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Nursing Fox
At the outbreak of World War I, Lucy Paignton-Fox enlists in the Australian Army Nursing Service and leaves her family's cattle station in the Northern Territory to join the war effort. During the Gallipoli campaign she serves in hospitals in Egypt, but when the Anzacs are posted to France she moves with them. A talented and spirited nurse, with dreams of one day becoming a doctor, Lucy finds more opportunities than she ever imagined: working alongside doctors and surgeons, sharing the soldiers' dangers, helping them through their pain, and making lifelong friends.
But with war comes suffering. Lucy sees it all around: sorrow, disease and death. How long can she stay separated from it all?
Adam Hayward joins the British Army after a devastating attack on his family. Accepted into the air force, Adam tests his luck in the cockpit fighting for those he loves. But with aircraft technology booming, can Adam continue to stay ahead of the game?
John Mitchell's determination leads him slowly up the ranks. With more responsibility than ever, he becomes disillusioned with the horrors of war, but he can't help admiring the brave nurses who do so much to help the wounded men.
Nursing Fox details the experiences of Australian nurses during the Great War. It honours their journeys and shows the impact that the nurses had on the soldiers with whom they crossed paths.
But with war comes suffering. Lucy sees it all around: sorrow, disease and death. How long can she stay separated from it all?
Adam Hayward joins the British Army after a devastating attack on his family. Accepted into the air force, Adam tests his luck in the cockpit fighting for those he loves. But with aircraft technology booming, can Adam continue to stay ahead of the game?
John Mitchell's determination leads him slowly up the ranks. With more responsibility than ever, he becomes disillusioned with the horrors of war, but he can't help admiring the brave nurses who do so much to help the wounded men.
Nursing Fox details the experiences of Australian nurses during the Great War. It honours their journeys and shows the impact that the nurses had on the soldiers with whom they crossed paths.
300 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2016
132 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
March 7, 2024
'Nursing Fox' immerses you in the mud, the chaos, the killing machinery, and the air fights of tje Great War.
Jim Ditchfield's novel is a homage to the women who served as nurses on the Western Front. He says, 'Although they performed a crucial role, the nurses of the Australian Army Nursing Service are rarely mentioned in accounts of that conflict'. I felt well read about that war but until now I did not know about the conditions these nurses had to endure. The Casualty Clearing Stations had to be close to the trenches to give the wounded the best chance of survival, and so the doctors, nurses and patients got regularly shelled and bombed.
We follow the fortunes of Lucy Paignton-Fox who has been raised on a cattle station in the Northern Territory. She has studied hard for what was an extraordinary chance for a women in 1914 to train as a doctor. But when Australia follows Britain into the war in Europe, Lucy volunteers to be a nurse in the army.
The nurses work endlessly to save the wounded flowing in from 'stunts' (battles) the names of which are engraved on the war memorials of Australia, New Zealand, Canada and Britain: The Somme, Fromelles, Pozieres, Ypres, Messines, the Menin Road, Passchendaele. Each name represents astonishing numbers of mangled humans.
'There were only 41 men still fighting fit, four walking wounded, one who needed a stretcher. Just 41. The company had been 250 strong when the stunt started'. P.120 John Mitchell's looks over his shattered company.
We are also introduced to John Mitchell of the AIF (Australian Imperial Force) and to Adam Haywood (Royal Flying Corps), and through their eyes are taken into the fighting on the ground and in the air. We are taken through the frentic disorganisation of matters as simple as getting fed, and moving about on the shattered 'roads' (planks laid over mud). As readers we know as little of the ruthless decisions being made by the base-wallahs (staff officers) as do the troops and nurses, but we see the results in a plethora of grim details. It was deemed more important, for instance, to get ammunition to the trenches than boots and coats. (When nurse Fox asks a soldier who is losing his leg to frostbite and infection about Gallipoli he says, ' A bloody fiasco. .. We'd no decent clothes and the rain and blizzards were killers. Some poor buggers froze to death and others drowned when their trenches flooded.' ) The author speaks movingly too of the transport horses and mules killed by artillery or worked to exhaustion.
