Unknown Warriors: The Letters of Kate Luard RRC and Bar, Nursing Sister in France 1914-1918

by John Stevens (Editor), Christine Hallett (Introduction), Tim Luard (Introduction)

The words of Unknown Warriors resonate as powerfully today as when first written. The book offers a very personal glimpse into the hidden world of the military field hospital where patients struggled with pain and trauma, and nurses fought to save lives and preserve emotional integrity. The book’s author was one of a select number of fully trained military nurses who worked in hospital trains and casualty clearing stations during the First World War, coming as close to the front as a woman could. Kate Luard was already a war veteran when she arrived in France in 1914, aged 42, having served in the Second Boer War. At the height of the Battle of Passchendaele, she was in charge of a casualty clearing station with a staff of forty nurses and nearly 100 nursing orderlies. She was awarded the RRC and Bar (a rare distinction) and was Mentioned in Despatches for gallant and distinguished service in the field. Through her letters home she conveyed a vivid and honest portrait of war. It is also a portrait of close family affection and trust in a world of conflict. In publishing some of these letters in Unknown Warriors her intention was to bear witness to the suffering of the ordinary soldier.

240 pages, Paperback

First published August 15, 2014

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author by this name in the Goodreads database.

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Reviews

[Lynne - The Book Squirrel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Easy to read & very sad.

[Marie Keates · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book. Gave me a real insight into the chain of evacuation and how the wounded were treated on the Western Front in WW1. Wonderful for research

[Sally · Rating 5 out of 5]

Puts you right there in the thick of the Great War and the 'MASH'-style Casulaty Clearing Stations. I might hunt out her Boer War stuff; Kate Luard has a website devoted to her. Extremely vivid and at times entertaining writing. (Be aware of the glossary and explanation of abbreviations and people mentioned, which are at the end of the book. The letters were so absorbing that I forgot to look for these and came across them at the end, which made for a turgid finish to an easily-read book.) Originally published in 1930 but has a new introduction. Kate was typical of her time - one of a large vicarage family who all believed in public service - whilst obviously a pioneer female professional, decorated for her bravery. Interesting to read her mixed feelings about the war.

[Caryl Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was such a rewarding read. Kate Luard was in her forties in 1914 with experience of nursing during the Second Boer War. Kate enlisted in the Queen Alexandra’s Imperial Military Nursing Service Reserve on August 6, 1914, two days after war was declared. She served in France & Belgium until 1918, first on the ambulance trains and then in Casualty Clearing Stations. She was awarded the RRC (Royal Red Cross) and Bar (rare distinction) and was twice mentioned in Dispatches for gallant and distinguished service in the field. The book tells her remarkable story through her own war diary and the prolific amount of letters to her family at home.

One of 13 children, Kate came from a loving and close-knit family. She wasn't a dewy eyed young girl shocked or overwhelmed by her experiences and what she was witnessing as some First World War nurses have been depicted in recent TV drama. This is really how it was and the family of Kate Luard have done a remarkable job in re-publishing Unknown Warriors, first published in 1930, now virtually impossible to obtain a copy of and including an extra chapter.

Kate Luard was without doubt a talented writer. The book is so rich in descriptive detail, making it a most fascinating read. The scarcity of diaries or accounts written by trained military nurses during the 14-18 conflict means that this a rare and quite unique record chronicling the events of the lives, work and off duty of nurses on the Western Front.

Anyone studying or researching the war would find this book to be an invaluable read and it should be on the required reading list for any student of First World War history, either in school or higher education.