Elsie Knocker and Mairi Chisholm were two of the most famous women of the First World War, affectionately known as the ‘Angels of Pervyse’. In 1914, 18 year old Mairi and 31 year old Elsie headed off to Belgium as ambulance drivers. Frustrated by the number of men dying in the back of their vehicles, they set up their own first aid post, a few hundred yards from the front line. They risked their lives, working under sniper fire and heavy bombardment and, on their return, were decorated with many medals for their bravery and self-sacrifice. Diane Atkinson has written a book about their achievements and tells Jane about their extraordinary lives. Elsie and Mairi Go to War: Two Extraordinary Women on the Western Front by Diane Atkinson is published by Preface Publishing ISBN 978-1848091337
