author
Pat Beauchamp Washington
1892–1972
A vivid firsthand voice from two world wars, this British memoirist wrote out of real service, danger, and hard-earned resilience. Her best-known work brings readers close to the First Aid Nursing Yeomanry and the women who kept going under extraordinary pressure.
1 Audiobook
Fanny goes to war
by Pat Beauchamp Washington
About the author
Born Catharine Marguerite Beauchamp Waddell in Cumberland, England, she became widely known as Pat Waddell and later published as Pat Beauchamp Washington. She was a British volunteer ambulance driver, writer, and member of the First Aid Nursing Yeomanry.
During the First World War, she served in France as an ambulance driver. After losing a leg when her ambulance was hit by a train, she returned to service, and she later served again during the Second World War. She was recognized for her wartime work with honors including the French Croix de Guerre and the Belgian Médaille de la Reine Elisabeth.
Her best-known book, Fanny Goes to War, draws on those experiences and is remembered for its lively, direct account of women serving near the front. It remains a compelling memoir for readers interested in wartime history, courage, and the practical realities behind heroic stories.