Women buried on the Western Front - a complete overview

[DoubleD]

A Guid New Year to you and yours from Scotland Marilyne. Photo taken from the top of my road at The Bells on Hogmanay. Usually get a free view of the Hogmanay Fireworks display in Edinburgh, but not this year I’m afraid as the celebrations were cancelled. 

Do you remember taking a photo of Ethel Fearnley’s headstone at Boulogne Eastern Cemetery for me? Ethel was from Brighouse, West Yorkshire and I’ve just received an email from the secretary of the local family history group asking if we ever made it to France on the school trip to leave the pebble they sent me. Of course the answer was sadly no, but I’ve sent her your photos for their newsletter, hope you don’t mind? 

Nice to see you’re back on track with your project, really looking forward to following your progress. 
 

Best wishes,

Dave 

[Marilyne]

@DoubleDnice picture!! 

Happy New Year to you too and of course they are welcome to have the pictures!! I'll draw my attention to Boulogne next... 

First there are two very interesting ladies in Etaples I need you to be introduced to. 

Dorothea Mary Lynette Crewdson (XLV.C.13) was from Nottigham. she enrolled woth the BRC as a VAD with the 36th South Notts Detachment and volunteered immediately when the war broke out. We are very fortunate that her family kept her extensive diaries, which were published in 2013 by Richard Crewdson. They make for a very entertaining read and give a truly unique insight in the life at military hospitals in France. 

Interestingly enough... this is truly true... I bought a whole lot of books when I started this project and one night decided to start reading Dorothea's diaries. I was in my little rooms in the barracks of Marche en Famenne and it was ... 12 March 2019!!! Exactly one hundred years after the death of Dorothea ! 

Her active service started on the 12th June 1915 and her first posting was No. 16 Stationary Hospital at Le Tréport, high up on the cliffs, where Edith Appleton also served (though not at the same time). She and her friend “Christie” had the chance to attend Church Services from “the little portentous Padre” that actually was Tubby Clayton, of Toc H fame.

Her diary talks about life in the hospital, night duty, her patients, some of them dying and some of them making her laugh. She proudly tells how she signs back up every other six months, committing herself to this valuable work, even though she feels quite homesick now and then. Ultimately in May 17, she'd sign up "for the duration".

The battle of the Somme saw her in Le Treport as a batman, waitress and mess attendant. in Ocotber 1916 she moved to Wimereux. January 1917 saw her on home leave once again and then going through the rush of the Battle of Arras. 

There is a six-week void in the diary for July – August 1917, just after her coming back from leave at the start of July. This could be explained by the  fact that Third Ypres was raging and that the hospital would have been overrun with casualties. One can only speculate whether it was the horror of the battle and its consequences that deterred Dorothea from writing in her diary, or simply overwork and fatigue during those terrible weeks.

January 1918 saw Dorothea move one last time, to N° 46 Stationary hospital in Etaples: SATURDAY, 19TH JANUARY, 8.15 P.M. A suitable occasion to open a new vol. of diary, to celebrate our arrival in a new and strange abode. When the bombs fell upon Etaples, her hospital was not spared. Dorothea was wounded in the attack but kept on taking care of her patients, for which she was awarded the Military Medal, together with her colleagues sisters Monroe and Brampton. The citation reads; For gallantry and devotion to duty during an enemy air raid. Although herself wounded, this lady remained at duty and assisted in dressing the wounds of patients

on the 27th August 1918, Dorothea was promoted to Assistant Nurse. she returned on home leave in december 1918 but returned to Etaples in the midst of the flu epidemic. After taking care of Marjorie Croysdale and Marguerite MacArthur, whom I still have to introduce, she finished a volume of her diary with the words:  Next will come the ‘peace’ number of the diary and will see me home again I expect.

There would not be a “next volume”, as two days after writing those lines, Dorothea would fall severely ill with peritonitis and die after three days of sickness.

 

Marjorie Croysdale, born 16 January 1893, was the youngest daughter of Thomas Croysdale, a  wealthy Justice of the Peace, and his wife Beatrice from Sunburry-on-Thames. She had four sisters and one brother. Marjorie was educated at Wycombe Abbey School for Girls (still existing and ranking as the top all-girls school of Britain in academic results) from 1907 to 1912, finishing as head of her House and then attended Miss Baird’s School of Domestic Economy in Malvern to be “finished”. It was clear that Marjorie was destined to the sheltered life of the upper classes and in this context what she did next would probably come as quite a shock to her family and peers.

