Nurse/VAD killed in bombing raid

[Tony Brennan]

Hi guys

Have been looking at all the expert advise on the forum and wondered if anyone has come across information concerning a nurse or VAD who was killed on a bombing raid - believed to have been in London.

Surname unknown but it is beleived her christian name was HELENE or EILEEN. She was killed while unloading wounded soldiers from a horse-drawn ambulance. Apparently the horse reared up and she was pinned against a wall by the stretcher pole which killed her.

I was told that her body was returned to JERSEY, CI where she was burried. I cannot find any reference to this incident in Jersey. However, since I am in Canada, it is more difficult for me to get across now.

Any information, hints, advise ..... anything ..... would be gratefully received.

Tony

White Hill, Pictou County, Nova Scotia

[chrisharley9]

BATES, MADELINE ELSIE

Title: Sister

Hospital or Area: MILLICENT SUTHERLAND AMBULANCE, CALAIS, FRANCE

Town or Citry of Death: SHENFIELD, ESSEX, ENGLAND

Date of Death: 22 December 1917

Cause of Death: DIED OF WOUNDS RECEIVED IN AN AIR RAID

Place of Birth: WALTHAM ABBEY, ESSEX, ENGLAND

Conflict: World War 1 - 1914-1919

Age at Death: 35

Family details: DAUGHTER OF WILLIAM JOHN & ANNIE MARIA BATES OF SOUTHOVER, STURRY, KENT

Photograph 1:

Red Cross Unit: BRCS VAD

Biographical Details: WAS ON LEAVE IN ENGLAND WHEN INJURED IN AN AIR RAID. SHE HAD BEEN GRANTED HOME LEAVE AS SHE WAS SUFFERING FROM SHELL SHOCK.

Comments: PHOTO COURTESY OF TONY MURPHY

Other Details: SHENFIELD ST MARY CHURCHYARD

Date of Entry: 02/08/2005 23:39

Tony

I think that this is the lady that you are looking for

Chris

[Tonym]

Tony (Resurgam)

I note that you have re-raised the subject of your late aunt, allegedly killed at London Docks as a result of an air-raid – (your original posting back in February). I did attempt to assist you but the family details that you provided were so complicated that identification of your late aunt’s name was almost impossible.

(1)You stated that your father was known as DANIEL BRENNAN but, for reasons unknown, this was an assumed surname and he would not say what his birth name was. Your mother was unsure whether he served in the Irish Guards or Royal Artillery. I provided you with four Daniel Brennans from the Medal Index i.e. Irish Guards - Royal Irish Fusiliers – Royal Irish Rifles and Royal Artillery. You opted for Royal Artillery.

(2) You stated that your father had two brothers who died at the Battle of Jutland on a ship with “Queen” in its name that I assumed had to be HMS Queen Mary. With the help of another forum member I obtained the complete list of Queen Mary casualties and provided you with the most likely names of three pairs of brothers who died on Queen Mary.

(3) Chris Harley, whom I am acquainted with, has now provided you with the name of a nurse, who I did have on record but was unaware until now that she died as a result of an air-raid on London. IF, and I emphasise IF, this is your late aunt and was unmarried then you have your father’s correct surname (Bates). However, this would also be the surname of his brothers killed on the Queen Mary but unfortunately there are no Bates listed on the Queen Mary casualty list so if they did die at Jutland they would have been on another ship.

I also draw attention to the fact that you said originally that your late aunt’s body was taken for burial on Jersey; Madeline Bates is recorded as being buried in Shenfield, Essex.

As I said in my last PM to you, I suggested that you check whether your mother has a secret box with all sorts of bits of paper that could possibly provide answers to most of your questions.

Best wishes

Tony (m)

[chrisharley9]

Tony

did I not tell you she was killed in an air raid - I will have to send you a copy of the master database this evening

Chris

[Tonym]

Tony

did I not tell you she was killed in an air raid - I will have to send you a copy of the master database this evening

Chris

Chris

You may well have done but as you will appreciate domestic circumstances took priority over personal interests and are only now beginning to settle down. Look forward to the database.

Regarding Tony(Resurgam), unless he can come up with his father's true family name I think that he is on a lost cause.

Cheers

Tony

[Tony Brennan]

Thanks for all the information to date guys. I appreciate your input Tony(m) and chrisharlye9 have been looking at the soldiers information that you gave me Tony(m) I think you are probably right in it being a "lost cause". However, I am forever the optamist and will continue to search. I thought it a good idea to give it one more shot.

