STORIES of horror and heroism endured by the men who fought on the Western Front are commonplace.

But less well-known are the stories of thousands of women who were called up to treat the casualties from the trenches: women like Kate Maxey, the County Durham nurse who won the Military Medal for her heroism under fire.

Kate Maxey was born in Spennymoor in 1876, youngest daughter of a shopkeeper.

She trained at Leeds General Infirmary and was working in a nursing home in the city when war was declared.

Known even to her friends as Maxey, she was called up into the Territorial Force Nursing Service and was sent to France within the first few months of the war, moving around the hospitals and casualty clearing stations behind the Front.

Over the next four years, nurse Maxey tirelessly tended to the soldiers returning from the trenches with terrible wounds caused by bullets, bombs, shrapnel and gas.

Mentioned in despatches by Sir Douglas Haig for gallant and distinguished service, she was promoted to Sister in 1916 and eventually posted to Lillers, a small town behind the Ypres Front where she was appointed Sister-in-Charge of one of the town’s Casualty Clearing Stations.

On March 21, 1918, the German air force carried out a bombing raid on Lillers railway station and hit an ammunition train near the hospital.

Sister Maxey suffered horrific injuries in the explosion, with wounds to her head, neck, arm and legs as well as a spinal injury and burst eardrum.

But despite her painful wounds, she carried on running the station, trying to save the life of one of her nurses fatally wounded in the explosion.

Sister Maxey was awarded the Military Medal and Royal Red Cross medal for “gallantry and conspicuous devotion to duty” during the bombing raid.

Lt Col Martin, commanding officer of the 58th Casualty Clearing Station, noted in his official report: “Miss Maxey's tact, zeal for work, and influence for good are of the highest”,

He added: “When lying wounded, she still directed nurses, orderlies and stretcher bearers and refused aid until others were seen to first.

“I have the greatest pleasure in giving this testimony to one of the finest Nursing Sisters I have ever met”.

The Northern Echo of June 8, 1918 reported: “Although severely wounded herself, she went to the aid of another Sister, who was fatally wounded, and did all she could for her. Later, although suffering severe pain, she showed an example of pluck and endurance which was inspiring to all”.