Where were nurses buried?

[bkristof]

I know about a few nurse graves on CWG.

And I know about the monument in Reims, France.

But what happend with most af the nurses who died during the war. And after the war. Did they had a special grave?

Is there a special cemetery in the UK? for example for nurses who died of flew or gas injuries (caused by helping gassed soldiers) ???

This is possibly an unsolvable topic, but i try...

cheers,

kristof

[Ken Lees]

I think that many of the nurse's graves will be found near to the base hospitals. I remember seeing quite a few at Wimereux. I don't know of any cemeteries specifically for nurses, but often where 'officers only' sections of cemeteries exist, nurses were sometimes buried in them.

Ken

[Terry Denham]

There is a special nurses plot in Brookwood Cemetery, Surrey, UK - the civil cemetery not the military one. All have CWGC headstones as I recall.

Otherwise, you will find nurses' graves in all parts of the UK - in churchyards and cemeteries. Jim Strawbridge will be able to help in any specific cases.

[crispy]

Having visited hundreds of military cemeteries over the years none for nurses come to mind, I think what Ken has said is right as on one of the occasions that we were at Longuenesse (St Omer) Souvenir Cemetery, a lady in the party made a comment regarding the number of nurses buried near to the grave I had gone photograph, probably spotted due to the fact she was a nurse herself.

In the dim and distant past I recall seeing several nurses graves in an officers section of a cemetery, which I believe may have been in St Sever Cemetery at Rouen, but it was such a long time ago I cannot be certain, but again it does fit in with Ken`s theory.

Sorry I cannot be more helpful, but I will look out to see if in fact there are concentrations of the graves of nurses in the future.

David.

[Bob Coulson]

There is always Nellie Spindler buried in Lijssenthoek Military Cemetery.

At the time her medical unit specialised in abdominal wounds and so had to be close to the front line.

Bob.

[Borden Battery]

If you are interested, there is a woman named Nelle Rote who is researching her aunt who served with the BEF and CEF before the US entered the war. Her aunt later died of complications after being gassed.

Last Line deleted by Moderator. Please do not post the email addresses of third parties on the Forum unless you have their specific permission.

[christine liava'a]

The NZ nurses who drowned on the Marquette are commemorated on the Mikra memorial and one is buried in the Mikra cemetery

..............................................

Nine New Zealand Registered Staff Nurses Missing, Believed to be Drowned are commemorated on the Mikra Memorial.

221118 BROWN, Marion Sinclair. – Mrs J S Brown, Waimatuku, Southland (mother)

22/108 CLARK, Isabel – Miss Clark, Oamaru (sister)

221118 FOX, Catherine – Miss M Fox, Auckland (sister)

22/73 GORMAN, Mary – J Gorman, Waimate (father)

22/125 HILDYARD, Nona M – Mrs B Hildyard, Lyttelton (mother)

22/130 ISDELL, Helena Kathleen, matron of Kumara Hospital – Miss Isdell, Greymouth (sister)

22/133 JAMESON, Mabel Elizabeth – Thomas Jameson, Kumara (father)

221161 RAE, Mary Helen – Rubina Rae, CHCH (sister) age 36. b. at Rae's Junction, Otago

221160 RATTRAY, Lorna A – Miss A F Rattray, Dunedin

One other, Staff Nurse Margaret ROGERS, 22/175, her body was found in a lifeboat by a Royal Navy minesweeper, was identified by her wrist-watch, was buried in the Mikra British Cemetery in Salonika, eight kilometres south of Thessaloniki, in the municipality of Kalamaria, Greece where she had a naval funeral. Many girls, nurses, often had their name etched on the back of their watch. Staff Nurse Rogers trained at Christchurch in 1911 -1915.

[christine liava'a]

These nurses are also commemorated in New Zealand

www.rootsweb.com/~nzlscant/ marquette.htm

[healdav]

At Longuyon there is an unusual grave of a German nurse. She has been buried in the same grave as a male officer!

[MartinWills]

You will see nurses graves at places with base hospitals. Rouen is one example and I suspect the epidemic of smallpox (I think) there in 1918 probably resulted in some fatalities. Some of the Etaples graves of nurses resulted from bombing raids there.

In terms of just "where can I find nurses graves" it's not easy as others have already said.

There are now a significant number of nurses service records available at the NA (PRO) if you are following up nursing careers. As I recall they are in something like WO39X series, 398 & 399 I think - but don't quote me......

Martin

[bkristof]

They are often the forgotten angels.

The Roses of...

We (SRD living history group) are planning to do an act of remembrance on 18 or 19 september 2004 at the nurse memorial in Reims, France.

Depending how the French will help us...

We have 5 nurses in our group, so we want to remeber them too.

If wanted i will keep the forum in touch of the latest news on the remembrance.

