H.M.H.S. DELTA & A/Matron Amy Elizabeth Holmes

[ZeZe]

Hi,

Timeline for H.M.H.S. DELTA. Haven’t been able to find many of the nurses – I believe 12 (including Matron) would have been her normal compliment.

On the H.S. Britannic posting I mentioned coming across another woman who served in three conflicts. Amy Elizabeth Holmes nursed in Spanish-American War (1898), the Boer War & The Great War. She was laid to rest in the Arlington National Cemetery U.S.A. but surprisingly Amy doesn't appear to be mentioned online and her services have been forgotten.

Born 1870? Sheffield. (best match, if correct, she was living with her brother Edward’s family in Sheffield, 1911 Census)

Amy's British military nursing career from the NA file WO 399/3939:

Joined the Army Nursing Service Reserve, posted to Aldershot from 8th June 1900 to 20th August 1900. South Africa from 21st August 1900, arriving ‘Home’ on “Plassy” 9th June 1904, granted leave. Posted to Devonport 1st September 1904 to 6th October 1906, to Caterham 25th October 1906 until her engagement terminated on 26th June 1907.

On the outbreak of war, Amy Holmes wrote a letter dated 14^th August 1914 from New York to Q.A.I.M.N.S. offering her services. The letter is no longer in the file but the reply from Matron-in-Chief E.H. Beecher is: ‘…. thank you for your offer of service, and in reply to inform you that if you returned to this country at your own risk and charges, no promise could be given of employment.’ This didn’t put off Amy, she reported her arrival from America to the War Office in February 1915.

Amy’s first posting, 26th March 1915, was as A/Matron on H.M.H.S. Delta. It is likely that she transferred to a land posting in Egypt before Delta sailed to East Africa in the summer of 1916. Her last posting abroad was A/Matron, Military Hospital (Infectious), Choubra, Cairo. She then returned to England in March 1918 and following a period of leave was posted to Stoke War Hospital. She served there from April till resigning from the service in June 1918.

Amy Elizabeth Holmes died in New York City on the 23rd February 1922 and was buried in the Nurses Section of the Arlington National Cemetery.

* * * * *

Transcript of the obituary cutting sent to Q.A.I.M.N.S. by Amy's sister, Miss Helen Holmes, who was living in Lenox, Mass. U.S.A.

Miss A. E. Holmes 

Body of Prominent War Nurse Rests at Arlington Cemetery.

"The Red Cross Courier" (Official Organ American Red Cross.)

With Military honors, the body of Miss Amy Elizabeth Holmes, a Red Cross Nurse, was buried last Saturday in the National Cemetery at Arlington. Funeral services had been held the preceeding afternoon in Grace Church chantry, New York City where Miss Holmes death had occured.

Miss Holmes was born in Sheffield, England, but came to the United States in her youth and was a graduate of the New York Hospital Training School, class of 1896. Her professional career was a gallant record of services to her native land and to the country of her adoption, she having served in the Boer War, with the British forces; in the Spanish-American War in the Phillipines; with the A.E.F. during the World War, and later with the English army in Egypt. After the armistance she assissted in the Paris office of the American Red Cross Nursing Service. She was personally decorated by King George for her brave and gallant services on Hospital Ships and in Egypt.

For two years immeadiatly preceeding her death Miss Holmes had been the superintendant of the Hartford Orphan Asylum, Hartford, Conn., and in the exercise of her duties there had shown the same courage and self-sacrifice in carrying on, though suffering from an incurable disease, that she had again and again displayed during her military career.

The Red Cross Nursing Service was represented at the funeral Saturday by Miss Clara D Noyes, director and Miss Ida ...(partially obscured)... By request... (partially obscured)... a Red Cross flag was .. (partially obscured).