Marjorie was 22 years old when her brother, Captain Thomas Percival Croysdale of the London Regiment, came home to recover from wounds sustained in action in the night of the 16th May 1915. He was buried alive during an explosion and though having sustained only minor physical wounds, he was clearly suffering from extreme shell-shock. This appeared to have left such an impression on young Marjorie that she decided at once to become a nurse. In June 1915, Marjorie enrolled at The London Hospital and began a whirlwind course in nursing, and then joined Queen Alexandra’s Imperial Military Nursing Service as a Probationer Nurse, embarking for France in October 1916. 

Marjorie served at several Field Hospitals, eventually becoming a Nursing Sister in Etaples when her probation was over. She was a hard worker, described as essentially a person of action, always restless if she could not be at work, and whatever job came her way she did with an artist’s love of good work well done. Her letters home bear testimony of the hardships they endured when the medicine froze solid in the bottles or the mud between the tents. 

When the war ended, Marjorie was working at nb 24 General Hospital. she continued working after the war, especially as the flu cases kept coming in.

End of January was a treat though, as a number of sisters from Etaples set out on a three-day tour of the old front line, visiting the battlefields and the cities made famous by the war like Arras and St Omer. Sister Dorothea Crewdson describes that visit in her diary and mentions Marjorie twice, showing that she participated in the voyage, and unfortunately again on the 6th March: That poor girl who went on the trip up the line died at the Tino a day or two ago, so she paid dearly for three days of pleasure. She couldn’t have been very strong or else she must have got very chilled indeed with the travelling and certainly the weather was dreadfully cold

that's it for now, only one left in Etaples. 

M.

[DoubleD]

Fascinating stories Marilyne, such lot of research there. I have a connection with Dorothea having grown up in Nottinghamshire - I’ve ordered her book as well! Looking forward to the next instalment.

Dave

[DoubleD]

Managed to get a copy of Dorothea’s book Marilyne and just finished it. What a great read and love the sketches as well.

 

Dave

[Marilyne]

Glad you liked it. 

I again have to wait before continuing my research... I have a lot of work to do (thanks Vlad!!) and of course lot of my time goes to my own lady... my horse Dilauria...

M. 

[Michelle Young]

I found a couple of American nurses in Bony cemetery. Are you putting these on your list? 

[Marilyne]

On 27/04/2022 at 08:46, Michelle Young said:

I found a couple of American nurses in Bony cemetery. Are you putting these on your list? 

Hi Michelle, 

sorry for answering so late, my visits to the forum have become quite sporadic of late... there's always something to do at the EU ! 

I have received from the ABMC a complete list of all the women buried in WWI cemeteries in France and the UK ... they will be the next ones of the project. There are 65 of them in France (5 in Bony), none in Belgium and 5 in Brookwood

For now I hope I'll be able to turn my attention to the Boulogne area, for which I have all the pics but still need to do the research. 

M.

[Marilyne]

On 27/09/2020 at 11:59, Marilyne said:

We unfortunately don't know much of Staff Nurse Edith Agnes Baker, except that she was 28 and from Natal, South Africa.

I like her epitaph: “Sleep on, dear one, beside the boys whose lives were given for us.”

It puts her sacrifice au par with the men who died in the war and of which she took care and this led me to take the picture of her grave like this, with the men in the background. 

Good morning all, 

It's been a while since I posted here, but I have, very surprisingly, found something out today, and that warrants a nice re-opening of this topic, especially as I started with the Boulogne area recently. 

Coming back to Edith Baker, I recently read Cynthia Toman's very good "Sister Soldiers of the Great War", about the Canadian nurses. Ms Toman at a certain points quotes the diary of  Nursing Sister Gertrude Gilbert. In the entry of the 4-7 Nov 1918, she writes about nursing a sister with pneumonia: “My patient is not going to get better – she is so sweet & good. It does seem pitiful for she is making such a good fight.” Later however, she attended her funeral and arranged for a wreath.

I went to look after more information about who this pneumonia victim might be, because if it was in France, obviously, she would have to be part of the research... I found NS Gilbert's service record: she started her second tour of duty in June 1917. After several postings in England, she was attached to Nb 4 Ambulance Train beginning of 1918. Several temporary postings brought her in various hospitals in France but beginning of November 1918, she was attached to the Sister’s Home in Abbeville…

Edith Agnes Baker died on the 6th November 1918, so I think we can surmise that Gertrude Gilbert nursed Edith Baker, can't we??? 

I love these moments, when suddenly two pieces of information connect ! 

