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Sisters in Arms: British Army Nurses Tell Their Story
The amazing experiences of the Queen Alexandra nurses during World War II form one of the greatest adventure stories of modern times, yet until now they’ve remained largely untold. Thousands of middle-class girls, barely out of school, were plucked from sheltered backgrounds, subjected to unimaginably tough training regimes, and sent out to experience the harshest conditions of the fighting services. They saw it the beaches of Dunkirk, Singapore, and D-Day. Dozens won medals for gallantry. Hundreds of nurses torpedoed in hospital ships, bombed in field hospitals, or murdered in Japanese prison camps.
304 pages, Hardcover
First published February 28, 2008
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
November 6, 2023
The Queen Alexandra nurses, or QAs as they were referred to, were the British army nurses formed during WWI who went onto serve in WWII. Field medicine was rudimentary at best, and initially it was thought that allowing women to treat male patients was inappropriate. But the crew of male aides was quickly overwhelmed with demand, and help was needed. Women volunteered in droves - it was an act of patriotism, and the QAs drew a wide range of talented and dedicated young women. Eventually these women would serve on the frontline, and many suffered the horrors of war - taken as prisoners, tortured and raped, all while attending to soldiers brutally injured. Many died, yet many survived, and several rewarded for their bravery. This book is a journal of their stories, much taken from the diaries of the QAs. Their stories are heartbreaking, riveting, and inspiring.
I listed to this on Audible. Narrated expertly by women with British accents, very well done.
I listed to this on Audible. Narrated expertly by women with British accents, very well done.
March 23, 2012
Amazing for the women who appear in the pages, women surrounded by horror and yet still able to do their job. Their stories are harrowing but the women are inspiring.
June 14, 2009
This was a fascinating book to read. I knew nothing about the QAs before starting and learnt so much during the course of reading the book.
Some of the details are quite harrowing, though the comments made by the nurses themselves are revealingly modest about their own actions. Especially, difficult to read were the comments about the treatment meted out by the Japanese. Also, the rescue of inmates from Blsen and the prisoner of war camps.
I would recommend this as a different slant on the various books written about the Second World War, most of which have been written from a man's point of view and seldom mention the part played by women.
Some of the details are quite harrowing, though the comments made by the nurses themselves are revealingly modest about their own actions. Especially, difficult to read were the comments about the treatment meted out by the Japanese. Also, the rescue of inmates from Blsen and the prisoner of war camps.
I would recommend this as a different slant on the various books written about the Second World War, most of which have been written from a man's point of view and seldom mention the part played by women.
July 29, 2020
A compelling excursion into the diverse experiences of British QA nurses in World War II. Sisters in Arms provides a wonderful insight into the hardships these dedicated and brave women lived through. It was fascinating to read about WW II from the perspective of noncombatant female officers who were on the front lines side by side with the soldiers they nursed. This book definitely sparked my interest to read more on the subject, especially the nurses' brushes with the Japanese in Hong Kong on Christmas day 1941 and in the prison camps were absolutely harrowing, as were the graphic descriptions of casualties. But the author doesn't only show us the harsh conditions in the many theatres of the war - there are love affairs, dances and infinite dignity and grace under pressure. The most vivid parts were the ones written by the QAs themselves, especially Dame Katherine Jones' accounts were very insightful. One thing that could have been improved on by the editor - and the reason the review only gets four stars - is the execution of the project, especially regarding the arrangement of the chapters. The structure struck me as not quite thought through, a bit cobbled together, which led to irritating repetitions and inopportune insertions. Maybe there would also have been room for a wider scope in places if the repetitions had been taken care of properly.
July 4, 2020
Simply humbling
As an ex QA myself,from the 1970s I was given this book as a gift. I thought I already knew quite a lot about the history of the Corps but this book opened my eyes in many ways. The excerpts from letters and diaries, and personal memories illustrate the courage of these young women who served in all theatres of the war. To anyone who's been a nurse the descriptions of both the working conditions and the often horrifically injured men they cared for are incredible for their matter of factness. It's amazing the horror didn't overwhelm them. One of the most affecting chapters shows their sheer compassion when faced with the men, women and children who were rescued from Japanese imprisonment. A compelling read.
