In Love and War

Boundaries: that was the word I wanted — boundaries. Mr McIndoe dissolved them all, that was the problem, and so some women were coerced into things they didn’t want to do. But it was probably what saved those young men’s lives, made them want to live. Gladys, a nurse

Having your face mashed up and burned does make you work out what’s important. We were all in the same sort of shit, we all looked monstrous. We were all terrified of the future, being rejected by women, unable to work, treated as outcasts, packed off somewhere to be hidden away so we wouldn’t frighten the children. Roger*, a Guinea Pig

You got very close to them because you thought you might be dead tomorrow. You saw them every day and you did things for them that no one had done before, things they used to be able to do for themselves. You wanted to make them happy and do something for the war and you felt proud when you did. So you fitted in even if it went against what you thought was right. Nancy*, a nurse