* * * * *

Link to Amy’s grave site – it would be interesting to know what is recorded on the headstone:

https://ancexplorer.army.mil/publicwmv/index.html#/search-all/results/1/CgZob2xtZXMSA2FteQ--/

Amy Holmes R.R.C. 1^st Class: https://rcnarchive.rcn.org.uk/volumes/60/Volume%2060%20Page%20380

Delta Medical Staff 1915, A/Matron A. E. Holmes in dark cape, 3rd from left / 2nd row?: https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/C2106040

Agnes Stephenson: https://nam.recollect.co.nz/nodes/view/5112

Major Siberry: https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/C2106043

Vincent Sutherland Hodson medals:

https://www.the-saleroom.com/en-gb/auction-catalogues/bosleys-military-auctioneers/catalogue-id-srbos10015/lot-9b3bbfbd-8dc0-4c92-b452-a6aa00a76db6#lotDetails

I haven’t been able to check N.Z.A.N.S. S/Nurse, Agnes STEPHENSON period on board Delta as her file is unavailable at present.

Anna Margarette CAMERON, a diary or letters of her’s exist. A full transcript does not appear to be online – does anyone know more about these documents? Excerpt here:  https://www.wartimememoriesproject.com/greatwar/ships/view.php?pid=3455

Regards ZeZe

 

Edited 2 February , 2023 by ZeZe

[alf mcm]

ZeZe,

  You can find a clear photo of Amy's gravestone on Findagrave. It says she was a U.S. Army nurse.

Regards,

Alf McM

[ZeZe]

Hi Alf,

Thanks for the info – I had hoped for some more details on the headstone. I see 1870 is the DOB on the Findagrave record.

regards ZeZe

Edited 2 February , 2023 by ZeZe

[alf mcm]

ZeZe,

    This interesting article in the Sydenham, Forrest Hill and Penge Gazette of 6th August 1937 gave some Delta nurses names. It's amazing that 5 of them could be at the same place more than 20 years after serving on Delta.

Image courtesey Findmypast/British Newspaper Archive.

Elizabeth Mabel BICKERDIKE - 'Delta' from 26/03/15 to 16/05/16 - WO 399/610. A pre war nurse, her file is 200 pages long, but record of service is on page 186.

Sarah Elizabeth WHITTLE - 'Delta' from 23/06/15 to 21/04/16 - WO 399/8940.

Elixabeth Ellen COOK - You already have details.

Sister GREEN - could not identify, but presumably served from 26/03/15.

Jean Gordon PARFITT - 'Delta' from 26/03/15 to 29/02/16 - WO 399/8782 {Jean WATT}.

Regards,

Alf McM

[ZeZe]

Hi Alf,

That is interesting, I knew that I was short of nurses who served in the Gallipoli period. Is your reading of the article that the nurses had all stayed in touch and the coincidence was meeting the Reverend at the garden fete? (best match from a quick search of MIC’s, the Padre was Henry Stirling MARSHALL). I have the impression Delta was a happy hospital ship.

Florence Elizabeth GREEN WO 399/3304, served Delta 26.03.15 to ?? Her file has few service details other than “Delta” & Egypt but Amy E Holmes is the witness of her signing two service contracts, one dated 26.01.16. and again on 23.07.17.

Incidently after the war she worked in hospitals at New Cross & Fulham – not too far from Sydenham & Forest Hill and wasn’t best pleased when her name was removed from the Reserve list in 1935 due to her age being 55.

Regards ZeZe

Edited 4 February , 2023 by ZeZe
Added Sister Green info.

[alf mcm]

ZeZe,

  Thanks for finding Nurse Green.

 Annie Margarette 'Ettie' CAMERON's letters were in South Kensington War Museum according to an obituary in the Nursing Times in 1932, possibly under her married name of FRITH.  https://go.gale.com/ps/retrieve.do?tabID=Newspapers&resultListType=RESULT_LIST&searchResultsType=SingleTab&hitCount=5&searchType=BasicSearchForm&currentPosition=4&docId=GALE|NVEAYT705232676&docType=Obituary&sort=Relevance&contentSegment=ZWSW&prodId=WMNS&pageNum=1&contentSet=GALE|NVEAYT705232676&searchId=R2&userGroupName=rcnur&inPS=true

Regards,

Alf McM

[alf mcm]

ZeZe,

 Perhaps the 'Delta' nurses had an annual re-union.

I have looked again at the photo mentioned in your third link on post #1.