Thank you for your service, ladies ! 

M.

[Marilyne]

Good evening all. 

I guess we are way beyond the point of being able to say I'm just "fashionably late" ... but: perseverance won and despite the very heavy workload and something called "normal life" taking over sometimes, it's time I dove back into my work. In July 2020, during the first small break into the COVID madness, I did a "Ladies Tour" and visited quite a number of cemeteries but I still had the research to do for some of them. 

I since them completed Boulogne.... which resulted in a 20 page study which, truth be told, is not finished yet because I have a number of archives and references to check on the spot and am now doing Wimereux and Terlincthun. And before the end of the summer I'll have visited LeTréport!

So let's dive back into it again. 

The next Lady I want to introduce you to is Staff Nurse Ethel Fearnley. 

Before starting, I have GWForum Pal Dave "DoubleD" to thank for most of the information. 

Ethel Fearnley was the first nurse to die on active service.

She was born in Brighouse, West Yorkshire, to Ralph and Eliza Maria Fearnley, in 1882. By the time the war broke out, Ethel was working as a nurse at St Thomas Hospital in London and was part of the Civil Hospital Reserve. She was mobilized in the QAIMNS Reserve and stationed in Boulogne, at Nb 11 General Hospital. By 1914 also, her parents had moved to Gibraltar. Her father worked at the gas works and the family was living at Rosia Bay. It is not known whether Ethel at some point went with them and was back in London only for work or if they moved when Ethel already started training and living on her own. I hope somebody can point me to the right direction at one point.

On the 17th November, Ethel fell violently ill. The Matron-in-Chief was informed and she made a mention of it in her diary, stating “Haemorrhage” as the illness. Actually Ethel had a  brain-bleed, also called encephalitis. On the 20th, Matron McCarthy went to see Miss Fearnley:  who I could see was very seriously ill. Sir J. Bradford and Mr. Headley had been called in consultation. Her father in Gibralter and relatives in London had been informed3. On the 21st, Ethel’s health was rapidly deteriorating, she was vomiting and eventually, she died on the 23rd.

A cable was immediately sent to her relatives both in Gibraltar and in London.

What followed from an administrative point of view was first an enquiry whether her service was satisfactory enough for her gratuity to be paid. This Matron Ethel Becher confirmed. Subsequently, a letter was sent to her parents in Gibraltar asking whether Ethel drew up a will before sailing to France. In the case of the negative, her effects would be sent to the closest relatives, which were her parents and two remaining sisters. With the filling out of Form 107, which can be found in her records, her father confirmed in November 1915 that there was no will. 

Ethel Fearnley was mentioned in dispatches on the 31st May 1915. (London Gazette, 31 May 1915, Supplement 1060)

M. 

 

Edited 2 August , 2023 by Marilyne

[DoubleD]

Hello Marilyne!

As you know we'd planned to visit Ethel along with some former pupils of Perth Academy who are buried in Boulogne during the school trip in 2020, but Covid put the mockers on that!

We wondered if we'd ever be able to do a school trip again, but in November last year we were finally able to get back out to France and Belgium.

On previous school trips we'd collected pebbles from the homes of all the casualties we'd be visiting to lay at the graves/memorial panels and we already had the pebbles ready to go. I'd also been in touch with Calderdale Family History Society and Peter and Susan Lord very kindly collected a pebble from the house where Ethel was born in Brighouse, Wsst Yorkshire.

Even though it was much colder than when we usually visit in May the trip was a great success and I've attached a few photos of our visit to Boulogne (Eastern) Cemetery - hope you like them! We also managed to visit cemeteries at Menin Road South, Esquelbecq and Tyne Cot and the Menin Gate Memorial.

Over two years later than we planned, but it was well worth the wait!

Best wishes,

Dave

Photos.pdf

[Jim Strawbridge]

quote  ;- "She was born in Brighouse, West Yorkshire, to Ralph and Eliza Maria Fearnley, in 1852".

A bit early for her birth date. I have her as being born in Rastrick, Yorkshire in 1884.

quote  ;- "It is not known whether Ethel at some point went with them and was back in London only for work or if they moved when Ethel already started training and living on her own. I hope somebody can point me to the right direction at one point".

The passenger list for the SS Arabia for 19th December 1914 from London to Gibraltar includes R. Fearnley (a gas engineer), Mrs Fearnley and Miss Fearnley. The Miss Fearnley would have been Ethel's sister, Minnie, as at this date Ethel had already died.

