LAUSR

The lessons learned from the Boer War in South Africa (1899-1902), where the care of the sick and wounded, in many cases, proved totally inadequate, had led to the formation, by the British Red Cross, of the Voluntary Aid Detachment in 1909. Detachments of women and men, the 'VADs', were trained in civilian hospitals, to be available in time of war to serve as nursing aids, kitchen assistants and ambulance drivers. Indeed, these detachments gave valuable service throughout the 1914-18 War. A total of 90,000 VADs served in hospitals in the UK, France, the Mediterranean and the Middle East in a wide range of duties. They included 23,000 nurses.