  I think Amy Elizabeth HOLMES is the nurse sitting to the right of the nurse with the dark cape as you view the photo}.  The dark cape is actually scarlet, and denotes a QAIMNS nurse. All other nurses in the photo are QAIMNSR. Amy is positioned right in the centre of the picture and is wearing her medal ribbons on her cape. The nurse to the right of Amy also wearing her medal ribbons. The nurse in the scarlet cape is probably Elizabrth Mabel BICKERDIKE. She had originally been QAIMNS before resigning for the first time. In about February 1915 QAIMNS nurses who had retired and then re-joined in the QAIMNSR were allowed to wear their scarlet capes. Interestingly, Elizabeth's 1914-15 Star is listed on the QAIMNS medal roll, not QAIMNSR. You can just about see a medal ribbon on the scarlet cape. We now know the names of 10 of the original Delta nurses, so now need 2 QAIMNSR nurses to complete the 12 shown in the picture.

Regards,

Alf McM

Edited 5 February , 2023 by alf mcm
Completely revised after finding more information

[ZeZe]

Hi Alf,

I didn’t know about the colouring of the capes. 10 out of 12 after 100 years is not bad, but there may have been only ten to start with as in July 1915 Clieve & Stephenson joined and no one dropped out (info in the file Bell – O’Connell was a straight swap).

I tried to find more info for Amy E Holmes & the Spanish-American War. The nurses data cards are not yet digitised but a record for Amy exists:

https://catalog.archives.gov/id/215441323

Just for interest – photos of the volunteer American nurses, 1898.

https://collections.nlm.nih.gov/?f%5Bdrep2.format%5D%5B%5D=&q=Spanish%2BAmerican%2BWar%2BNurses

Amy Elizabeth Holmes, QSA Roll WO 100/229 p28; No3 General Hospital, Kroonstad.

Biography of Elizabeth Mabel Bickerdike (with a photo when she was a lot younger): https://britisharmynurses.com/bickerdike-elizabeth-mabel/

Jean Gordon Watt’s wedding announcement to Lewis Parfitt 1916: Newspaper: Aberdeen Press and Journal, Saturday 29 April 1916 – at Streatham, Rev. Stirling Marshall.

Regards ZeZe

Forgot to add this:

In the letter Florence Green wrote regarding being removed from the Reserve list she says ‘… some of my Old Army Colleagues, who have said it must be a mistake as they are still in the Reserve, and are ?? older than I.’

She also mentions being a member of the “Lest-we-Forget” Association, for Ex-Service men and women where she helped with the ‘teas and entertainments that are given each month at the Assembly Rooms, Surbiton'. Perhaps they were all members.

 

Edited 6 February , 2023 by ZeZe

[alf mcm]

ZeZe,

   I have another 3 nurses;-

26/03/15 Staff Nurse Annie BUCKLEY - WO 399/1094

13/09/15 Staff Nurse E. EVANS {no file identified yet}

26/03/15 Staff Nurse Winifred PHILLIPS - WO 399/6641

  This means we now have the 12 original nurses, although I haven't been able to go through the files mentioned above. Details taken from 1914-18 Medal Rolls.

Regards,

Alf McM

[ZeZe]

Hi Alf,

That’s really good to find three more ‘Delta’ nurses. I have downloaded the Buckley & Phillips files and read through quickly and will post a revised timeline in due course. I too cannot find an E. Evans match. It may be coincidence but Elizabeth EVANS (WO 399/2571), listed on the H.M.H.S. Galeka spreadsheet, served on that hospital ship from 13th September 1915. I’ve been back to her file to check and she confirms the date and 'Galeka' in a hand written letter. Did the person completing the Medal Roll make an error with the ships name?

Re. medal ribbon bars in the photo. The nurses on ‘Delta’ born before 1880.

Amy Elizabeth Holmes – best match 1870. Served Boer War.

Sarah Elizabeth Whittle – best match 2nd qtr, 1871. ANSR 1901 – no mention of going to South Africa.

Sarah Annie Boneham – best match 3rd qtr 1873. Served Boer War.

Elizabeth Mabel Bickerdike dob 14.12.1873. Served Boer War.

Ellen Elizabeth Cook dob 20.08.1875.

Florence Elizabeth Green dob 21.07.1879.

