J T Gray Posted 7 March , 2005 Share Posted 7 March , 2005 Apparently one of my great-aunts was in "Lady Londonderry's Army" during WW1. I have only ever come across a single one-line reference to it in any book, and Google is silent on the subject. Mind you, the Ebay sponsored link Google throws up is quite alarming... Can anyone tell me any more? Adrian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terry_Reeves Posted 7 March , 2005 Share Posted 7 March , 2005 Adrian Her "Army" was the Women's Legion. The Army Council authorised its formation , after much reluctance, in April 1915, initially allowing women to be employed in Britain as cooks and waitresses and a little later, ambulance drivers. The WL was the brainchild of Edith, Lady Londonderry who was also its Commandant. The Legion received official recognition in February 1916 and was to become the largest of all the purely voluntary organisations , with around 6,000 members. Terry Reeves Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Desmond7 Posted 7 March , 2005 Share Posted 7 March , 2005 See article on 'Long Long Trail' about 'Women's Legion' plus see below At the age of twenty-one, Edith Chaplin married one of the most eligible bachelors of the day, the eldest son of the sixth Marquess of Londonderry. Her husband served in the Ulster cabinet and was Air Minister in the National Government of 1934-5. Edith founded the Women's Legion during the First World War and was also an early campaigner for women's suffrage. She created the renowned Mount Stewart Gardens in County Down that are now owned by the National Trust. All her life, Edith remained at the heart of politics both in Westminster and Ireland. She is perhaps best known for her role as 'society's queen' - a hostess to the rich and famous. Her close circle of friends included Winston Churchill, Lady Astor, Neville Chamberlain and Harold Macmillan who congregated in her salon, known as 'The Ark'. Other members included artists and writers such as John Buchan, Sean O'Casey. Britain's first Labour prime minister, Ramsey MacDonald, became romantically obsessed by her. And check with Public records office Northern Ireland Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J T Gray Posted 8 March , 2005 Author Share Posted 8 March , 2005 Thank you very much, gentlemen, that gives me something to start from now! Did the Women's Legion have a uniform? I have a photo of her in what looks to be a khaki uniform (OK, it's hard to tell in B&W but it seems to have that sort of tone) with a big hat. I'll have to dig it out. If they drove ambulances and the like that sounds like Aunt Vic - I know she was in a VAD nursing corps, married a former ambulance driver in 1919, and apparently also worked in amunitions factory! She seems to have done it all. By all accounts she was a very small very fierce bundle of tartan energy - about as stoppable as the Kaiserschlacht... Adrian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
larneman Posted 8 March , 2005 Share Posted 8 March , 2005 Attached is a photograph of Edith, Lady Londonderry,wife of the 7th Marquess, as Commandant of the Women's Legion. The sixth Marquess of Londonderry died in 1915. You can compare the uniform.? Liam Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhilB Posted 8 March , 2005 Share Posted 8 March , 2005 Would this be their badge? It`s from:- http://images.google.co.uk/imgres?imgurl=h...6lr%3D%26sa%3DG Phil B Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J T Gray Posted 8 March , 2005 Author Share Posted 8 March , 2005 We shall see, gents. I doubt that the scan will be able to pick out the badge for a clear ID, but just as soon as I find the *&^% picture... Adrian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sue Light Posted 8 March , 2005 Share Posted 8 March , 2005 Adrian Here's a picture of a fine looking woman of the Women's Legion I think perhaps they wore different uniforms according to which branch they belonged - e.g. the canteen section would be different to the agricultural section. Sue Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sue Light Posted 8 March , 2005 Share Posted 8 March , 2005 And she's wearing ear-rings and a chunky bracelet. Whatever next! Sue Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terry_Reeves Posted 8 March , 2005 Share Posted 8 March , 2005 ....but when you are the Commandant and a Marchioness.... Terry Reeves Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sue Light Posted 8 March , 2005 Share Posted 8 March , 2005 Oooohhh..... is that her ladyship? The picture is actually titled: 'Member of the Canteen Section, circa 1918' For goodness sake don't mention it next time you have dinner Sue Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