By the way thanks for the aready super interesting info.

Keep posting!

thanks,

kristof

[N.S.Regt.]

Greetings

There are 4 nurses whom had died during WW1 from Nova Scotia I know of. Minnie Follette and Pearl Fraser who died on the Llandovery Castle and are remembered on the Menin Gate Memorial. Lenna Mae Jenner who died Dec. 12 1918 I think is burried in Brookwood Military Cemetery Surrey. Myrtle Margaret Hunt who died Jan, 16 1918 and is burried at Hillsborough Protestant Cemetery N.S.

Best. Regards

N.S.Regt.

[oak]

Otherwise, you will find nurses' graves in all parts of the UK - in churchyards and cemeteries.

Kristof,

Terry is right, you will find nurses' graves in all parts of the UK - and Ireland.

A number of nurses were lost when the R.M.S. Leinster was torpdeoed and sunk in the Irish Sea on 10 October 1918. Among them were civilian nurses, military nurses and VADs (volunteer nurses who worked in military hospitals). Those whose bodies were recovered are buried in family graves (In one case - in Dublin - a CWGC headstone has been placed lying on the grave, the only time I have seen a CWGC headstone that was not standing). A nursing administrator is buried in the Military Cemetery, Blackhorse Avenue, Dublin with 143 other military casualties from the Leinster. (I call it a Military Cemetery rather that a CWGC cemetery, as it predates the CWGC. WW1 graves in the cemetery, of course, have CWGC headstones).

Regards,

Philip

[Tim Birch]

There are several rows of nurses graves at Etaples CWGC cemetary all together suggesting that part of the cemetery was designated for them.

Tim

[Canadawwi]

Hi!

RE: Etaples Military Cemetery

If you go to the photo collection for Nursing Sister Margaret Lowe - here, click on the grave photo to enlarge. You will see the original crosses and several nursing sisters around her grave.

If anyone is interested I have a very early photo of the Binscarth Manitoba war memorial - her name is on this memorial. Email me to get a copy.

Also, links for Nursing Sisters -

Dorothy Mary Baldwin - Bagneux British Cemetery

Minnie Gallaher - died at sea - Llandovery Castle.

Marie Agnes Mckenzie - died at sea - Llandovery Castle.

Mathilda Ethel Green - No. 7 Cdn General Hospital, buried at Etaples.

[Kathie]

Thank you for making available the photo of Sr Margarets Lowes funeral. I found it very moving. First, the rows and rows of crosses. These are somehow more poignant than the beautiful and rather clinical CWGC stones. Secondly, the still mounded soil above the graves - not yet erasing the real people lying beneath. Third, not only the wreath but also the nurse looking at the flowers on the mound. And then to think of these women who came for so many reasons but not one associated with obligation or conscription.

Kathie

[Guest Bob Juno]

Here's a wartime photo of a nurses grave beside the graves of army officers at Wimereux Cemetery.

Sister EH Coles

The graves next to hers are

2nd Lieut DHL Barnard (RFA)

Capt C Lamb DSO (Border Regt)

Capt J O'H Moore (Royal Engineers)

Capt JD Tullis (Royal Scots Fusiliers)

I understand that Wimereux was the HQ of the QMAAC

[Nicolas G.]

Hello,

I remember a nurse grave in Bony US cemetery.

Regards-Nicolas

[Canadawwi]

-->Bob Juno

That is a great picture of the cemetery.

To follow up on my previous post, here's a press photo for the funeral of Nursing Sister Gladys Wake.

Nursing Sister Gladys Wake - link to her record

The location is Etaples Military Cemetery, France. This is a censored press photo with recommended caption, therefore the location has been left out.

Marika

[Jim Strawbridge]

Fascinating thread. Out of interest the two most recent images are captioned incorrectly. F.M.M. Wake is actually G.M.M. Wake and E.H. Coles is actually E.H. Cole. Both mistakes are contemporary with the time. I can actually give the grave locations for France where WW1 female casualties are buried. Research will show that in the main these are near base camps or seaports. Early casualties were quite close to the front line and resulted from enemy shell. Base camps were pushed back a bit to give some protection to the nursing staff and casualties. But another batch of casualties will be approaching the end of the war and after from Spanish 'flu so of a non war cause.

