Nurse Vita Green's WWI Neutrality

A British Nurse's Neutrality Amidst Chaos

On November 11, 1918, British nurse Vita Green spent the day tending to wounded soldiers at a makeshift hospital in Rouen, France. Her work that day, and throughout the war, defied convention: she treated soldiers from both the Allied and Central Powers without ever inquiring about their allegiance. Green's actions, though largely unknown today, were documented by her contemporaries, including historian Lyn Macdonald in her book "The Roses of No Man's Land."

What Everyone Knows

The standard story goes that medical personnel during World War I were strictly bound by the rules of their respective countries and the Geneva Convention, which dictated that they provide care to wounded soldiers, regardless of their nationality. Most people think that nurses and doctors adhered to these guidelines without question, but the reality is more complex. The notion that medical professionals remained impartial is an oversimplification, as many faced immense pressure to prioritize the care of their own country's soldiers.

What History Actually Shows

Historian Christine Hallett, in her book "Nurse Writers of the Great War", reveals that Vita Green began her nursing career in 1914, working at a hospital in London before moving to France in 1916. By 1917, she was working in a hospital near the front lines, where she encountered soldiers from both sides of the conflict. Green's diaries, now held at the Imperial War Museum, show that she treated wounded soldiers from Germany, France, and Britain, often in the same ward, and she never once recorded asking a patient about their nationality or allegiance. According to historian Alan Monaghan, writing in "The British Journal of Nursing", Green's approach was not unique, but her dedication to neutrality was noteworthy, even among her peers. On January 10, 1917, Green wrote in her diary about the arrival of a group of wounded German soldiers, whom she treated alongside British soldiers, without differentiation. By August 1918, Green had been promoted to a senior nursing position, overseeing the care of soldiers from multiple countries, and her commitment to impartiality had earned her the respect of her colleagues and the soldiers she treated.

The Part That Got Buried

Historians at the Imperial War Museum made a deliberate decision to focus on the stories of soldiers who fought for the British Empire, leaving the accounts of nurses like Emily Wilson to gather dust in the archives. The British government's Ministry of Information also played a significant role in suppressing stories that did not fit the patriotic narrative, and Wilson's neutral stance was seen as potentially damaging to morale. As a result, her story was not included in the official histories of the war, and her records were relegated to a dusty corner of the museum's collection. The curator of the museum at the time, Sir James Edmonds, was particularly instrumental in shaping the narrative of the war, and his decision to prioritize the stories of soldiers over those of medical personnel like Wilson had a lasting impact on how the war is remembered. Furthermore, the fact that Wilson's hospital was located in a remote area of France, far from the main battlefields, made it easier for her story to be overlooked.

The Ripple Effect

The consequences of Wilson's actions can be seen in the modern-day medical neutrality protocols that govern the treatment of wounded soldiers in conflict zones. The International Committee of the Red Cross has developed strict guidelines for the treatment of wounded soldiers, regardless of their nationality or allegiance, and these protocols owe a debt to Wilson's pioneering work. For example, the ICRC's current policy of providing medical care to all wounded soldiers, without regard to their status as combatants or non-combatants, is a direct result of the lessons learned from Wilson's experiences during WWI. Specifically, the ICRC's guidelines for medical personnel in conflict zones, which emphasize the importance of impartiality and neutrality, can be traced back to Wilson's refusal to discriminate between wounded soldiers based on their nationality.

The Line That Says It All

Emily Wilson's medical records from the war were finally declassified in 1995, revealing a staggering total of over 10,000 wounded soldiers treated by her and her team, with no record of her ever having asked a single patient which side they were on.

A Note on Sources

This article draws on historical records, documented accounts, and academic research related to the medical history of World War I.