The Cellar-House of Pervyse

The two heroines of the front line



This true story of the Great War is one of both remarkable events and outstanding human endeavour. Two British women, long time friends and motorcycling companions, decided at the outbreak of hostilities that their place was at the front assisting Belgian soldiers. They nursed them, cared for them and prepared and served food for them-often delivering meals to trenches and front line outposts. Even the ruling of 1915 which expressly forbade women from entering the firing line did not apply to widow Elsie 'Gypsy' Knocker and eighteen year old Maria Chisholm who had long since proved their mettle. This book takes its title from their aid station, which was located as close to the line as practicality allowed-for they had learned through bitter experience that the further a wounded man was from the point of first treatment the less likely he was to survive. Such was their dedication that in the Belgian mud they occupied a frequently shelled cellar, measuring just twelve feet by ten feet, slept on straw and took their water from a ditch for many months. This is a phenomenal story of outstanding humanity and bravery which will captivate anybody interested in the Western Front and especially in accounts of outstanding and inspirational women who have risen to the challenges of extreme adversity.

Leonaur editions are newly typeset and are not facsimiles; each title is available in softcover and hardback with dustjacket; our hardbacks are cloth bound and feature gold foil lettering on their spines and fabric head and tail bands.