royalredcross Posted 9 March , 2005 Share Posted 9 March , 2005 The badge is indeed that of the Women's Legion. It was known as "the lady with the frying pan", though she is really holding a wreath. There were a number of different branches in the WL and they all wore the same uniform, but with different colour shoulder straps to indicate branch. The Cookery Branch eventually became the nucleus of the newly formed Women's Army Auxiliary Corps (later Queen Mary's AAC), some 10, 000 of which served overseas. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhilB Posted 9 March , 2005 Share Posted 9 March , 2005 I thought she was holding a tennis racket and that it wasn`t really the WL badge! That`s why I quoted the source, which I thought might be wrong. Phil B Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
larneman Posted 9 March , 2005 Share Posted 9 March , 2005 ....but when you are the Commandant and a Marchioness.... That lady is too old to be the 7th Marchioness, the Commandant and too young to be the 6th Marchioness, her mother-in-law. Liam Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sue Light Posted 9 March , 2005 Share Posted 9 March , 2005 That lady is too old to be the 7th Marchioness, the Commandant and too young to be the 6th Marchioness, her mother-in-law. Liam I've no idea if it's her or not, but I would think it's entirely likely it could be Edith Chaplin [7th Marchioness] on age. She was born on December 3rd 1879, and so would have been 39 years old in 1918. There's a comparatively young face looking out from under that hat. Sue Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
larneman Posted 9 March , 2005 Share Posted 9 March , 2005 Thanks Sue, I had her down as 25 in 1915 but you are right it would have been 35. Above that picture I had posted a picture of her in her Commandants uniform. source PRONI Here is a drawing of her. I never could guess a ladies/girls age. Liam Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhilB Posted 9 March , 2005 Share Posted 9 March , 2005 I never could guess a ladies/girls age. Liam It`s usually safe to grossly underestimate. With women flattery laid on with a trowel ALWAYS works. They say they can see through it, but it still works. Naturally, I`m leaving my name off this post! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J T Gray Posted 25 March , 2005 Author Share Posted 25 March , 2005 Well, this is my first experience of Forum MkII - I rushed in in a mad rush before I went on holiday to add my scanned pics of Aunt Vic and it was down due to move in progress... hence the delay! Anyway, the big picture is the lady herself. The photographer has very cunningly positioned her so that her shoulder titles are half-obscured and the brim of her hat is over most of the badge. However as the shoulder title ends in L I suspect it's a Women's Legion one. I have attached closeups of what little is visible of said badges. Over to you folks... Thanks for all the info so far, by the way! Adrian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swizz Posted 2 April , 2005 Share Posted 2 April , 2005 If you're interested in women's war work in Ireland, there's a chapter on the subject in 'Ireland and the Great War: 'A war to unite us all'?, edited by Adrian Gregory and Senia Paseta: http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0...4899068-6111005 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J T Gray Posted 4 April , 2005 Author Share Posted 4 April , 2005 Swizz, I think the Londonderry bit is a misnomer - it's this habit the aristocracy have of having one title and living somewhere else! For example Lord Caernavon - family seat is on the Berks Hants border, Carnarfon (as now spelt) is hundreds of miles away in Wales! As far as I know Aunt Vic was never in Ireland, but if anyone knows anything about Lady Londonderry's oings (or not) in Ireland....... Adrian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frank_East Posted 6 April , 2005 Share Posted 6 April , 2005 See article on 'Long Long Trail' about 'Women's Legion' plus see below At the age of twenty-one, Edith Chaplin married one of the most eligible bachelors of the day, the eldest son of the sixth Marquess of Londonderry. Her husband served in the Ulster cabinet and was Air Minister in the National Government of 1934-5. Edith founded the Women's Legion during the First World War and was also an early campaigner for women's suffrage. She created the renowned Mount Stewart Gardens in County Down that are now owned by the National Trust. All her life, Edith remained at the heart of politics both in Westminster and