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The Great War (1914-1918) Forum

What was a V.A.D Commendation


brett361975

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I am doing some reasearch into a V.A.D named Constance Lowry.

She appears on a list dated 25th Feb 1919 as having been awarded a commendation.

There is a seperate list of names of V.A.D's who received a Mention in Dispaches and I cannot find constance Lowry's name in the London Gazette.

She worked in the London T.B Hospital.

What I am wondering is in what form the commendation would have been issued? would it have been a certificate or was some sort of badge / emblem issued to the V.A.D for a commendation?.

Any help gratefully received.

Regards

Brett Andrews

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Her commendation may have been a certificate awarded by VAD Headquarters, or a medal awarded by the local VAD Committee. The images below are examples of both.

Patrick

durham_VAD_service_certificate.jpg

durham_VAD_medal_obverse.jpgdurham_VAD_medal_reverse.jpg

(Photographs courtesy of Alan Vickers)

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Thank you Patrick.

I have written to the Red Cross archives so hopefully I will be able to find out what the commendation was awarded for.

Regards

Brett

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A Miss C Lowry, Nurse, 1st Western General Hospital, Liverpool, was awarded a "B" Mention in a WO List dated 18th October 1917 under the heading "The names of the undermentioned have been brought to the notice of the Secretary of State for War for valuable services rendered in onnecion with the War."

The names on the list were NOT published in the LG, received no emblem but the award was placed on their record of service. Names were also published in Newspapers, particularly "The Times"

Ralph

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Thank you Ralph,

May I ask where you obtained this information please?

Thank you very much

Regards

Brett

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Ralph - I have tried the Times in the National Library Dublin to find the following 'mentions' but no luck so far. I don't have access to the London gazette. I wonder if your book records these ladies, esp Mary F S Letts.

In the WAR RECORD OF THE ST JOHN AMBULANCE BRIGADE AND BRITISH RED CROSS SOCIETY IN LEINSTER, MUNSTER AND CONNAUGHT 1914-1918, I came across a reference that three VADs, H. O'Reilly, Mary F.S. Letts and E. Lemass, had been 'brought to the notice of the Secretary of State for War by the Chairman of the Joint War Committee for valuable nursing services rendered in connection with the War'. These three people worked in Linden Auxiliary Hospital, Blackrock, Co. Dublin.

Is your book available for purchase?

Many thanks

Bairbre

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I am doing some reasearch into a V.A.D named Constance Lowry.

She appears on a list dated 25th Feb 1919 as having been awarded a commendation.

There is a seperate list of names of V.A.D's who received a Mention in Dispaches and I cannot find constance Lowry's name in the London Gazette.

She worked in the London T.B Hospital.

What I am wondering is in what form the commendation would have been issued? would it have been a certificate or was some sort of badge / emblem issued to the V.A.D for a commendation?.

Any help gratefully received.

Regards

Brett Andrews

This may not help, but during research on a relative, I found out that he had been mentioned in dispatches. I could not find this in the London Gazette. I then found out that there were two grades of MID, "A"s & "B"s. "A"s were Gazetted, "B"s were mentioned in the Times.

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Trevorl,

Thanks to a very kind Forumite I now have a copy of C Lowry's "B" Mention. Thanks for the sound advice.

Although I cannot obtain the times newspaper mention as I am not a member, If anyone reading this would be kind enough to do me the honour I would be very grateful.

Kind regards

Brett

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Thanks but I don't think this is the same woman - this is Alice Mary Letts and 'my' woman is Mary Felicia Simeon Letts. The Red Cross Archive shows her as a VAD, not a nurse, and working in Linden Convalescent Home, Blackrock, Co. Dublin.

Bairbre

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Bairbre,

Letts, Nurse M VAD Linden Aux. Hospital, Stillorgan, Blackrock, Co. Dublin and Lemass, E, Nurse VAD also of Linden Aux. Hospital in a Comminque dated 16 August 1919 under heading :

The names of the undermentioned have been brought to the notice of the Secretary of State for War by the Chairman of the Joint War Committee of the British Red Cross Society and Order of St. John of Jerusalem in England for valuable nursing services rendered in connection with the War.

O'Reilly, H, LInden Auxilary Hospital, Dublin was listed in a communique dated 18th October 1917 under heading:

The names of the undermentioned have been brought to the notice of the Secretary of State for War for valuable services rendered in connection with the War.

The book I have is privately produced and I have not seen another one around - it is basically a compilation of all the "B" mention lists made by the War Office copied from the files held by them.

Ralph

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Thank you so much Ralph - it's great to have those dates.

Bairbre

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