Vera Brittain: Nursing on the Western Front

Vera Brittain was one of the most famous women to have served in the First World War. In this lecture, Dr Phylomena Badsey looks at VAD and nursing work, comparing fact with fiction and the work of Vera Brittain whose memoirs (Testament of Youth) are so well known today.

A prominent British writer and pacifist, Vera Brittain served as a nurse on the Western Front during World War I, documenting her experiences in her acclaimed memoir, "Testament of Youth". She initially volunteered as a Voluntary Aid Detachment (VAD) nurse in 1915, working at the local Deborah Hospital in Buxton and later at the 1st London General Hospital in Camberwell. Her time on the front lines exposed her to the harsh realities of war, including the devastating wounds of soldiers and the emotional toll it took on both the patients and the nursing staff.

Brittain's nursing service was a significant turning point in her life, shaping her worldview and fuelling her later pacifist beliefs. She witnessed first-hand the human cost of the conflict, losing her fiancé, Roland Leighton, and her brother, Edward, to the war. These losses, combined with her experiences nursing the wounded, led her to question the romanticized narratives of heroic sacrifice and ultimately embrace pacifism.

In "Testament of Youth," Brittain not only recounts her experiences as a nurse but also provides a powerful female perspective on the war, capturing the disillusionment and grief felt by her generation. The book is considered a seminal work that explores the impact of war on individuals and society, particularly the experiences of women during and after the conflict.

Brittain's nursing service involved a range of duties, from domestic tasks to providing personal care for patients, including bathing, bandaging, and preventing bedsores. She also dealt with acute surgical cases, monitoring for infection and haemorrhage, and assisting with dressing changes. Her time in the field, particularly at the 1st London General Hospital, involved long hours, night duty, and the constant strain of caring for the wounded.

Her nursing service in World War I was not just a personal journey but also a significant contribution to the war effort, and her subsequent writings have made a lasting impact on literature and the study of the war's impact on individuals and society.