Ireland. She is perhaps best known for her role as 'society's queen' - a hostess to the rich and famous. Her close circle of friends included Winston Churchill, Lady Astor, Neville Chamberlain and Harold Macmillan who congregated in her salon, known as 'The Ark'. Other members included artists and writers such as John Buchan, Sean O'Casey. Britain's first Labour prime minister, Ramsey MacDonald, became romantically obsessed by her. And check with Public records office Northern Ireland <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Good account of the Londonderry family, Des 7 and further: The Rt Hon.The Marquess of Londonderry, K.G P.C was otherwise Sir Charles Stewart Henry Vane-Tempest-Stewart who married Edith in 1899. The family wealth came from the North East where Londonderry was a leading Coal Owner.His posts included Chairman of Londonderry Collieries Ltd and Seaham Harbour Dock Company.These were the days when coal was king and Coal Owners generated their family wealth. Not completely associated with the city of Londonderry his addresses included: Londonderry House,Park Lane, London. Wynyard Park, Stockton on Tees, County Durham. Mountstewart,Newtownards,County Down I am not surprised that Harold Macmillan was a close friend from government and political circles as Macmillam first entered Parliament as the MP for Stockton on Tees.Londonderry's experience in British politicals resulted in a degree of influence within the Europe of the 1930s.He would have been seen as a ally to be cultivated by those abroad. Londonderry will go down in history as an admirer of Hitler and as an appeaser.How deep he was involved in the Anglo-German Association I do not know but he knew Ribbentrop so well that Ribbentrop tried to get him to give evidence on his behalf at Nurnberg to the the fact that Ribbentrop was a peace loving soul.The Allied Powers prevented attendance at Nurnberg but eminent gentlemen (there were a number so listed) were allowed to answer defence interrogatories.The questions were forwarded to these eminent gentlemen and the answers were returned to the Nurnberg trial defence. Londonderry caused a minor upset in the Foreign Office when he claimed notary expenses of £5 16 shillings, being the fee he was charged for the notary witnessing his signature.History records that the Foriegn Office reluntantly paid up on the grounds that Londonderry was to old and ill to attend the notary's office in person but this concession should not establish a precedent. A book has recently been published about Londonderry and his role in the 1930s Anglo German relationship,the title of which escapes me. Sorry for drifting to the 1930s Regards Frank East Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hedley Malloch Posted 6 April , 2005 Share Posted 6 April , 2005 The Londonderry family were one of the biggest coal families in the north-east of England. By that I don't mean that they were numerous and that they got up at 06h00 to go and do a 13-hour stint at the coal-face for nuppence a ton. Rather they owned many coal mines and they employed people to carry out the main activities on the aforementioned job description. Such was the esteem and love felt for the family by the ordinary Durham miner that during the 1926 General Strike it was necessary to post a police guard on the statue of the 4th Marquess of that ilk in Durham city centre The family seat was Wynyard Hall, near Stockton-on-Tees, now the home of Sir John Hall. Kevin Keegan lived there whilst manager of NUFC. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Desmond7 Posted 6 April , 2005 Share Posted 6 April , 2005 You can visit Mount Stewart ... anyone who is visiting NI should do so if they get the chance. Beautiful in summer. Great for house tours .. packed with history nor do they ignore the Nazi connections. Suffice to say the family were mega-mega-rich. In sharp contrast, the Ulster Folk and Transport Museum is just down the road .. so you can see how the other 95% lived! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swizz Posted 14 April , 2005 Share Posted 14 April , 2005 Books on Lord Londonderry: Ian Kershaw's one: http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/1...4899068-6111005 And another forthcoming one based on this guy's PhD: http://www.qub.ac.uk/schools/SchoolofHisto.../DrNeilFleming/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
7:29am Posted 2 May , 2005 Share Posted 2 May , 2005 Here are some photos of some badges i have in my collection took me ages to get them id'd, but the forum cracked it for me.!! Cheers Jim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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