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Forgotten Heroes of World War One: The Literary Ambulance Drivers
Before They Were Famous, They Served
A few years ago, between 2014 and 2018, the world took time out to remember the events of World War I exactly 100 years after each of those events happened. As comprehensive as that 4-year remembrance was, there was one group that was completely overlooked, and that needs to be corrected.
History is more than just dates and events, it is the people who took part in those events; I have also said on numerous occasions that you can learn as much about history from fiction than you can from a textbook. This overlooked group from World War I combines both; let’s meet the Literary Ambulance Drivers.
Who exactly were these volunteers, also known as Gentlemen Drivers, who took on some of the most dangerous duty of the war? Before getting into the details, I want to mention a few literary women who were also volunteers but were not allowed to serve as ambulance drivers. With some exceptions, women were confined by regulations at the time to hospital and other relief duties away from the front lines.
Both Gertrude Stein and her partner Alice B. Toklas served in hospitals in Paris and other relief areas. Sylvia Beach, owner of the Shakespeare and Company Bookstore in the years after the war, served in relief…