[Marilyne]

38 minutes ago, Jim Strawbridge said:

quote  ;- "She was born in Brighouse, West Yorkshire, to Ralph and Eliza Maria Fearnley, in 1852".

A bit early for her birth date. I have her as being born in Rastrick, Yorkshire in 1884.

quote  ;- "It is not known whether Ethel at some point went with them and was back in London only for work or if they moved when Ethel already started training and living on her own. I hope somebody can point me to the right direction at one point".

The passenger list for the SS Arabia for 19th December 1914 from London to Gibraltar includes R. Fearnley (a gas engineer), Mrs Fearnley and Miss Fearnley. The Miss Fearnley would have been Ethel's sister, Minnie, as at this date Ethel had already died.

oops... my finger hit the 5 instead of the 8 ... sorry! 

Thanks for the info on the SS Arabia. 

M. 

[Marilyne]

Moving on to Wimereux. 

The first two ladies of Wimereux are laying side by side, which is why they appear together in this post. Just being practical... 

Rubie Pickard ( 13/04/1916, British Red Cross Society, III.L.3 was the wife of Captain Samuel Pickard. They lived in Saint-Léonard, a village that is part of the Boulogne area.

Both offered their service at the outbreak of the war. Captain Pickard appears to have been working at the Red Cross Headquarters Staff at Boulogne. Rubie, on her side, also worked for the Red Cross but at the department responsible for supplying newspapers to the British hospitals.

On the 9th March, Matron McCarthy wrote in her diary that Mrs. Pickard had been operated upon – found to be cancer of stomach and stitched up, nothing could be done. Very sad, the poor old lady is over 60 and was out here with her husband. Rubie finally died on the 13th April 1916 at the age of 67, which makes her one of the oldest volunteers to serve on the Western Front. She is definitely the oldest woman commemorated by the CWGC. Her epitaph, very touchingly, reads: Rests here with those she tried to comfort.

A bit more about the family – with many thanks to GWF pals @pauldesmondwhiteand @Jim Strawbridge - Samuel Pickard used to be a manager at a paper mill in Aston, Birmingham. There seem to be some confusion as to his wife’s name. “Rubie” seems to have been Sarah Hill. The couple had five children: Beda, the oldest, was born in 1881. She was followed by Sarah, Thomas, Eric and Wada.

A long correspondence between Rubie's husband first and then her son and grandson with the Imperial/Commonwealth War Graves Commission tells a further story. On the 21st June 1920 a written debate started on the name to be put on the headstone. Captain Pickard, now working on the horticultural staff of the Commission, insisted that it be “Mrs Rubie Pickard”, keeping the “Mrs” in regards to her age, but using her full name, as was custom for the VADs. In his letters, he also hints at the fact that all members of the family had signed up. Capt Pickard must have died not long after this for on the 11th November 1925, his son Eric writes to the Commission to enquire whether funds are available for him to visit the graves of his parents, both buried at the Officer’s Cemetery in Wimereux. He hints at the fact that his father worked for the Commission and himself served four and a half years, finishing as a Lt with the R.A.S.C. but now unemployed. The Commission answers negatively to the question.

Finally, the last set of correspondence is with Eric’s son Thomas, Samuel and Rubie’s grandson, who asks the Commission if he can bury the ashes of his father with Rubie. Eric Had died on the 8th January 1960. The question is pushed up to the Regional Office in Arras, which sees no problems with this, provided that interment is carried out with minimum ceremony and that publicity is avoided. On the 13th May 1960, in presence of the Regional director and helped by the gardener, Mr Finley, the headstone of Rubie Pickard is lifted one last time as to allow her son to rest with her.

As of today, I still don’t know where and when Samuel Pickard died and was buried. From Eric’s letter I can conclude that it must be between 1920 and 1925 and that it happened in France, if he’s buried in Wimereux. I don’t remember having seen any Commission personnel graves in the cemetery. And I did not visit the civilian part… a question to be answered !

Christina Murdoch Wilson, Queen Alexandra’s Imperial Military Nursing Service, was 42 years old when she died on the 1st march 1916. Born in 1873, she was the daughter of the late Thomas Wilson and his wife Agnes. Christina belonged to the Civil Hospital Reserve .

On the 1st March 1916, the Matron-in-Chief reported in her diary that she was notified of the fact that Miss Wilson was still dangerously ill at Nb 14 GH and was no better. On the 2nd: Received wire Miss Wilson died last night, to be buried 2 pm . She then informed the staff at Nb 15 CCS, where Christina had been working before falling ill.

