Driver of the First Aid Nursing Yeomanry cranking up an ambulance

Driver of the First Aid Nursing Yeomanry cranking up an ambulance

Like a tram back in Britain, this ambulance has a humorous destination chalked on to its front panel where the windscreen would normally be. This destination is 'Blighty', an affectionate slang term for 'home'. As the war staggered on, British soldiers became increasingly keen on getting a 'cushy' (a light wound), that would allow them to get back to Blighty, hopefully until the war finished. The word 'blighty' is Hindustani for 'home'. In those days, a separate starting-crank tool was needed to start the engine. Established by Lord Kitchener in 1907 to form a professional medical link between the wounded men on the front line and the field hospitals, the First Aid Nursing Yeomanry (FANY) performed a wide range of front-line duties including driving, nursing and cooking. Most of the early female recruits were drawn from the ranks of the upper classes. However, many males, often conscientious objectors, also served in this organisation as drivers and nurses. [Original reads: 'SCENES ON THE WESTERN FRONT. A driver of the First Aid Nursing Yeomanry cranking up an ambulance.'] digital.nls.uk/74548032 Image by National Library of Scotland