Heroines of the Gt War?

[Moston]

Hi All,

A good friend of mine has been asked to do a 5 min talk about a Heroine of WW1 - (to adults). He'd rather avoid Edith Cavell's story and go for someone less well known.

All nurses & VADs qualify in my book - but perhaps one of you has a 'story' that will work well?

Thanks in advance.

Simon.

[Chris_Baker]

How about Elsie Knocker? (Heroine of Pervyse)

or The Lady of Loos? (Emilienne Moreau)

[Moston]

Thanks Chris - that should give him plenty of material.

[nicole]

Thanks Chris - that should give him plenty of material.

What about Elsie?

Elsie Inglis

Born in 1864, Elsie Inglis was a medical pioneer and a leading light in the campaign for women's suffrage. After qualifying as a doctor in 1892, she worked briefly as a surgeon in London before returning to Edinburgh to establish a maternity hospital staffed entirely by women. From 1900 she spoke out in favour of women getting the vote, founding the Scottish Women's Suffrage Federation in 1906. In 1914, when offering her services to the war office, she was told to 'go home and sit still.' Undaunted by this, the Federation raised Scottish Women's Hospital Units for service during the First World War, eventually sending 14 medical units to France, Salonika, Serbia, Russia, Greece and Romania. Inglis was the driving force, organising the units and travelling throughout Britain to generate funds. She herself served in Serbia and Russia. She was taken ill in Russia and, exhausted by working long hours in appalling conditions, she died in November 1917 shortly after returning to Britain. Winston Churchill wrote that Inglis and her staff would 'shine forever in history'.

Obviously she didn't! However, she should have done.

Nicole

[Doc2]

Hi All,

A good friend of mine has been asked to do a 5 min talk about a Heroine of WW1 - (to adults). He'd rather avoid Edith Cavell's story and go for someone less well known.

All nurses & VADs qualify in my book - but perhaps one of you has a 'story' that will work well?

Thanks in advance.

Simon.

You might want to take a look at Marie Marvingt. Not only was she an accomplished nurse, but she served on the front lines as an infantryman, and additionally was probably the first woman to pilot an aircraft in combat, having flown at least two missions as pilot of a French bomber. Doc