Last Updated on May 20, 2025 by Matt Staff
During World War II, while soldiers fought on the front lines, thousands of nurses waged their own battle, tending to the wounded in field hospitals and makeshift clinics. These women faced relentless conditions: bombings, disease, extreme weather, and the emotional toll of witnessing war firsthand. They weren’t just caregivers; they were lifelines, bringing relief and a sense of humanity to places often stripped of it.
Nurses played a crucial role in the war, and they deserve some serious love for it. Here are 20 vintage images of WWII nurses.
1. WWII Nurses from Germany
Big smiles for serving their country.
2. A nurse with an infantryman
The classic forbidden relationship between a nurse and her patient.
3. U.S. Army nurses, 1940s
They’re taking a break in Guam.
4. United States Army Flight Evacuation Nurses, 1943
The nurse on the left was Reba Z Whittle, and she was the only American military female POW captured by the Germans in WWII.
5. Captain Della H. Raney
Captain Della H. Raney was a part of the Army Nurse Corps and was the first black nurse to report for duty during WWII.
6. Nurses from the U.S. Army Nurse Corps
They’re posing in front of a Jeep at a field hospital in France.
7. Nurses at a martial arts demonstration, 1944
They may never see a fight, but they should be ready for one.
8. WWII Nurse from America
This is what a full nursing uniform looked like in the field.
9. Friedrich Albert and Elinor Powell
Friedrich was a German POW who fell in love with an American nurse. They got married in 1947.
10. Flirting with the nurse who saved him, 1940s
She nursed him to health for 4 years.
11. Jane Kendeigh, 1944
Jane Kendeigh was a U.S. Navy flight nurse.
12. U.S. Army Nurse Corps, 1944
They wore one of the most menacing outfits ever to save lives.
13. U.S. Navy sailors and their nurse, 1944
Even today, people still don’t know where to look when taking a photo.
14. Lillian Keil
She was one of the most decorated women in the history of the U.S. military. She is believed to have never lost a single patient in her care on over 425 evacuation flights.
15. A nurse practicing at the firing range with an M-3 Grease Gun
The pile of shells at her feet is iconic.
16. WWII Japanese nurse holding a gas mask
Imagine going out of your way to save lives during a war and having to worry about chemical warfare as well as flying bullets.
17. U.S. Army surgeon, 1945
This man operated on wounded GIs and German POWs.
18. A U.S. Cadet Nurse, 1940
The Cadet Nurse patch is one for the books.
19. WWII Nurse with her patients, 1942
There’s nothing more gratifying than spending time with the people’s lives you saved.
Want to see more content from WWII?
Take a look at 20 Colorized Photos Of Soldiers From WWII, or check out 20 Myths WWII Movies Told Us Were True. Finally, if you want to see the aircraft used in World War 2, check out 20 Photos Of Aircraft From WWII.