As an ex QA myself,from the 1970s I was given this book as a gift. I thought I already knew quite a lot about the history of the Corps but this book opened my eyes in many ways. The excerpts from letters and diaries, and personal memories illustrate the courage of these young women who served in all theatres of the war. To anyone who's been a nurse the descriptions of both the working conditions and the often horrifically injured men they cared for are incredible for their matter of factness. It's amazing the horror didn't overwhelm them. One of the most affecting chapters shows their sheer compassion when faced with the men, women and children who were rescued from Japanese imprisonment. A compelling read.
December 21, 2019
Highly recommended. Absorbing and inspiring; cannot fail to give the reader an immense respect for the women of QAIMNS/ QARANC. I suspect what Churchill said about the fighter pilots of the Battle of Britain could be said of that entire generation, but certainly about military nurses: This was their finest hour.
I've read a few books on this subject due to my interest in the period, and as part of a research project. This could well be the best of the bunch.
I've read a few books on this subject due to my interest in the period, and as part of a research project. This could well be the best of the bunch.
June 12, 2018
Excellent though sometimes harrowing stories of the QA (Queen Alexandra) nurses during WWII.
It records the real horrors of war for both the participants and their carers, who travelled the world to nurse the injured in quite dire conditions. Recommended.
It records the real horrors of war for both the participants and their carers, who travelled the world to nurse the injured in quite dire conditions. Recommended.
September 5, 2018
An incredible account of the QA’s during World War Two. Filled with fascinating, almost unbelievable stories and accounts from the women who served with bravery, honour and the ability to ‘just get on with it’.
Fantastic.
Fantastic.
December 18, 2019
Very interesting topic but unfortunately the book was not especially well-written, and there were multiple mistakes in it with regard to dates and places (1954 instead of 1945, Penang instead of Padang, for example).
October 15, 2020
Great story but didnt enjoy the writing. Felt like I was reading the same thing over and over again as I went through the book.
September 4, 2023
Brilliantly written book that shows the horrors of war and the tenacity of the QA nurses in caring for all in the face of adversity
January 14, 2013
Sisters in Arms by Nicola Tyrer is a fascinating account of the Queen Alexandra Imperial Military Nursing Service (QAs), as told within the context of World War II. The QAs were founded in 1902, but this is largely a story of their service in the second world conflict. It’s an account in their own words: first-hand descriptions of life for these nurses on the frontline, on troop ships, in makeshift ‘hospitals’, casualty clearing stations and the dessert and the jungle. The individual accounts are overdue, and it’s great that Tyrer has been able to help tell their story and give voice to an almost forgotten part of the war. While I gained much from this perspective, I think that the heavy emphasis on the firsthand accounts is one of the book’s strengths, but also one of its weaknesses.
It is impossible not to be moved by some of the most harrowing and painful accounts of the nurses concerned, particularly those women who were taken prisoner by the Japanese after being stationed in Hong Kong, Singapore and Burma. The stoical and matter-of-fact way in which these brave women served their country and then recounted their dreadful ordeals is quite remarkable. I was also struck by how the abuse and disservice is perpetuated after the conflicts are over; the failure by any of the Allied powers to even acknowledge the death of nearly 2000 troops in Italy in 1943 after an explosion of mustard gas from a US relief ship is a case in point. At the time, nobody knew that mustard gas was even part of the theatre of war, consequently the nursing and medical staff didn’t know how to treat the horrific injuries; the War Office in London didn’t even respond to requests for advice. In fact, they have never responded, as it was only once the official records were declassified 50 years later that the true story emerged. As ever, the military imperative took precedence.
The book is largely structured chronologically and geographically. On the downside, there’s relatively little analysis or attempt to interrogate the information provided by these informants, and I was frustrated by the limited analysis of the professional and nursing processes that were used. Well known examples are repeated (such as the early use of penicillin and the delegation of previously medical-only tasks) but I didn't get a comprehensive sense of the professional nursing activities, techniques and practices that were used. The exceptions to this are, of course, nursing’s continued obsession with female uniforms (even more stark in the military, than in civilian settings) and rank and hierarchy.
These criticisms aside, this is still a remarkable book and is an enjoyable, if a sad and sometimes grim, read.
