Canteen Workers and the British Committee of the French Red Cross

[Guest]

I'm trying to research my great-grandmother, Ethel Fountain Gilmour who worked in a canteen in France from 1916-18 and received the British War Medal and Victory Medal as a result.

 

She worked for the British Committee, French Red Cross and I'm gathering from elsewhere on this forum that there aren't really any records remaining of this.  Is there a general history of their work, and can someone explain what the difference was between them and the British Red Cross and why someone might volunteer for one rather than another?  

 

Also, if anyone can point me at any reminiscences, biographies or other  material about the canteen workers rather than nurses, I'd be very grateful.

 

By way of background, she was quite well off and married with children, but chose to go to France rather than volunteer in Scotland, where she lived.  She's down on the medal record as "canteener d'eclopes".

 

Thank you in advance.

 

Susannah

[me uncle joe]

Here's something that might be of interest to you -- this woman worked at a canteen for the American Red Cross. http://www.masshist.org/photographs/hall/index.php. Also on the Lives of the First World War site, I've got a community of women associated with canteens. You might want to browse through to see if there are any stories that tell more about their experience. I've added your great grandmother too. https://livesofthefirstworldwar.org/community/2914

[Guest]

Hi 

I'd be interested to know how your research has gone. My geandmother, also a Scot, was outside Lille during WW1. I have a photo of her at Hare Hall Essex but nothing else. My mother said that Mary was a forewoman (cook) , but I know she had her first child on 1916 in London, so presumably she could only have been in France 1914 to 16.. I wonder whether an option could have been that she joined the Scottish Red Cross in the canteens, and that's what got her out to France?. Any info on how to research this possibility would be appreciated. 

On 30/05/2017 at 17:58, mrsotter said:

I'm trying to research my great-grandmother, Ethel Fountain Gilmour who worked in a canteen in France from 1916-18 and received the British War Medal and Victory Medal as a result.

 

She worked for the British Committee, French Red Cross and I'm gathering from elsewhere on this forum that there aren't really any records remaining of this.  Is there a general history of their work, and can someone explain what the difference was between them and the British Red Cross and why someone might volunteer for one rather than another?  

 

Also, if anyone can point me at any reminiscences, biographies or other  material about the canteen workers rather than nurses, I'd be very grateful.

 

By way of background, she was quite well off and married with children, but chose to go to France rather than volunteer in Scotland, where she lived.  She's down on the medal record as "canteener d'eclopes".

 

Thank you in advance.

 

Susannah

 

Edited 31 December , 2018 by Guest

[alf mcm]

Mary,

  Welcome to the forum.

  Your Grandmother may be mentioned in these Red Cross record cards. https://vad.redcross.org.uk/Volunteers-during-WW1

  If you can provide her name, when she was born, and where she was from, we may be able to help further.

 

Regards,

 

Alf McM

[Marilyne]

On 30/05/2017 at 18:58, mrsotter said:

IShe's down on the medal record as "canteener d'eclopes".

 

 

 

Hi Susannah, 

interesting research. I hope you find what you seek. 

what you're writing here is interesting: "Canteener d'eclopes" ... the last word can only be "éclopés", which is a somewhat other (more negative) word for "wounded". I would conclude that she worked in a canteen adjacent to a hospital or something. 

 

Marilyne