As the story moves back and forth from the hospitals to the trenches to the air fights, we also learn something of the infantry tactics, the new aeroplanes, and the improvised surgery and medical care. None of this slows the story but instead immerses the reader in it. As for the characters Lucy, Adam and John, who I grew to care about and admire, remember that with the casualty rate of this war the person whose thoughts and hopes you are following could at any time 'buy it'. There is no blaze of glory anywhere, just the endurance of the unbearable by men and women at a time when the best people could hope for was a 'ticket to blighty' (a wound so bad they'll be sent across to England.)
For a gripping account of the service of the nurses in France, and for a carefully researched and engrossing picture of 'The War To End All Wars', I highly recommend Nursing Fox.
Jim Ditchfield's novel is a homage to the women who served as nurses on the Western Front. He says, 'Although they performed a crucial role, the nurses of the Australian Army Nursing Service are rarely mentioned in accounts of that conflict'. I felt well read about that war but until now I did not know about the conditions these nurses had to endure. The Casualty Clearing Stations had to be close to the trenches to give the wounded the best chance of survival, and so the doctors, nurses and patients got regularly shelled and bombed.
We follow the fortunes of Lucy Paignton-Fox who has been raised on a cattle station in the Northern Territory. She has studied hard for what was an extraordinary chance for a women in 1914 to train as a doctor. But when Australia follows Britain into the war in Europe, Lucy volunteers to be a nurse in the army.
The nurses work endlessly to save the wounded flowing in from 'stunts' (battles) the names of which are engraved on the war memorials of Australia, New Zealand, Canada and Britain: The Somme, Fromelles, Pozieres, Ypres, Messines, the Menin Road, Passchendaele. Each name represents astonishing numbers of mangled humans.
'There were only 41 men still fighting fit, four walking wounded, one who needed a stretcher. Just 41. The company had been 250 strong when the stunt started'. P.120 John Mitchell's looks over his shattered company.
We are also introduced to John Mitchell of the AIF (Australian Imperial Force) and to Adam Haywood (Royal Flying Corps), and through their eyes are taken into the fighting on the ground and in the air. We are taken through the frentic disorganisation of matters as simple as getting fed, and moving about on the shattered 'roads' (planks laid over mud). As readers we know as little of the ruthless decisions being made by the base-wallahs (staff officers) as do the troops and nurses, but we see the results in a plethora of grim details. It was deemed more important, for instance, to get ammunition to the trenches than boots and coats. (When nurse Fox asks a soldier who is losing his leg to frostbite and infection about Gallipoli he says, ' A bloody fiasco. .. We'd no decent clothes and the rain and blizzards were killers. Some poor buggers froze to death and others drowned when their trenches flooded.' ) The author speaks movingly too of the transport horses and mules killed by artillery or worked to exhaustion.
As the story moves back and forth from the hospitals to the trenches to the air fights, we also learn something of the infantry tactics, the new aeroplanes, and the improvised surgery and medical care. None of this slows the story but instead immerses the reader in it. As for the characters Lucy, Adam and John, who I grew to care about and admire, remember that with the casualty rate of this war the person whose thoughts and hopes you are following could at any time 'buy it'. There is no blaze of glory anywhere, just the endurance of the unbearable by men and women at a time when the best people could hope for was a 'ticket to blighty' (a wound so bad they'll be sent across to England.)
For a gripping account of the service of the nurses in France, and for a carefully researched and engrossing picture of 'The War To End All Wars', I highly recommend Nursing Fox.
May 10, 2016
This has without a doubt been one of the best books I’ve ever had the pleasure to read, A beautiful and emotive tale that had me engrossed from the start.
The story is told from 3 different points of view, Lucy, Adam and John. Set within World War I they are thrust into the war effort and each play a part in each other’s lives. The tale starts slowly but then you get carried away and I just couldn’t put it down
At times the tale was heart-warming..at others gut wrenching. It really made me feel glad for the freedom I’m lucky to have.
For me I feel the book did a good job and developing the characters, they felt real and I loved all 3..each strong but with their own issues they have to overcome.
One of the best things about this book for me is it really showed you well how nursing was conducted during the war. We all know fighting men died but have you ever thought of those close to enemy lines who were there to help the wounded? I know it’s something I’ve never really considered.
