These letters were written as the daily record of the work of a Unit of
Red Cross nurses who were sent to France in May, 1917, in response to
the request of the British authorities. The Unit, almost immediately
after its arrival in England, was sent across the Channel to take over a
British Base Hospital established on a race course, where they have
cared continuously for a stream of from eight hundred to two thousand
wounded “Tommies” at a time.
The original sixty-five American nurses were assisted for several months
by English Volunteer Aids, and when these were withdrawn, they were
reënforced with some thirty American nurses.
Though written with no thought of publication, as the war lengthens out,
these letters have become of especial value as the record of first
impressions and experiences which for those concerned were startlingly
new. Since then much has been happening of tremendous significance both
to the participants and to the world, but the events recorded here have
not lost their interest, nor has their graphic character been blunted,
by recent occurrences. Hence, though the initial purpose of printing
these letters was to furnish this group of women with a permanent story
of their devoted service, it has been suggested that the letters have a
much wider interest, and they have therefore been given for publication
by Miss Stimson’s family.
HENRY A. STIMSON
_Pastor emeritus, Manhattan
Congregational Church_.
NEW YORK, June, 1918.