Main description:

The numbers of the dead and wounded in the First World War were horrendous and unprecedented - the technology employed, the static nature of warfare on the Western Front, disastrous campaigns elsewhere, all led to shocking devastation. Careful medical care for the injured was essential, and a whole infrastructure was developed either to treat and cure surviving soldiers or to send them home to convalesce. This book tells the stories of the services that risked all to collect casualties from the battlefield by stretcher and/or ambulance, of the frontline hospitals that offered primary treatment, and of the country houses (including Downton Abbey's Highclere Castle) in Britain that were used for further care where necessary. The vital part played by nurses both in terms of essential medical duties and in boosting morale among the patients is also examined, rounding off the perfect general introduction to what medical care in the First World War.

Contents:

Introduction: Associations and Organisations at the Outbreak of War (RAMC, Red Cross, etc) / Transport (Ambulances, Stretcher Bearers, Hospital Ships) / Frontline Medical Units / Injuries and Treatments / Hospitals at Home / Nurses / Conclusion / Further Reading / Places to Visit / Index