The story mainly follows Lucy and her part within the war effort, she has a lot to deal with.. not only are people around her dying but she also has to deal with superior’s looking down on her for wanting to better herself. Lucy seemed so strong but at times you can tell the struggles the character must have been going through
This story isn’t the kind of book to make you laugh, at times you might smile and at other times you might shed a tear..there’s this sense right from the beginning that not everything will end well.
Another thing that I really liked about the book was the pacing of the story. Never too much, never to boring with the perfect amount of detail and story to keep me reading well into the early hours of the morning.. and the ending!! I’m never one for spoilers but I felt the last few chapters suited the story perfectly.. I can’t imagine the author finishing the book any other way
In conclusion, this book was a real treat. It picks up on the courage and effort both woman and men (and horses J ) put into the war effort and does it in such a way that by the end of it you feel you’ve had a history lesson rather than simply reading a story.
Well worth reading in my opinion
My thanks go to Odyssey Books for the chance to read/review the book
The story is told from 3 different points of view, Lucy, Adam and John. Set within World War I they are thrust into the war effort and each play a part in each other’s lives. The tale starts slowly but then you get carried away and I just couldn’t put it down
At times the tale was heart-warming..at others gut wrenching. It really made me feel glad for the freedom I’m lucky to have.
For me I feel the book did a good job and developing the characters, they felt real and I loved all 3..each strong but with their own issues they have to overcome.
One of the best things about this book for me is it really showed you well how nursing was conducted during the war. We all know fighting men died but have you ever thought of those close to enemy lines who were there to help the wounded? I know it’s something I’ve never really considered.
The story mainly follows Lucy and her part within the war effort, she has a lot to deal with.. not only are people around her dying but she also has to deal with superior’s looking down on her for wanting to better herself. Lucy seemed so strong but at times you can tell the struggles the character must have been going through
This story isn’t the kind of book to make you laugh, at times you might smile and at other times you might shed a tear..there’s this sense right from the beginning that not everything will end well.
Another thing that I really liked about the book was the pacing of the story. Never too much, never to boring with the perfect amount of detail and story to keep me reading well into the early hours of the morning.. and the ending!! I’m never one for spoilers but I felt the last few chapters suited the story perfectly.. I can’t imagine the author finishing the book any other way
In conclusion, this book was a real treat. It picks up on the courage and effort both woman and men (and horses J ) put into the war effort and does it in such a way that by the end of it you feel you’ve had a history lesson rather than simply reading a story.
Well worth reading in my opinion
My thanks go to Odyssey Books for the chance to read/review the book
June 7, 2016
Really interesting view of WWI from the point of view of Australians. I was especially taken with Lucy and her service as a nurse but also enjoyed Adam's perspective as well. Well written, this is a book which reminds us about the consequences of war. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. I agree with a previous poster that this would make an interesting television drama. Recommend.
June 7, 2016
I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Australian nurse Lucy Paignton-Fox finds herself very close to the front in the brutal trench wars of WWI. With good pacing and excellently developed characters, Mr. Ditchfield has written an eminently readable book. One of the best I have come across dealing with World War I. Recommended.
Australian nurse Lucy Paignton-Fox finds herself very close to the front in the brutal trench wars of WWI. With good pacing and excellently developed characters, Mr. Ditchfield has written an eminently readable book. One of the best I have come across dealing with World War I. Recommended.
April 12, 2016
An interesting view of a woman's role in the war.Being an Australian I enjoyed reading a book that references our country and the way of life we enjoy and can relate to.Well written and characters are interesting . Thankyou to Goodreads for giving me the opportunity to read this book.
August 1, 2016
Review to come...
February 26, 2016
Superbly researched and brilliantly told. I don’t read a lot of stuff that isn’t SF, but this was worth it.
June 6, 2018
This book has received a Discovering Diamonds Review:
Helen Hollick
founder #DDRevs
"This is the First World War as seen mostly from the perspective of Australians, those at the Front and those left behind at home. It is told in small vignettes; every scene is given a real date and location, the characters moving geographically as the war progresses."
Helen Hollick
founder #DDRevs
"This is the First World War as seen mostly from the perspective of Australians, those at the Front and those left behind at home. It is told in small vignettes; every scene is given a real date and location, the characters moving geographically as the war progresses."