Bouches-du-Rhone, Mazargues War Cemetery, Marseille (3)

Calvados, Tourgeville Military Cemetery (1)

Cher, Bourges (St. Lazare) Cemetery (1)

Haute-Marne, Sezanne Communal Cemetery (1)

Hauts-de-Seine, Levallois-Perret Communal Cemetery, Paris (1)

Nord, Caudry British Cemetery (1)

Nord, Godewaersvelde British Cemetery (1)

Nord, Lille Southern Cemetery (1)

Pas de Calais, Boulogne Eastern Cemetery (1)

Pas de Calais, Etaples Military Cemetery 20)

Pas de Calais, Les Baraques Military Cemetery, Sangatte (3)

Pas de Calais, Lillers Communal Cemetery (1)

Pas de Calais, Longuenesse (St.Omer) Souvenir Cemetery (7)

Pas de Calais, St. Pol British Cemetery, St.Pol-sur-Ternoise (1)

Pas de Calais, Terlincthun British Cemetery, Wimille (9)

Pas de Calais, Wimereux Communal Cemetery (13)

Seine-Maritime, Janval Cemetery, Dieppe (1)

Seine-Maritime, Le Treport Military Cemetery (1)

Seine-Maritime, Mont Huon Military Cemetery, Le Treport (3)

Seine-Maritime, St. Sever Cemetery Extension, Rouen (6)

Seine Maritime, St.Sever Cemetery, Rouen (7)

Seine-Maritime, Ste. Marie Cemetery, Le Havre (17)

Somme, Abbeville Communal Cemetery (16)

Somme, Bagneux British Cemetery, Gezaincourt (3)

Somme, Malo-les-Bains Communal Cemetery (1)

Val d'Oise, Asniere-Sur-Oise Communal Cemetery (1)

[Bryn]

Another New Zealand nurse who died during the time of the Gallipoli campaign (in addition to those who drowned on the Marquette) was:

Staff Nurse Ada Gilbert Hawken NZANSC. Died of enteric fever in Alexandria on 28 October 1915, and is buried in Chatby Military cemetery.

A few others:

Staff Nurse Louisa Annie Bicknell, Australian Army Nursing Service, died in Cairo on 25 June 1915 and is buried in Cairo War Memorial cemetery.

Staff Nurse Norma Violet Mowbray, Australian Army Nursing Service, died at No. 1 A.G.H., Heliopolis, Cairo, on 21 January 1916, of pneumonia. She is also buried in Cairo War Memorial cemetery.

Staff Nurse Agnes Beryl Corfield, QAIMNS, of Bundaberg, Queensland, Australia, died of typhoid on 2 February 1916, and is buried in Chatby Military cemetery, Alexandria.

When I was on Lemnos a few years ago I noticed the graves of two Canadian nurses in the Portianos Military cemetery.

They were:

Nursing Sister NFE Munro, died 7 September 1915,

and

Matron JB Jaggard, died 25 September 1915.

Matron Jaggard's epitaph is interesting:

'What I Apsired To Be

And Was Not, Comforts Me'

I tried finding the record of Sister Corfield mentioned above when I was at the PRO in London a few years back, but apparently it's missing.

[Hazel Basford]

Madeline Elsie Bates, a member of the Millicent Sutherland Ambulance at Calais, is buried in the churchyard of St Mary, Shenfield, Essex. She died as a result of injuries suffered during an air raid while she was on leave and visiting friends.

She is also commemorated on a memorial in the church of St Nicholas, Sturry, near Canterbury, Kent, where she lived with her parents before the War. The memorial was placed there by her colleagues in the Millicent Sutherland Ambulance.

The CWGC record has her as "Voluntary Aid Detachment, British Red Cross Society". I have not yet checked to see if they have a VAD record card for her.

[Hazel Basford]

I have just remembered where I saw another VAD's grave a couple of years ago. It was in the churchyard of SS Phillip & James, Hallow, Worcestershire.

I am afraid that I did not take down the details.

[bkristof]

thanks for ala the info!

[Jim Strawbridge]

Madeline Elsie Bates, a member of the Millicent Sutherland Ambulance at Calais, is buried in the churchyard of St Mary, Shenfield, Essex.  She died as a result of injuries suffered during an air raid while she was on leave and visiting friends.

She is also commemorated on a memorial in the church of St Nicholas, Sturry, near Canterbury, Kent, where she lived with her parents before the War.  The memorial was placed there by her colleagues in the Millicent Sutherland Ambulance.

A newspaper article of the time (thank you Racing Teapot) gives an account. She seems to have been staying with her brother when she heard the first of the explosions. She rushed to the verandha to see what the comotion was all about and caught a bomb splinter to the head from a subsequent explosion. Five high explosive bombs had been dropped on Shenfield by the Hun. Madeline was the only casualty. She had already been granted home leave suffering from shell shock. If anyone is around either Shenfield and/or Sturry I would welcome photographs of her grave headstone and church memorial.

With regards to another VAD grave being at Hallow, Worcs (SS Philip and James) the CWGC only show that they care for three graves there (Pte. ASC and seaman, RN from WW1 and L/Cpl, Army Dental Corps from WW2). According to my records there are no WW1 serving female casualties buried in Worcestershire.