© Koplowitz 2013
It is impossible not to be moved by some of the most harrowing and painful accounts of the nurses concerned, particularly those women who were taken prisoner by the Japanese after being stationed in Hong Kong, Singapore and Burma. The stoical and matter-of-fact way in which these brave women served their country and then recounted their dreadful ordeals is quite remarkable. I was also struck by how the abuse and disservice is perpetuated after the conflicts are over; the failure by any of the Allied powers to even acknowledge the death of nearly 2000 troops in Italy in 1943 after an explosion of mustard gas from a US relief ship is a case in point. At the time, nobody knew that mustard gas was even part of the theatre of war, consequently the nursing and medical staff didn’t know how to treat the horrific injuries; the War Office in London didn’t even respond to requests for advice. In fact, they have never responded, as it was only once the official records were declassified 50 years later that the true story emerged. As ever, the military imperative took precedence.
The book is largely structured chronologically and geographically. On the downside, there’s relatively little analysis or attempt to interrogate the information provided by these informants, and I was frustrated by the limited analysis of the professional and nursing processes that were used. Well known examples are repeated (such as the early use of penicillin and the delegation of previously medical-only tasks) but I didn't get a comprehensive sense of the professional nursing activities, techniques and practices that were used. The exceptions to this are, of course, nursing’s continued obsession with female uniforms (even more stark in the military, than in civilian settings) and rank and hierarchy.
These criticisms aside, this is still a remarkable book and is an enjoyable, if a sad and sometimes grim, read.
© Koplowitz 2013
June 22, 2014
Amazing book looking at the work of the unsung and unspoken of heroes of the Second World War.
The Queen Alexandra Imperial Military Nursing Services (often shortened to QAs) endured the bloody battles of the First World War (known then as the Great War) and would see their finest hour during World War 2. From the harsh climates of Africa, being shipwrecked and captured by Japanese soldiers, the invasion and fall of Hong Kong and Singapore by the Japanese again (this would prove to be their darkest hour, especially in light of the Christmas Day massacre), the hospitals of Sicily and Italy and would board the ships who went on possibly the grestest adventure (and and greatest display of British Bulldog spirit) of rescuing those injured during the Normandy landings of 1944.
They would nurse the prisoners of the Japanese (even when they were prisoners and suffering from the same problems themselves) and the survivors of the Concentration Camps who were liberated at the end of the war. They were the first to enter Belsen amongst other concentration camps and gave back the prisoners their human dignity and showed them the decency they would not have seen in years.
Despite the horrowing experiences they endured and saw, they were women. They slept in curlers, dreamt of baths in the African deserts and always washed their veils the best they could. They even groaned when their traditional grey dresses and white veils had to be exchanged for khaki battledress, as the uniforms had never been adjusted to account for feminine curves!
Wherever the British Army and it’s boys went, the proud women, the proud QA nurses also went, having the same experiences that the British Army soldiers went through and yet nothing is ever said about them. These are their stories.
I read this book in my first year of university whilst researching and making decisions on what I should do for an assignment and I fell in love with the book (I later did something else for the assignment). I was unable to put it down as I read through it, marvelling and gaining a new respect for the nurses and their work. It made me proud of these overlooked heroes of the World Wars. It was because of this that I also found myself slightly disgusted that the National Curriculum never mentions the amazing work of these women and I do hope that it is changed in the future to include the brave work of these amazing women.
This book makes me proud. It let me learn of new events and new information of the war and I would highly recommend this book. It made me laugh, it made me cry, it made want to learn more. After all, isn’t knowledge power?
The Queen Alexandra Imperial Military Nursing Services (often shortened to QAs) endured the bloody battles of the First World War (known then as the Great War) and would see their finest hour during World War 2. From the harsh climates of Africa, being shipwrecked and captured by Japanese soldiers, the invasion and fall of Hong Kong and Singapore by the Japanese again (this would prove to be their darkest hour, especially in light of the Christmas Day massacre), the hospitals of Sicily and Italy and would board the ships who went on possibly the grestest adventure (and and greatest display of British Bulldog spirit) of rescuing those injured during the Normandy landings of 1944.
They would nurse the prisoners of the Japanese (even when they were prisoners and suffering from the same problems themselves) and the survivors of the Concentration Camps who were liberated at the end of the war. They were the first to enter Belsen amongst other concentration camps and gave back the prisoners their human dignity and showed them the decency they would not have seen in years.
Despite the horrowing experiences they endured and saw, they were women. They slept in curlers, dreamt of baths in the African deserts and always washed their veils the best they could. They even groaned when their traditional grey dresses and white veils had to be exchanged for khaki battledress, as the uniforms had never been adjusted to account for feminine curves!
Wherever the British Army and it’s boys went, the proud women, the proud QA nurses also went, having the same experiences that the British Army soldiers went through and yet nothing is ever said about them. These are their stories.
I read this book in my first year of university whilst researching and making decisions on what I should do for an assignment and I fell in love with the book (I later did something else for the assignment). I was unable to put it down as I read through it, marvelling and gaining a new respect for the nurses and their work. It made me proud of these overlooked heroes of the World Wars. It was because of this that I also found myself slightly disgusted that the National Curriculum never mentions the amazing work of these women and I do hope that it is changed in the future to include the brave work of these amazing women.
This book makes me proud. It let me learn of new events and new information of the war and I would highly recommend this book. It made me laugh, it made me cry, it made want to learn more. After all, isn’t knowledge power?
January 23, 2012
This was an amazing and heart-rendering story of the QA's Tans and other nursing personel during WW2. Courage, heartache, suffering, unbelieveable conditions and wherever the fighting was so were the nurses there too.
What a story! I have been outraged, in tears and have laughed at parts of this book. I have travelled all over the world with these nurses from France, Belgium, India, Africa, Singapore, Burma, Hong Kong, Malta, to places that have changed their name several times since then.
These nurses lived through shipwrecks and being shot at in the water by Japanese soldiers and airman, starved, tortured and raped in POW camps in jungles, under siege in Malta for 3 yrs, lived in deserts in Egypt and Africa with hardly any water to drink never mind about washing.
A must-read tale of courage in dreadfull conditions and circumstances.
What a story! I have been outraged, in tears and have laughed at parts of this book. I have travelled all over the world with these nurses from France, Belgium, India, Africa, Singapore, Burma, Hong Kong, Malta, to places that have changed their name several times since then.
These nurses lived through shipwrecks and being shot at in the water by Japanese soldiers and airman, starved, tortured and raped in POW camps in jungles, under siege in Malta for 3 yrs, lived in deserts in Egypt and Africa with hardly any water to drink never mind about washing.
A must-read tale of courage in dreadfull conditions and circumstances.
December 3, 2014
A fascinating insight into the lives of nurses in WW2. It's written in a comfortable style making it easy to read, whether you want to dip in and out or settle down for a long spell. Some of the experiences are harrowing and it's amazing what some people went through that many of us know nothing about. I found it also very informative about the different locations the war was being fought and the varying conditions of climate etc. which both the troops and the medics had to endure. I can see me reading it a second time as there's so much there to take in. I'd definitely recommend it, especially if someone in your family history was a nurse serving abroad during the second world war.
June 1, 2014
Fascinating book about a part of the war effort I certainly knew little about. Brought to this by a interest awakened by Diana Gabaldon who has her heroine having been a WW2 combat nurse. Wondered where and how much this happened - well here is the answer and it was just about everywhere. Some horrific stories and a huge amount of personal bravery. So much in the luck of the draw too.
Well worth a read.
Well worth a read.
October 5, 2010
this book made me change careers, and has been read a hundred times since. on each reading i realise i spend my days in a very boring manner and i
become desperate to prove myself. everything non-fiction should be- engaging characters, fascinating stories with plenty of scandal and bits that make you cry...
become desperate to prove myself. everything non-fiction should be- engaging characters, fascinating stories with plenty of scandal and bits that make you cry...
March 29, 2009
Interesting story that was poorly executed. These women were amazing, but it was hard to keep up with who was shipwrecked, who was attacked, and who was interned in Hong Kong. I think it could have been better told.
January 31, 2012
I found the parts written by the QA's interesting and emotional in parts but the historian in me made me very critical about this book. However, I did learn some things I didn't know and have learnt what truly remarkable women the QA's were.
February 28, 2014
Interesting wartime factual story about the nurses that served During 2nd world war. I got lost at times with all the various battles, nonetheless these were incredible women that served the troops across the globe. My deepest respect for their work. <3
June 10, 2009
Wow! A totally different perspective about the 1st and 2nd world wars. One which was completely moving and compelling and gave me an even greater respect for past generations.
April 28, 2013
Couldn't get past the second chapter. It read too much like a text book.
May 19, 2012
Very interesting...I've always been interested in woman's role throughout history...
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews