Arnhem Doctor

The battle for Arnhem in 1944 was one of the most ferocious and keenly fought engagements of the Second World War. Amongst those cast into the fray was a non-combatant - a young, recently qualified doctor with no experience of battle. This moving account vividly relates the series of sudden shocks and prolonged crises that abruptly confronted him. Expecting to sit out forty-eight hours in a small town thought to be virtually undefended by the Germans and having to treat nothing worse than blisters, Dr Mawson found himself attached to a hospital unit in the front line and under heavy fire. The unit was captured, liberated, and then captured again. In this perilous situation the Medical Corps and the wounded were subject to near-unbearable strain, and Dr Mawson perceptively describes their fear, frustration, courage and endurance.

Arnhem Doctor is a unique account of a doctor's role in the field. With its tensions, excitement and insights it presents a memorable and gripping view of battle.