Regards ZeZe

 

[alf mcm]

ZeZe,

  I think you are right about Elizabeth Evans being a mistake, there must have been a clerical error.

  The nurse to the right of Amy HOLMES is Sarah Annie BONEHAM. There is a portrait photo of her on an Ancestry family tree which confirms this is her. I reckon the 6 nurse mentioned in your post plus one other {the next oldest!} are sitting in the back row, with the 'youngsters' sitting on the deck. What do you think?

Regards,

Alf McM

[alf mcm]

ZeZe,

  The officer standing behind Amy HOLMES is Major Edward William SIBERRY. This is confirmed by the photo on one of your links on #1. His MIC shows that he was later promoted to Lieutenant Colonel on 26th December 1917and took command of 42 General Hospital. The war diary for 42 G.H. will show when he took over, giving you an end date for when he left 'Delta'. His service on 'Delta' is shown as 26/04/15 on his MIC, but the first nurses appear to have embarked on 26/03/15. Perhaps this is another clerical error?

  Reverend Henry Stirling MARSHALL didn't join 'Delta' until 11/06/15. There are no chaplains in the photo, so this gives a possible latest date for it to be taken.

  Vincent Sutherland HODSON is recorded in a medical directory serving with the M.E.F. in 1915 only.

  My guess is that the photo was taken on or just after 26/03/15, and EW SIBERRY's date is an error.

Regards,

Alf McM

Edited 8 February , 2023 by alf mcm

[alf mcm]

ZeZe,

   I have been in contact with an ancestor of Elizabeth Mabel BICKERDIKE, her grandfather and Mabel were first cousins, and she has given me permission to include Mabel's poem 'Gallipoli'. She was always known in the family as 'Mabel'. The original of this poem is in the Imperial War Museum.

 

It's a great poem, written the year before Mabel died.

There is also this photo of Mabel apparently wearing her medal for service in South Africa. Perhaps the image has been mirrotred?

 

Regards,

Alf McM

Edited 9 February , 2023 by alf mcm

[ZeZe]

Hi Alf,

I thought Elizabeth Mabel Bickerdike’s poem was very moving. It also contains many details which makes it so interesting. I notice it confirms the Chaplain’s joined later – as you say, after the photo was taken. On the heading of the poem E M Birkerdike notes the date as April 25th 1915, presumably the date of Delta's first sailing to Gallipoli. I'm not sure if Major Siberry joined in England or for the voyage at Alexandria.

Updated timeline.

I think I’ve added everybody & have also amended Marjorie Pearson’s joining date. Annie Buckley was operated upon for a strangulated hernia on 26th May, Pearson was her temporary replacement, on 12th June Major Siberry asked for her to be made permanent as ‘the nursing duties are very heavy and Miss Buckley will not be fit for such heavy work for months to come’.

To me the medal ribbon in the photo looks like the Q.A.I.M.N.S.R. tippett, the circular silver disc with the R in the center just showing.

Regards ZeZe

Edited 9 February , 2023 by ZeZe

[alf mcm]

Hello ZeZe,

  Mabel Bickerdike's poem is very good, and as you say, full of detail. 

  Your timeline is looking very good now. It would be great if we knew when Amy Holmes left. 

  I've managed to enlarge the group photo and looked at it again. There does seem to be something on Mabel Bickerdike's cape, possibly the QAIMNSR service badge, though it should be in silver and show up, but maybe just a trick of the light.

  The uniforms are a bit odd in that none of the nurses are wearing their QAIMNSR service badge. Also none of the Sisters are wearing the red bands around their lower sleeves. Staff Nurses didn't have anything on their lower sleeve. Maud McCarthy notes that Acting Matrons were to have red cuffs, and Acting Sisters to have 2 cuff rings, like permanent sisters.

  It could be that the uniforms had just been issued and badges and cuff rank were not available. This would imply that the photo was taken very near to 26th March 1915. This article by Sue Light explains the uniforms. Identifying Uniform - Scarlet Finders

Regaards,

Alf McM

[ZeZe]

Hi Alf,

Without going through all the files again the last recorded date for Amy Holmes as A/Matron ‘Delta’ could be in Jean Watt’s file, counter-signing her claim for gratuity dated 24.03.16. Cannot remember seeing a latter date but it would be easy to miss. My money is on Amy transferring at Alexandria from Delta around 16th May 1916.