I have the "Naval Who's Who 1917" published by J B Hayward & Son 1981 which is proving invaluable. However, it can be a bit soul destroying when I find so few names that match out.

I shall just have to Keep on looking. My mother, who is still alive knows very little about my father. The reason I am trying to trace this getlemans family history is because at age 40+, I found out he was not my biological father. He passed over before I had the chance to tackle him on the problem. I did find my biological father but he too had passed over.

Tracing this guy's - Daniel Joseph Brennan - family would mean a lot to me and I 'aint gettin' any younger. I was hoping to get to him through his sister's death. I thought that because of the circumstances it would have been fairly easy to find.

He appears to have covered his tracks pretty well.

Regards

Tony

White Hill, Pictou County, Nova Scotia

[ian turner]

From Free BMD:

Births Jun 1883

--------------------------------------------------

BATES Madeline Elsie Edmonton 3a 372

Ian

[chrisharley9]

Chris

You may well have done but as you will appreciate domestic circumstances took priority over personal interests and are only now beginning to settle down. Look forward to the database.

Cheers

Tony

Tony

no probs I totally understand - will mail the database this evening

Chris

[Jim Strawbridge]

Hi guys

Have been looking at all the expert advise on the forum and wondered if anyone has come across information concerning a nurse or VAD who was killed on a bombing raid - believed to have been in London.

Surname unknown but it is beleived her christian name was HELENE or EILEEN. She was killed while unloading wounded soldiers from a horse-drawn ambulance. Apparently the horse reared up and she was pinned against a wall by the stretcher pole which killed her.

I was told that her body was returned to JERSEY, CI where she was burried. I cannot find any reference to this incident in Jersey. However, since I am in Canada, it is more difficult for me to get across now.

Any information, hints, advise ..... anything ..... would be gratefully received.

Tony

White Hill, Pictou County, Nova Scotia

Not Madeline Elsie Bates as she died from a bomb splinter hitting her head whilst she was watching an air raid. No WW1 serving female casualties were buried on Jersey. My guess is that you should be looking at a civilian nurse.

[Tonym]

Resurgam

quote "Tracing this guy's - Daniel Joseph Brennan - family would mean a lot to me "unquote

You information appears to change post by post.

Your original information adviseed me that Daniel Joseph (alias) Brennan was your father but now appears to have been your step-father suggesting that if the nurse, killed in an air-raid, and the two brothers, killed at Jutland, were his sister and brothers you had no biological connection with any of them and my assumption therefore that your surname was Brennan must also have been wrong. Did you take his surname or your biological father's surname?

Tony

[Tony Brennan]

Resurgam

quote "Tracing this guy's - Daniel Joseph Brennan - family would mean a lot to me "unquote

You information appears to change post by post.

Your original information adviseed me that Daniel Joseph (alias) Brennan was your father but now appears to have been your step-father suggesting that if the nurse, killed in an air-raid, and the two brothers, killed at Jutland, were his sister and brothers you had no biological connection with any of them and my assumption therefore that your surname was Brennan must also have been wrong. Did you take his surname or your biological father's surname?

Tony

Tony

Sorry about that - bit confusing. Daniel Joseph Brennan is the guy I am looking for. It is a long story and I only have small snippets of information to go by - putting the whole story on any one site would take forever. Suffice it to say he was born in 1894 and served in the Great War and the Second World War. I have no service number to go by. He was wounded in the First World War - at 3rd Ypres - (so I was led to believe). I cannot find any information on his family history which I am desparate to trace. If I can't find any information on him, I thought the story of his sisters death may have been easier to find - alas that appears to be untrue. Same with his brothers. If I can find one family member where/when they died, I may get a lead into his own life.

I have looked at hundreds of names/deaths over the years but cannot find anything that conclusively gives me a lead into the family background.

I am in danger of going "off topic" here I took his name Brennan - because until I left the Royal Navy in 1986 (born 1946) I had no idea this guy was not my father - unfortunately, he had by then passed over. It's a "ghost" I need to settle.

I also have messages on other sites because he was supposed to have been on a ship which was sunk - again, I beleive in the First World War. He was bringing lareg guns back from India - not sure where to - when the ship was sunk - again, presumbly by enemy action. If I can find this event, I can check out the survivors. He was adrift with several other members of the crew on an open raft for nine days.

Regards

Tony

White Hill, Pictou County, Nova Scotia