This is all I have found on Christina Murdoch Wilson, other than the fact that she is listed on some websites as “OBE” and wears it on this picture. The circumstances of her being awarded this honor are yet unknown to me. I’ve put her name through the search engine of the Gazette but with no results.

M. 

[Jim Strawbridge]

I am of the opinion that the Pickards had only four children. Family trees on Ancestry show both Beda Pickard and Sarah Elizabeth Pickard as being born in 1881 as if they were two people. But BMD only shows the birth of Sarah Elizabeth Pickard as being registered in Salford (which covers Pendleton). The possibility of a twin has been considered as a Jane Pickard was also born and registered in the first quarter 1881 in Salford but she died soon after birth. The name of Beda Pickard, with the birth date of 13th February 1881, is entered in the baptismal record. Just as her mother was Sarah but known in the family as Rubie I believe that Sarah Elizabeth Pickard was known in the family as Beda and that they were the same person.

quote (a) :- "As of today, I still don’t know where and when Samuel Pickard died and was buried".

quote (b):- "Captain Pickard, now working on the horticultural staff of the Commission".

quote (c) :- "Capt Pickard must have died not long after this for on the 11th November 1925, his son Eric writes to the Commission to enquire whether funds are available for him to visit the graves of his parents, both buried at the Officer’s Cemetery in Wimereux".

A "perk" of working for the CWGC is that, as an exception, you could be buried as a non-commemorated in a war cemetery and have your grave tended by them in perpetuity. It seems highly likely that Samuel Pickard, as an employee, is buried in Wimereux Communal Cemetery and may even have been interred in his wife's grave. As a non-commemorated grave his name will not appear in the CWGC Register for that cemetery but an enquiry of the CWGC should confirm (or otherwise) if this is the case.

[Marilyne]

Jim, 

Thanks a lot for your efforts in adding to my research!! It was crossed my mind that Samuel may be buried in his wife's grave... I have asked the question to the CWGC, I suppose it'll take them some time to answer my question. I'll take some tide during my next visit to take a closer look to graves not lined up with the others, one never knows... 

M.

[Marilyne]

Working on the Wimereux ladies.... getting on nicely...

Barbara Esmée StJohn was the second daughter of the reverend Henry Beauchamp and his wife Emily Anne St John, from Ashby-de-la-Zouch.  Barbara was born in 1885 and by 1911 was living in High Wycombe. Her father was the vicar at St Mary’s in Ninfield, East Sussex. There is a plaque  in the church to Barbara’s memory, indicating that she was a member of the 112th Sussex VAD. After her signing up, she served for one year at the 5th Southern General Hospital at Southsea and then sent to France to Nb 26 GH in Etaples .

On the 7th October 1916, the Matron-in-Chief received a letter to say a Miss St. John had been sent to 14 Stationary Hospital with scarlet fever. And on the 12th she writes in her diary: DDMS Boulogne, telephoned, informing us of somewhat sudden death of Miss St. John, VAD, at 14 Stationary Hospital suffering from scarlet fever. She had been admitted on the 6th. The night before she had developed certain heart complications but was not very ill, but during the night she became worse and died next day. Funeral was tomorrow but owing to nature of illness it was not considered advisable that it should be delayed in any way to enable the relations to attend. Matron McCarthy went to the funeral on the 13th but due to delays on the road, only arrived in time to hear the Last Post being sounded.

Barbara St John died of Landry’s Disease, also known as Guillain-Barre Syndrome. It is (according to Dr Google) a rapid-onset muscle weakness caused by the immune system attacking a person’s peripheric nerves. It starts with muscle weakness in the feet and hands which then spreads to the rest of the body and eventually hampers a person to breathe. The disease can be a complication from scarlet fever, which is what she was initially diagnosed with. 
The matter, unfortunately, did not stop there, as the death of Barbara St John caused quite a stir in the next weeks. On the 18th October, Matron McCarthy was alerted of a first article: DGMS came to see me on his way to Paris in connexion with a newspaper cutting with reference to the death of Miss St. John, VAD. The Times seem to have questioned the responsibilities and workload given to a VAD. On the 28th then, the British Journal of Nursing indicating that since the great “push”, Barbara was in charge of a surgical ward of 35 beds, with only an orderly to help her and that in 13-hour days. Furthermore the journal bemoans to have often criticized young women not thoroughly trained, being given responsibility for which they are not sufficiently experienced […] thirty-five acute cases with a sister occasionally “looking-in” under the conditions descried would tax the resources of a highly experienced nurse . In other words, the Journal clearly puts the blame of Barbara St John’s death at the system and the strain put on VADs in the hospitals. 

