18Number 3 ACCS Nine Elms, Poperinghe, Wednesday, 10 October 1917
Lucy probed for the fourth shell fragment, hoping it was the last piece. It was deep in the man’s thigh and she withdrew it with difficulty. After checking that no major vessels had been damaged she closed the wound, but was still wrapping the dressing when the order came to light the lamps. William was adjusting the wick when the generators fell silent, the electric lights in the operating theatre went out and they were left with the barely adequate illumination from the hurricane lamps.
The orderlies were carrying the man to the resuscitation marquee when Lucy became aware of the drone of aircraft engines. Almost as soon as she’d noticed it the sound disappeared. The Fritz pilots often did that as they made their final r
