VAD- Britain's civilian volunteers

[Skipman]

Britain's civilian volunteers, authorized story of Britsh voluntary aiddetachment work in the great war

Mike

[catfishmo]

Appears to be the same as originally published title: The Story of British V.A.D. Work in the Great War which is posted online here:

This book really surprised me. I expected a few heroic tales of VADs on the British home front, but this was MUCH more. My aim in reading it was to further my study of the roles of VADs and nurses during WW1 so I can write historically accurate fiction. Having read some 20 odd books about WW1, this book had numerous details I had not encountered elsewhere.

Here is a brief list of the 'goodies' I found here:

-Description of Devonshire House, VAD hqtrs

-Detention hospitals dockside in Britain detention hospitals in France for those living in camps who supplied the front lines

-Supply depot for hospital ships and French hospitals

-Details about the role of ambulance drivers both in the UK transporting incoming wounded to local hospitals, and in France (many were women)

-Few details about Belgian refugees

-The innumerable jobs VAD did to support the war effort--cooking, sewing, making splints, basically doing anything and everything that needed doing.

-VAD pharmacist

-Relationship between military and VAD hospitals

-Cost allotted to a VAD hospital per patient (up to 3 shillings a day per patient)

-Lots of details about VADs manning rest station and feeding/caring for wounded soldiers en route to base hospitals.

-The amazing willingness, cheerfulness, commitment, and self sacrifice displayed over and over and over.

-Some revelations about the differences in Red Cross vs St. John's nurses.

-Sugar Sheds in Boulogne

-Converting French chateau and school into medical facilities

-Role of British (Canadian and Australian) women filling the gap for the shortage of French nurses

All these details were revealed as she 'tours' the UK and France, going from place to place, commending the VAD detachments for their extraordinary service, highlighting specific accomplishments of different places.

One thing I was really looking for but did not find was SPECIFICALLY what training (and where) VADs received in order to be considered a VAD. She hinted at it, and maybe that is all there is to it--that various classes and lectures were offered in an area, prospective VADs (both men and women) attended a certain number of classes and then were considered 'certified'.

Well written and an easy read. A great source for those studying the roles of British women and volunteers in the Great War.

I took copious notes with headers making it easy to find topics of interest. If you would like a copy, PM me. I would happy to share them.

[GNH]

I am researching a family at the moment and am told that a grandmother was a VAD in Sunderland. I will look this up to get some background information

[Waggoner]

This is an interesting dissertation on the subject - http://www.ruor.uottawa.ca/handle/10393/6196

All the best,

Gary

[GNH]

Thanks Gary I will take a look

[MaureenE]

Agatha Christie An Autobiography, ​published 1977, contains some information about her training. Prewar she attended classes in First Aid and Home Nursing, and passed the examinations.

Once war was declared, she became a ward-maid in a newly established hospital, but after five days was sent to the wards, as many of the initially appointed volunteer nurses could not cope and left. Christie comments that the nursing volunteers were completely untrained for their hospital nursing duties. She subsequently moved to the dispensary.

Cheers

Maureen