenary volume is a vital contribution to the historiography of British military care-giving throughout this period and to the history of the Great War more generally. It examines the complexities of care-giving and professional development. It highlights the political controversies over inadequate casualty care arrangements. It addresses the relationship between trained and volunteers nurses. It discusses the physical and psychological health of nurses on active service. It lists the deaths within the ranks of nursing services. It cites Military Honours awarded to nurses.