QMAAC

[Guest wrinklyone]

In our local (UK) cemetery there is a CWGC headstone for a woman who died 28 Nov 1918 at the age of 20. She is shown as 'a Worker' in Queen Mary's Army Auxiliary Corps.

Can someone please tell me what the corps did?

Also, it seems strange that she was described as merely 'a Worker', i.e. no military rank at all. Why was that?

[Jim Strawbridge]

Wrinklyone - The QMAAC were generally domestic or office clerks. They made beds, cooked food and plenty of other duties. They came under Army orders but could elect, on enrollment, for a base near their home or alternatively for anywhere the Army might choose to send them. The title "worker" was the lowest rank. Out of interest which woman is buried in your local cemetery?

[Jim Strawbridge]

Wrinklyone - The QMAAC were generally domestic or office clerks. They made beds, cooked food and plenty of other duties. They came under Army orders but could elect, on enrollment, for a base near their home or alternatively for anywhere the Army might choose to send them. The title "worker" was the lowest rank. Out of interest which woman is buried in your local cemetery?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Just to complete the post for other members, Colin came back to me direct and told me that the casualty was 29843 Worker E.A. Barham, QMAAC who died on the 28th November 1918 aged 20 years. She is buried at Spital, (Windsor Cemetery), Berkshire.

[Guest wrinklyone]

Just to let you know, Jim, that I have a little more info re Worker Barham.

Local records confirm that she was the only Windsor woman to have a CWGC WW1 headstone. There was a photo of the CWGC headstone in the file but not suitable for copying.

I looked up the 1901 census, and this gives her as Ethel A Barham, born in Windsor, and living then at 20 Bexley Street - which still exists in Windsor. Daughter of Robert W and Adela. At that time she had two brothers and two sisters, all Windsorians. Father was born in Bexley Heath, Kent and his profession is shown as indistinct word then 'Sergeant'. Mother Adela born in Windsor, so did Robert meet her whilst stationed at one of the two barracks in the town?

I hope that helps.

[Guest wrinklyone]

I should have mentioned, Jim, that there were at least two fair sized military hospitals in the town, and several of the CWGC graves relate to deaths in hospital. Could Ethel have been an unqualified assistant in one of them?

[Sue Light]

A check of the GRO death index shows that Ethel Barham's death was registered in the St. Giles registration district of London - this is Bloomsbury, now part of the London borough of Camden. So although she was buried 'at home,' in Windsor, she didn't die there. So likely she was working away from home when becoming ill - possibly with influenza?

Sue

[Guest wrinklyone]

Thanks, Sue. That's very helpful, and I'm sure that Jim will be interested too.

[Jim Strawbridge]

Thank you both for adding a bit of biography to the name. Most helpful and appreciated.

Jim