Gleichen & Hollings at work
Lady Helena Gleichen and Nina Hollings were British radiographers who worked on the Italian Front during World War I. The following letter excerpt, dated August 6, 1916, gives Gleichen's impressions of the first day of the Battle of Gorizia, aka the Sixth Battle of the Isonzo. The letter was later included in Gleichen's memoir, Contacts and Contrasts.
"There is unceasing noise in the distance, and we purpose to go up to our observation post today to see what we can. Our work always begins the day after an attack, so I expect we shall not have much to do today...
The noise is earth-shattering today and I suppose will be much worse tomorrow. We shan't be going such long distances between our hospitals now as we are reserved for our own army from this moment on and most of our work will be much nearer home."
From pages 195, Contacts and Contrasts, by Lady Helena Gleichen
The story of Helena Gleichen's work on the Italian Front is also included in the young adult collective biography, Women Heroes of World War I.
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