(By the medal ribbon in photo I meant Mabel's portrait in the poem posting)

Added the names to the group photo (image courtesy Australian War Memorial as per link in first posting) - hope I have your interpretation of who's who correct.

Regards ZeZe

Edited 9 February , 2023 by ZeZe
Adding Delta Staff photo

[alf mcm]

Hello ZeZe,

  You are right about the 'medal' , it is the QAIMNS service badge. I mistook the ribbon as that for the South Africa Medal.

The names look good on the photo. Perhaps more photos will turn up in family trees.

Regards,

Alf McM

 

Edited 10 February , 2023 by alf mcm

[alf mcm]

ZeZe,

   I was reading about the medical services at the siege of Tsingtao, China in 1914 in the Official History of the Great War, Medical Services, volume 1. The British contribution was a battalion each of 2^nd South Wales Borderers and 36^th Sikhs, plus supporting units. The British were assisting their Japanese allies against the Germans.

   All British medical units were under the administrative control of Major James Andrew HARTIGAN R.A.M.C., brother of Helena Mary HARTIGAN {Kalyan}.

   The Hospital Carrier ‘DELTA’ arrived soon after the British had commenced operations. According to the O.H. it had ‘a large staff of medical officers, nursing sisters, and male sick attendants’. DELTA was subsequently used as a floating hospital. It made 3 trips to the hospital at Wei-Hai-Wei.

  I have only been able to find 1 nursing sister serving on the DELTA, and she was a naval nurse, QARNNS Nursing Sister Edith Margaret BAMFORD {ADM 104/161/39}. Edith first arrived at the Royal Naval Hospital in Hong Kong on 31/10/11 and embarked for duty on the Delta on 01/10/14. She remained on the ship until 16/11/14, when she was returned to the hospital in Hong Kong. The 2 other nurses at Hong Kong were QARNNS Superintending Sister Nita COURTICE {ADM 104/161/71}, and QARNNS Nursing Sister Mabel Charlotte Rosalie BERE {ADM 104/161/82}. All 3 nurses left Hong Kong {without replacements} aboard the S.S. SARDINIA.

  It is unusual to find only 1 naval nurse on a hospital ship, and since Edith was the only naval nurse ever to serve on DELTA, she would have had to serve with army nurses. This also was unusual. I have been unable to find out who the other nurses were. I assume they were British, but could be Australian.

Regards,

Alf McM

 

[ZeZe]

Hi Alf,

My thoughts are like yours – that it would be surprising if the nurses were not all QARNNS.

ADM-104-92 page 593 has the details of the Medical Officers on board Delta in the period and also three notes. My reading of the document is:

H. L. PENNY Fleet Surgeon

T. S. BLUNT Staff Surgeon

W. A. S. DUCK Surgeon

A. FAIRLEY Surgeon

Also three French Surgeons – were some of the nurses French?

M. PLAYE´

M. LARNQUE

M. MARZERES

G. F. B. PAGE & L. MOSS joined Delta on 04.12.14 for passage home.

The best I can do with the three notes:

‘as to handing over to Japanese Govt thro? difficulty of service re [See ? DQ? 26/9 (D.G. approves) apply Bd.’

‘Ship no longer required by Jap. Govt. mr? On Stn: as to desp? Directs her to P.P. 14/11/14’

‘Sailed for England 4/12/14’

I think this is the relevant crew list: https://1915crewlists.rmg.co.uk/document/198135#&gid=1&pid=2

Regards ZeZe

Edited 25 February , 2023 by ZeZe

[alf mcm]

ZeZe,

  Hadn't thought to look at ADM-104-92.

From ‘Surgeons of the Royal Navy in the First World War’ by Simon Jonathan Eyre;

Fleet Surgeon Herbert Lloyd PENNY – HMHS CHINA 1916-17

Staff SurgeonThomas Edward BLUNT

Surgeon William Agar Scholefield DUCK

Surgeon Archibald FAIRLEY

Surgeon George Forster Braithwaite PAGE

Surgeon Lovel MOSS

 

  Don’t have anything on French doctors. Their inclusion is unusual. The French military didn’t have a nursing service like the British. It’s extremely unlikely they had any naval nurses.

