This is the story of the wartime experiences of a group of women who ran a field hospital near the trenches during World War I, often under conditions of great hardship. The text draws on the women's diaries and letters home. The Scottish Women's Hospitals unit offered their services to France and opened a hospital in the ancient Abbey of Royaumont, near Paris. The hospital operated from 1915 to 1919 and became famous for its nursing care, cleanliness and efficiency, recognised by the French authorities as a key wartime hospital.