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The Great War (1914-1918) Forum

Remembered Today:

Woman doctor on a memorial of those who died.


Michael Pegum

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Dr. Isabel (or Isobel) Tate appears on the war memorial at Queen’s University, Belfast. Her name can be seen on the WW Id. photo (only the war memorial spells her first name ‘Isabel’. It probably was supplied by the family, and is correct!).

According to the CWGC records, she held the degree of M.D. (Doctor of Medicine: probably then, as now, a postgraduate degree) and the D.P.H. (Diploma in Public Health).

She served with the Friends’ War Victims Relief Committee, Serbian Relief Fund and died in Malta at the age of about 40. Her headstone says that she was attached to the R.A.M.C. and was working at Valetta Military Hospital.

Are there any other women doctors who died on active service and who appear on memorials?

Michael

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Phoebe Chapple was a doctor in the RAMC in France, I don't know much about her other than she was Australian and was awarded the Military Medal.

I'm off to google if she survived.

Sandie

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I have Dr Tate as having an MB (Bachelor of Medicine) degree - info from Pete Starling's list of women doctors working with the RAMC. As for the MD, if she had it, it depends when she qualified - MD wasn't a postgraduate degree to start with. Before the bachelors degrees came in, an MD was the only university qualification to be a doctor.

Jennian

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Doctor Marion Wilson, VAD, is on a memorial at Royaumont and is recorded on the University of Edinburgh University Student’s Representative Council’s Roll of Honour.

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Can't answer your specific question but there is a short bio of Dr Tate and details of other 'lady' doctors on Malta on this site

http://maltaramc.com...amcoff1916.html

Ken

This biography confirms that she gradusted M.B, B.Ch., B.A.O. in 1899 and received her M.D. in 1902. Both were from the Royal University of Ireland, of which Queen's was a college, the others being in Dublin, Cork and Galway.

Michael

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I think that once you start looking there are quite a number, but not necessarily commemorated by CWGC as they were serving nations other than the British, but include:

Dr. Elsie Inglis - has a memorial at Royaumont and at least two hospitals named after her

Dr. Sybil Lonie Lewis, remembered at Old St. Paul's Church, Edinburgh

Elizabeth Ness Ross, has a memorial at St. Duthus Collegiate Church, Tain

I'm sure there are more

Sue

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Googled this...

Elizabeth Ness Ross,- Remaining Japan until the outbreak of WW1 when she went to Serbia under the auspices of the Russian government and worked there against great odds, soon succumbing to Typhus Fever.

Dr Sybil Lonie Lewis - died March 10th 1918 after working in Serbia on the start of the Scottish Women's Hospital 1915,6,7 and of the Serbian Relief Fund 1917. Her experiences in the campaign and as a prisoner of war so undermined her health that she died shortly after her return home. In recognition of her services, HM the King of Serbia conferred on her the order of Saint Sava. Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.

Dr. Elsie Inglis - In 1914, with the outbreak of the First World War, she had the idea of sending teams of women medics to the Front. Although this was opposed by the war office, she was undeterred, and within months of the onset of hostilities, two units of the Scottish Women's Hospitals (SWH) were despatched to France.

In 1915, she went with the SWH to Serbia and arranged for units to be sent as far a field as Corsica and Russia. In 1917, the day after her return to England, she died from illness and exhaustion.

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Greetings,

The trouble with being on line late at night is having a memory like a sieve...

Someone here in Melbourne, Aust has done a study of female Australian doctors who served overseas in WWI but can't recall her name at present.

I can also think of at least one female doctor from NZ who served; her sister was an Australia QA nurse - Dr Agnes Bennett.

cheers

Kirsty

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Ann Mitchell - "Medical Women and the Medical Services of the First World War." Carlton, Victoria: Queensbury Hill Press, 1978.

Jennian

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