But this is another debate, which we shall not open here. 

 

[travers61]

On 03/08/2023 at 12:26, Marilyne said:

Christina Murdoch Wilson, Queen Alexandra’s Imperial Military Nursing Service, was 42 years old when she died on the 1st march 1916. Born in 1873, she was the daughter of the late Thomas Wilson and his wife Agnes. Christina belonged to the Civil Hospital Reserve .

On the 1st March 1916, the Matron-in-Chief reported in her diary that she was notified of the fact that Miss Wilson was still dangerously ill at Nb 14 GH and was no better. On the 2nd: Received wire Miss Wilson died last night, to be buried 2 pm . She then informed the staff at Nb 15 CCS, where Christina had been working before falling ill.

This is all I have found on Christina Murdoch Wilson, other than the fact that she is listed on some websites as “OBE” and wears it on this picture. The circumstances of her being awarded this honor are yet unknown to me. I’ve put her name through the search engine of the Gazette but with no results.

M. 

Hi Marilyne

The OBE is I think a red herring as it was not instituted until 4th June 1917 some 14 months after Christina Murdoch Wilson died. This also rules out the above photo as being her & maybe the OBE has just appeared online as an assumption by others from this photo. The  OBE photo appears in her entry on the  Lives of the First World War website alongside another sourced from the Imperial War Museum which seems correct. Both photos were posted by the same user but as this is now closed for contributions I'm not sure this can now be corrected or the poster contacted ?

https://livesofthefirstworldwar.iwm.org.uk/lifestory/4972346

Find a grave also shows the correct photo.

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/56080996/christina-murdoch-wilson

 

You may already have this information but on ancestry there is a Scottish baptism of Christina Murdoch Wilson to Thomas Wilson & Agnes Park (no place or date given). The 1914 medal roll gives a contact as Miss A Wilson, 192 Hyndland Road Glasgow, presumably where the medals were sent & received in 1920.

Edited 9 August , 2023 by travers61

[Marilyne]

Hi all, 

Two members of the VAD from Wimereux for you today: 

Nita Madeleine King was the daughter of George and Lydia King of Cosham, a village next to Portsmouth. Nita served from 14th September 1916 until her death on the 25th May 1917. She worked in France as a cook. Born in 1887, she was 29 when she died, probably of illness. I have found nothing precise about her cause of death in the documentation available to me.

Margaret Evans was from Stamford, Linconshire and died on the 22nd July 1917 while serving at Nb 83 General Hospital in Boulogne.

She joined the  local VAD in 1911 and in 1914 started working at the Stamford infirmary. Her work was very well valued as she was said to possess an excellent character and doing an excellent job, according to her Red Cross card. In May 1915 she switched to nursing and joined the staff of Nb 4 Northern General Hospital before deploying to France in July 1916. 

What is interesting in her case is that the CWGC records list her as having died aged 39, which puts her birthdate in 1878. The BRC records however give her age of 40 at enlistment, in 1911, meaning she would have been born in 1871 or 72. this then signifies she would have been over 40 when crossing to France and about 46 years old when she died.

M.

[Marilyne]

On 09/08/2023 at 12:55, travers61 said:

Hi Marilyne

The OBE is I think a red herring as it was not instituted until 4th June 1917 some 14 months after Christina Murdoch Wilson died. This also rules out the above photo as being her & maybe the OBE has just appeared online as an assumption by others from this photo. The  OBE photo appears in her entry on the  Lives of the First World War website alongside another sourced from the Imperial War Museum which seems correct. Both photos were posted by the same user but as this is now closed for contributions I'm not sure this can now be corrected or the poster contacted ?

 

Thank you so much for this contribution! Shows again that there's more in a forum than in one head!! 

I must admit I visited the website listing the OBE and did not find her immediately but did not pay attention to the fact that the award did not exist in 1916. I just took the reference for granted... another lesson: always go back to original sources and X-Check everything!

Thanks again! 

M; 

[travers61]

8 hours ago, Marilyne said:

Nita Madeleine King was the daughter of George and Lydia King of Cosham, a village next to Portsmouth. Nita served from 14th September 1916 until her death on the 25th May 1917. She worked in France as a cook. Born in 1887, she was 29 when she died, probably of illness. I have found nothing precise about her cause of death in the documentation available to me.

 

Hi Marilyne

Hope I can help with your two latest postings. Margaret Ellen Evans to follow.

