XIV. CHRISTMAS, 1916 176 XV. CONVOY PETS, COMMANDEERING, AND THE "FANTASTIKS" 197 XVI. THE LAST RIDE 216 XVII. HOSPITALS: FRANCE AND ENGLAND 240 XVIII. ROEHAMPTON: "BOB" THE GREY, AND THE ARMISTICE 267 XIX. AFTER TWO YEARS 283 FANNY GOES TO WAR CHAPTER I IN CAMP BEFORE THE WAR The First Aid Nursing Yeomanry was founded in 1910 and now numbers roughly about four hundred voluntary members. It was originally intended to supplement the R.A.M.C. in field work, stretcher bearing, ambulance driving, etc.--its duties being more or less embodied in the title. An essential point was that each member should be able to ride bareback or otherwise, as much difficulty had been found in transporting nurses from one place to another on the veldt in the South African War. Men had often died through lack of attention, as the country was too rough to permit of anything but a saddle horse to pass. The First Aid Nursing Yeomanry was on active service soon after War was declared and, though it is not universally known, they were the pioneers of all the women's corps subsequently working in France. Before they had been out very long they were affectionately known as the F.A.N.Y.'s, to all and sundry, and in an incredibly short space of time had units working with the British, French, and Belgian Armies in the field. It was in the Autumn of 1913 that, picking up the _Mirror_ one day, I saw a snapshot of a girl astride on horseback leaping a fence in a khaki uniform and topee. Underneath was merely the line "Women Yeomanry in Camp," and nothing more. "That," said I, pointing out the photo to a friend, "is the sort of show I'd like to belong to: I'm sick of ambling round the Row on a Park hack. It would be a rag to go into camp with a lot of other girls. I'm going to write to the _Mirror_ for particulars straight away." I did so; but got no satisfaction at all, as the note accompanying the photo had been mislaid. However, they did inform me there was such a Corps in existence, but beyond that they could give me no particulars. I spent weeks making enquiries on all sides. "Oh, yes, certainly there was a Girls' Yeomanry Corps." "Where can I join it?" I would ask breathlessly. "Ah, that I can't say," would be the invariable reply. The more obstacles I met with only made me the more determined to persevere. I went out of my way to ask all sorts of possible and impossible people on the off-chance that they might know; but it was a long time before I could run it to earth. "Deeds not words" seemed to be their motto.