Resources
Educational Resources
Grey Angels by Anna Rogers
School Journal
Level 3, June 2014
Year 5
Curriculum learning area: Social Sciences
Reading year level: 5
Keywords: First World War, nurse, hospital ships, Somme, Edna Pengelly, Gallipoli, soldiers, war
Although students will be aware of the role soldiers play in wartime, few will know about the role of nurses. This article describes the work of New Zealand nurses who travelled to Africa and Europe during the First World War.
“Grey Angels” links to the timeline “New Zealand at War” (pages 2–6) and shows how the huge numbers of wounded soldiers were helped.
The details may be distressing for some students, particularly those who have experiences of war. The vivid descriptions of the conditions in hospitals and war zones are contrasted by the sense of calm and care in the work the nurses carried out. The use of real names and stories of nurses, photographs, and direct quotes will help make the text accessible for most students.