Under the Red Cross flag at home and abroad . reached the Boer troops they threw down theirbrassards, took up guns and joined the fighting forces. During the last few years the British Red Cross hasactively engaged in the organization and training ofterritorial detachments of men and women for hospitalwork. These detachments intended for service at homehave equipped hospitals, assisted in nursing, aided Bel-gian refugees, and collected supplies. The immense sup-ply depot of the British Red Cross has been under theable management of St. William Garstin, chairman ofthe English directors of the S
Under the Red Cross flag at home and abroad . reached the Boer troops they threw down theirbrassards, took up guns and joined the fighting forces. During the last few years the British Red Cross hasactively engaged in the organization and training ofterritorial detachments of men and women for hospitalwork. These detachments intended for service at homehave equipped hospitals, assisted in nursing, aided Bel-gian refugees, and collected supplies. The immense sup-ply depot of the British Red Cross has been under theable management of St. William Garstin, chairman ofthe English directors of the Suez Canal. From battlefield to base hospital is a weary sudden dash from the trenches to drive the enemyfrom his, and the soldier falls with a shattered leg froma shrapnel shot. His comrades are forced in sudden re-treat to desert him, and for hours a constant fusilladecontinues. On every side of him thunder the guns, overhis head fly the screaming missiles, while on one side ofhim lies a dead man and on the other one whose life is. FROM BATTLEFIELD TO HOSPITAL 233 slowly ebbing away, with the blood of an unstaunchedwound. Parched with thirst, burning with fever, tor-tured with pain, he lies helpless and in agony duringthese cruel, interminable hours. It may not be until themorrow that, by mutual agreement and under the RedCross flag, a band of medical officers and stretcher-bear-ers moves quickly over the field. A surgeon stoops toexamine him, notes his dangerous condition, and tagshim for immediate care. Lifting him tenderly as thestretcher-bearers may, it is with a white face and sup-pressed groan that they carry him behind some lowpromontory to the first dressing station; there a tem-porary splint is placed about the poor mutilated limb,and with three others into the ambulance he is lifted;many there are who must be cared for and hastily hur-ried to the clearing hospital. A moment of consultationby the surgeons, a decision that he can stand the journeyto the base
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1910, booksubjectredcros, bookyear1915