Nita King is listed on the Lee on the Solent War Memorial in Hampshire & a website to the names on that memorial says this about her death

Nita was based at Wimereux Bolgne Base, Pas-de-Calais. This was the site of a major tented hospital. Nita King died of cerebral spinal meningitis at this hospital on the 25th May 1917. She is buried at the Wimereux Communal Cemetery. 

https://leeonthesolentwarmemorial.webs.com/the-great-war-ww1

There was also a short report on her death in the Hampshire Telegraph of 1st June 1917 but I don't have a full subscription to view this on the BNA.

 

Travers

[travers61]

9 hours ago, Marilyne said:

Margaret Evans was from Stamford, Linconshire and died on the 22nd July 1917 while serving at Nb 83 General Hospital in Boulogne.

She joined the  local VAD in 1911 and in 1914 started working at the Stamford infirmary. Her work was very well valued as she was said to possess an excellent character and doing an excellent job, according to her Red Cross card. In May 1915 she switched to nursing and joined the staff of Nb 4 Northern General Hospital before deploying to France in July 1916. 

What is interesting in her case is that the CWGC records list her as having died aged 39, which puts her birthdate in 1878. The BRC records however give her age of 40 at enlistment, in 1911, meaning she would have been born in 1871 or 72. this then signifies she would have been over 40 when crossing to France and about 46 years old when she died.

M.

Hi Marilyne

I have checked what the Uk Censuses say about the age of Margaret Ellen Evans & it looks like the CWGC is correct, which I would maybe expect if they checked her details with the family before making the headstone.

From 1881 to 1911 she listed as 3,13,23 & 33, born in Stamford each time. This matches a birth registration in Stamford Jul-Sep 1877.  She was the sixth child of eight to her parents who married at Stamford in 1867 & none of the other daughters have names that could be confused with hers.  I can't think of any reason she would have needed to up her age at enlistment in the local VAD in 1911 as she was already 33 or 34 years old then.

There are no photos of her on public trees on ancestry, but two private trees say they have a photo. If a photo is required I am happy to ask these tree holders via the ancestry message service.

Her probate entry shows she died at 14 Stationary Hospital BEF.  Richard Gwynne Evans is her oldest brother & has seemingly followed his father"s profession of solicitor.

 

Travers

Edited 16 August , 2023 by travers61

[Marilyne]

@travers61thank you for the extra input. Good catch for the Lees Memorial Website... It was not once listed on my search results !! 

Thanks for your offer for the picture...i don't need one right now and anyhow, I'd rather work with open sources and openly available pictures if these exist ..; 

M.

 

[Marilyne]

Holiday's over, diving back into the work. 

I had lunch in Wimereux last week but did not hop into the cemetery to eventually try to make some better pics than I have of the graves... we were headed to Le Treport later in the week, that was enough WWI for Boyfriend! 

Starting today with Mrs Anna Elizabeth Whitely: 

Anna Elizabeth Whitely (without the "e" on the gravestone" was one of the eldest Canadian Nursing Sisters of the Great War. Born 22 January 1872 in Manvers County, Ontario, she was 46 years of age when she died in France. She received her nursing training in Cleveland, Ohio, and worked there for several years but her hometown was London, Ontario. She had a sister, Mrs. R.A. Anderson, listed as next of kin in her attestation papers, and a brother, who received her memorial plaque and scroll.

NS Whitely enlisted in May 1916 with Nb 10 Canadian Stationary Hospital, raised by Western University. The hospital left Halifax on 24th August 1916 aboard the Olympic and arrived in England five days later. Following a period of instruction, officers and other ranks were dispersed to various hospitals. Some unit personnel assumed the operation of Ravenscroft Military Hospital at Seaford, Sussex in November of 1916, and later also of All Saints Hospital, (renamed Canadian Military Hospital) in Eastbourne. With five sites, the hospital was then reorganized and established as Nb14 Canadian General Hospital. 

Anna Elizabeth Whitely was transferred to the Duchess of Connaught’s Canadian Red Cross Hospital in Taplow until rejoining Nb 10 Stationary in Seaford in November 1916. In January 1917, she had to quarantine for two weeks because of an outbreak of Cerebro-Spinal meningitis in the hospital. After a period of leave, Anna joined All Saints’ Hospital. In December 1917, Nb 14 General was handed over and Nb 10 stationary reformed as a single entity to deploy to France. The nurses were struck off strength for the duration of the move and remained in England while Nb 10 installed themselves in Calais, on a site by the Canal de Marck.

