750 Red Cross VADs from all over the country - many of them business girls - took part in intensive anti-gas instruction, first aid and home nursing exercises at the society's annual training camp at Northwood Park in Sparsholt near Winchester - clouds of tear-gas were used for the training and mustard gas was used in small quantities to demonstrate the effect of this gas on earth and vegetation - the VADs performed massed gas-mask drills with stretcher drill and fire-drill exercises - photo shows nurses with gas-masks rushing across a field during a gas attack May 21st 1935