  The second comment could be;- Ship no longer required by Jap. Govt. mt [maintain] on station. As to disposal DG directs her to P.O. [pay off i.e. transfer back to British Government?] 14/11/14.

Te crew list is interesting.

Regards,

Alf McM

Edited 26 February , 2023 by alf mcm

[alf mcm]

 

 

 

 

ZeZe,

Thanks to MerchantOldSalt's posting of the Navy Lists, and searching of other Navy Lists, we have more nurses

 

QARNNS Nursing Sister Anne Eliza HARTLEY-JONES - {ADM 104/161 page 33} {Sept. & Oct. 1914 Navy List}

QARNNS Nursing Sister Olive Kathleen ROWLATT - {ADM 104/161 page 88} {Sept. & Oct. 1914 Navy List}

QARNNS Nursing Sister Annie Muriel FRANK – {ADM 104/161 page 97} {Sept. & Oct. 1914 Navy List}

QARNNS Nursing Sister Charlotte Amy CLARKE - {ADM 104/161 pages 89 & 101} {Sept. & Oct. 1914 Navy List}

QARNNS Nursing Sister Edith M. BAMFORD {Jan. 1915 Navy List}

Nursing Sister Violet C. HUMPHREYS {Jan. 1915 Navy List}

 

 

For the first 4 named nurses the following note is in each of their QARNNS records;-

Left Plymouth on 8^th August 1914 on board ‘MOOLTAN’ bound for an Australian Hospital ship, which they boarded on 25^th September. On the next day they apparently boarded the ‘OTWAY’ for passage back to Plymouth. The 4 nurses eventually arrived at Plymouth on 6^th November 1914.

There is an identical comment in the margin of each of these nurses records;-

‘Sent out for Australian Hosp. Ship. Services not reqd. & sent home in ‘Otway’.

Edith BAMFORD is mentioned in a previous post.

I have no record of Violet C. HUMPHREYS being a QARNNS or QARNNSR nurse.

  It seems logical that the first 4 nurses left Plymouth on the ‘MOOLTAN’ but were soon transferred to the ‘DELTA’. For the reverse journey they were transferred to the ‘OTWAY’, but only after they had served at Tsingtao {perhaps during same dates as for Edith BAMFORD}. This does’nt quite tie in with what is on their records but I can’t think of any other explanation. What do you think?

September 1914 Navy List was corrected to 18^th August 1914.

October 1914 Navy List was corrected to 18^th September 1914.

December 1914 Navy List was corrected to 18^th November 1914.

January 1915 Navy List was corrected to 18^th December 1914.

 

Regards,

Alf McM

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited 5 March , 2023 by alf mcm
Navy list date revised

[horatio2]

25 minutes ago, alf mcm said:

December 1914 Navy List was corrected to 18^thDecember 1914.

Correction - 18 November 1914.

[ZeZe]

Hi Alf,

I did have a quick check & noticed the four nurse records all having the ref ‘Otway’. I agree with your conclusion, that they served on ‘Delta’ at Tsingtao is most probable.

I did also find the Temp. Surgeons for ‘Albion’ covering the mid August to mid September period in the Naval Lists. I’m now trying to find anyone serving on Hospital Yacht ‘Grianaig’ during 1914 apart from the Earl of Dunraven.

Regards ZeZe

[alf mcm]

ZeZe,

   Nursing Sister Violet Christine HUMPHREYS was born in Hong Kong in about 1890. She trained as a Nurse and in 1911 was working as a Hospital Nurse in London. She was not a QARNNS nurse, so may have been Civil Hospital Reserve. In October 1915 she married Dr. Maurice PLOYE, a French Naval Surgeon, in Hong Kong. He was one of the 3 French Surgeons on the Delta!

Article from The London and China Telegrapg of 29th November 1915. Image courtesey of British Newspaper Archives via Findmypast.

Regards,

Alf McM

Edited 5 March , 2023 by alf mcm
Newspaper article added

[ZeZe]

Hi Alf,

That’s really good detective work – a happy ending as well.

Regards ZeZe