Anna rejoined her unit in Calais in March 1917 but on the 17th April, was admitted to Nb 14 General Hospital in Wimereux with severe abdominal pains. Her record show that she was labelled “dangerously ill” and that an abdominal tumor was discovered. Unfortunately nothing could be done and Nursing Sister Anna Elizabeth Whitely died at 12:10 pm, 21st April 1918. She was buried the next day. The war diary of her unit mentions that a company of Nursing Sisters and Other Ranks proceeded to No 14 GH, Wimereux, to attend the funeral of NS Whitely.

Next to her lies Alice Lancaster. That tragic story is for the next time! 

M.

 

 

Edited 3 September , 2023 by Marilyne

[Marilyne]

Hi all, 

I owe you Alice Lancaster's tragic story... 

Alice Hilda Lancaster was the youngest daughter of Thomas and A. H. Lancaster, of The Cliffe, Monk Bretton, Barnsley in Yorkshire. Thomas Lancaster was a well-off businessman, owner of Lancaster & Sons Auctioneers, Valuers and Share Brokers. Alice was named after her mother, who died in 1895, after an operation in Wakefield hospital.

In 1914 Alice started her military work at Landwood Military Hospital and on 2nd October joined the staff of Nb5 London General Hospital as a Special Military Probationer. In May 1918 she applied for a posting overseas. Upon her leaving, her matron gave her a splendid review, deeming her reliable, conscientious, "a value under trained supervision".  Found fit for service overseas, Alice crossed to France at the end of May and was posted at Nb 8 Stationary Hospital in Wimereux.

One week later, she decided to go for a swim after her duty. She and her colleague were caught in some undercurrent and unfortunately, Alice drowned. Her body was found some days later and she was laid to rest in Wimereux. 

Faced with the accident, DDMS Boulogne asked for a Court of Enquiry, before which two persons gave testimony. This took place on the 16th June 1918, for the purpose of reporting upon the accidental death by drowning of Miss Alice Hilda Lancaster.  Miss K. E. Wigam., who was in the water with Alice reported how they went to bathe on the shores opposite Nb 14 Stationary compound: after entering the water, we spent about 10 minutes bathing in own depth when we commenced wading out. We were close together. We were swimming for about a minute when we felt strong current pulling us and we felt we were rapidly leaving the shore. We then immediately commenced to try to get back. We were about 10 yards apart at that time. The moment I turned I felt a strong current against me and I struck out with all my strength. Miss Wigan made it back to the shore and then looked back to Alice who was 20 yards behind. At that moment I saw her throw up her hands and disappear there was a strong wind blowing all the time I do not think she could hear me calling her. The second witness was captain Hopwood, RAMC, who was on the beach at the time. He saw a crowd assembling on the beach, was told a VAD had disappeared into the water and quickly took out a boat. But the boat leaked like a sieve and so they were obliged to return. 

The court of enquiry concluded that Miss Lancaster accidentally drowned, having become exhausted in her endeavour to get back to the shore.

 

[Marilyne]

While I'm at it, I'll also give you Staff Nurse Jessie Olive Hockey. 

Jessie Olive Hockey was the daughter of James Temlitte Hockey and Martha Ann Hockey, of Cape Province, South Africa. She trained in South Africa and was part of the S.A.M.N.S.. In December, 1916, a contingent of 25 S.A.M.N.S. Nurses were sent to France to be attached to the Q.A.I.M.N.S. Reserve for service in British Units. They received the pay and allowances of the Reserve and were under its regulations, but they were permitted to continue wearing the uniform of the S.A.M.N.S. . Jessie was one of these nurses. 
She arrived in England on the 27th November 1916 and was posted to Queen Mary’s Hospital, Bedford Place. A month later she sailed to France, to Nb 2 GH in Le Havre. On the 11th May 1917, Jessie was admitted to the hospital with cerebro-spinal meningitis. The Matron-in-Chief was of course duly informed. Jessie was ill for a few weeks but seemed to recover and improved enough to warrant a convalescence period in England. On the 8th August it was decided to transfer her to Abbeville and wait for a transfer possibility to England. On the 9th, Miss McCarthy "Called at 2 Stationary Annexe to see Staff Nurse O. Hockey, Cerebro Spinal Meningitis case, after her journey from Havre. Found her still very weak and ill, but non-infectious – 3 Negative tests having been obtained". 
On the 11th May, Jessie was transferred to Nb 14 GH but on the 13th, a positive diagnosis came back for meningitis. The relapse would prove fatal and she died on the 14th. The funeral was arranged to take place the next day .