The first convoy of 170 men arrived at 4am on 2 July. 'The "going over the top" results', Dorothy wrote. 'Practically all surgicals.' Over the next 48 hours, four convoys of wounded arrived, while two convoys of stabilised patients left for other hospitals in France or Britain. Such was the intensity of the work at the hospital, it was 13 July before Dorothy was able to take a rest from her duties.

Over the following weeks the steady arrival of wounded men charted the course of the battle. In July, Dorothy nursed her first Australian casualties. A few weeks later she met soldiers from New Zealand and towards the end of September men from Canada.

With patients frequently dying from wounds, it was a tiring and, at times, depressing experience. But like the soldiers at the front, the hospital staff took their mind off the war with theatrical entertainments during quiet periods. Among Dorothy’s possessions is a concert programme from 2 September 1916.

Dorothy later served for a year in Italy, where she was stationed at Genoa, Turin, Arquata and Cremona. During the Second World War, she worked for the London Volunteer Ambulance Service.