June 2, 2017
Not knowing much about WWI I am trying to read more during that time period. This book was wonderful, capturing what the soldiers and nurses went through at the front. Being a nurse I really appreciated the author talking about all the contributions nurses made there. There is some love story in here but it is not the main focus which was a welcome surprise. The end was not all nicely tied up, leaving you to imagine how our main characters lives played out. Enjoyed this one very much, sorry I let it sit on my Kindle unread for so long.
Thank you NetGalley for the copy of this book.
Thank you NetGalley for the copy of this book.
June 16, 2016
In 1914, 21-year-old student nurse Lucy Paignton-Fox arrives home to her family’s cattle station in Australia’s Northern Territory. Although she is about to start medical school, Lucy announces that she has enlisted in the Australian Army Nursing Service and will shortly be deployed overseas. Her horrified parents caution her: “But we’re at war. There’ll be shooting. You could be injured or… There’ll be men.” Lucy ignores their admonitions and sails off for nursing service with the Anzacs in France. There she works at several casualty clearing stations close to the front, moving with the makeshift hospitals as they follow the Allies’ advance. Besides providing vital medical assistance to the many wounded, Lucy has the opportunity to befriend other nurses, doctors, and soldiers, in particular Adam, an American pilot.
This war story spanning the four-year duration of WWI is another addition to the accumulation of fiction recounting that terrible time. The writing shows ample evidence of Jim Ditchfield’s extensive research and personal military experience, with detailed descriptions of armaments, troop movements, and both air and ground battle scenes. Scenes involving first aid procedures, especially under heavy bombardment, are particularly well handled and should interest readers of Peter Rees’ 2014 nonfiction book Anzac Girls. Readers will feel as if they are fighting alongside the combatants, working with the medical staff, and flying in vintage biplanes. However, the numerous third-person point of view anecdotes make the storyline feel somewhat disjointed. Also, the incessant descriptions of battles and the nursing of injuries get monotonous. It is not until about the novel’s halfway point, when Lucy and another nurse find themselves in trenches at the front and are forced into hand-to-hand skirmish with the Germans, that the storyline picks up steam and enthralls us up to the unpredictable conclusion.
This review first appeared in the HNR magazine issue 76 (May 2016)
This war story spanning the four-year duration of WWI is another addition to the accumulation of fiction recounting that terrible time. The writing shows ample evidence of Jim Ditchfield’s extensive research and personal military experience, with detailed descriptions of armaments, troop movements, and both air and ground battle scenes. Scenes involving first aid procedures, especially under heavy bombardment, are particularly well handled and should interest readers of Peter Rees’ 2014 nonfiction book Anzac Girls. Readers will feel as if they are fighting alongside the combatants, working with the medical staff, and flying in vintage biplanes. However, the numerous third-person point of view anecdotes make the storyline feel somewhat disjointed. Also, the incessant descriptions of battles and the nursing of injuries get monotonous. It is not until about the novel’s halfway point, when Lucy and another nurse find themselves in trenches at the front and are forced into hand-to-hand skirmish with the Germans, that the storyline picks up steam and enthralls us up to the unpredictable conclusion.
This review first appeared in the HNR magazine issue 76 (May 2016)
May 3, 2017
Not KU and pretty sure not a freebie day somewhere, so would have to be one of the review sites that go to, but checked those and not coming up, so just figure it's one of those got through one of my here's a free book to review if you get around to it type things, all free will etc. Positive which ever way got it, asked for it, and the stars and review will tell you why. {Apologies to the writer, think it was mid April was sent but my laptop messes up how have books and things get lost.}
Doctors in part, but more nurses, their dedication and courage and perseverance though sometimes almost unbeatable odds from Gallipoli to Egypt to France, this is the story of one lady nurse who like others of her convictions willingly faced war and the sadness, pain. sacrifices and all the rest that comes with it, and still attempt to keep helping others, facing possible death to help.
Doctors in part, but more nurses, their dedication and courage and perseverance though sometimes almost unbeatable odds from Gallipoli to Egypt to France, this is the story of one lady nurse who like others of her convictions willingly faced war and the sadness, pain. sacrifices and all the rest that comes with it, and still attempt to keep helping others, facing possible death to help.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews