My Beloved Poilus

Bandages and hospital supplies become urgent concerns as Agnes Warner writes to her mother from France in August 1914. Her letters describe villagers leaving for military service and women learning the basics of nursing at Divonne-les-Bains. Later, in Paris, she arranges the distribution of supplies brought from home and observes the treatment of wounded soldiers. These personal reports follow both the medical work and the efforts needed to keep hospitals supplied.

Cold weather gives the later letters another set of practical concerns. Warner uses donations to buy warm clothing for patients, expresses gratitude to supporters and describes a recovering soldier's confidence about finding work. Her friends published the letters to raise funds for her care of the wounded. For readers interested in wartime nursing, the collection offers details of hospital life through a nurse's attention to individual needs, recovery and small comforts.