Dont you just wish they'd do their research!

[HarryBettsMCDCM]

A report this evening on BBC's Look East,concerning Edith Cavell's School in Peterborough & a visit by the neice of one of her fellow Nurses,Princess de Croy,the announcer rounds off the report with the line,..."Edith Cavell,the first woman to be awarded the Victoria Cross......";Will you tell 'em or shall I!!

[armourersergeant]

Blinking heck!

[Malcolm]

That wasn't my reaction Arm but I can't repeat it here.

Aye

Malcolm

[armourersergeant]

Malcolm,

I edited my first post!

Arm

[Sue Light]

I find it funny that because there's a medal involved you're all up in arms [excuse the pun].

I spend a lot of time researching nurses, and have had to accept that any information, written or spoken, is far more likely to be wrong than right. Many sources, even the most reputable, can't even get the names of the women's nursing services right; have no idea that's there's a difference between trained and untrained nurses; cannot differentiate between one uniform and another; find it difficult to put a sentence together without mentioning either Florence Nightingale or Vera Brittain, and seem to take as their motto:

'It's only women - no-one will notice.'

At least this mistake will irritate a wider audience than me!

Sue

[Steven Broomfield]

Well, it was Look East. Never happen on South Today.......

[auchonvillerssomme]

Well said Sue, although as the husband of an ex QA and the son-in-law of ex ATS, WRAC. I have to be especially careful.

Mick

[HarryBettsMCDCM]

Well, it was Look East. Never happen on South Today.......

That'd be 'round Eastleigh way ~ where Benny Hill Came from ?...

With regard to Sue's comment above "they're only women~ no one will notice",it is a sad endictment of an organisation such as the BBC which is awash with PC "right~on" regulations & rules,that they cannot be ar**d to go to a Library;or Online & find out a few facts before committing some "BBC Researchers" findings to broadcast.

[Sue Light]

The inaccuracy and sloppy research about women’s medical services is endemic, however responsible and reputable it’s origin. For instance:

The official MOD site for the Army Medical Services Museum tells us that:

‘In 1902 the Indian Nursing Service and the Army Nursing Service were combined…’ which didn't happen until 1926:

AMS History

Professor Joanna Bourke gets the name wrong here, and decides that the name is Queen Alexander’s…. – and probably only a typo, but then again, it’s only women, no-one will notice:

Women and the Medical Services in World War One

and she also quotes an interesting figure for the number of British and Commonwealth personnel killed.

The Western Front Association, in one of their contributed articles on the RAMC during the Great War gives rather brief details of the regular nursing service, but seems quite confident that it’s name is:

Queen Alexandra’s Royal Imperial Nursing Service and also treats us to a new acronym (QARINS)

RAMC in the Great War

But perhaps the worst I’ve seen lately was in the March issue of the National Archives ‘flagship’ journal ‘Ancestors’. In an article titled ‘Roses of Picardy’ it gives a great description of VADs in Casualty Clearing Stations on the Western Front - how they lived, how they worked, how the CCSs were constructed and run… great stuff. Except that VADs never worked in Casualty Clearing Stations, and were restricted to British General and Red Cross Hospitals in France. Strangely, hospitals were not mentioned at all in the article. I did write to Simon Fowler the editor, pointing out that the whole piece was based on inaccurate research and information, but not surprisingly he couldn’t find any opportunity to acknowledge it, or reply.

But then, it’s only women, and I’m sure no-one else will notice.

Sue

[Steven Broomfield]

Fair point, Sue (and one my wife would subscribe to - she's a scientist and you should hear her go on about Rosalind Franklin), but actually it is also endemic that "The Press" don't worry about the finer points in any way, shape or form.

In HarryB's first post, I think the fact that it was "only a woman" is actually irrelevant - it's the fact that the journo responsible couldn't be arsed to find out the facts. That it was a woman just adds spice to the thing.

[marina]

Remember Alice Baker's passing? The last female veteran to have served in the Great War? I don't think many of us had heard of her - she was never listed in the survivors' lists. It's as if they get written out of history. That's one of the reasons I enjoy this thread so much.

Marina

[snavek]

That'd be 'round Eastleigh way ~ where Benny Hill Came from ?...

With regard to Sue's comment above "they're only women~ no one will notice",it is a sad endictment of an organisation such as the BBC which is awash with PC "right~on" regulations & rules,that they cannot be ar**d to go to a Library;or Online & find out a few facts before committing some "BBC Researchers" findings to broadcast.

But that's the point about this report, Look East is based in the 'Forum', Norwich's main Library and centre for Research, Norfolk County Archive Centre is on the edge of the City, Norfolk Regimental Musuem is a 10 minute casual walk from their offices (plenty on this lady there) and the lady herself is buried in the Cathedral grounds. Last year, the 90th anniversary of her execution, a service was held in the Cathedral to commemorate her life, attended by a Look East presenter.

Keith

[Guest jscout]

A report this evening on BBC's Look East,concerning Edith Cavell's School in Peterborough & a visit by the neice of one of her fellow Nurses,Princess de Croy,the announcer rounds off the report with the line,..."Edith Cavell,the first woman to be awarded the Victoria Cross......";Will you tell 'em or shall I!!

I/m doing some esearch for a script and I have a question. Does anyone know about radio broadcasts in England during 1917-1918? Were there news braodcasts interspersed with entertainment? Any information would be very useful. Thank you...

[tootrock]

I doubt that there was any public radio service during the war. The BBC did not get its charter until about 1922. Radio was in its infancy, and as with many new inventions was in the hands of the military.

[BeppoSapone]

In HarryB's first post, I think the fact that it was "only a woman" is actually irrelevant - it's the fact that the journo responsible couldn't be arsed to find out the facts. That it was a woman just adds spice to the thing.

The problem could be that, since the internet, it is so easy to find wrong information when you 'google'. Anyone can write anything on the net!

I have even read that Benny Hill came from Eastleigh!!

[Steven Broomfield]

And the Argyll's recruited local arab militiamen.

[BeppoSapone]

That'd be 'round Eastleigh way ~ where Benny Hill Came from ?...

Interestingly enough, Southampton born Benny Hill's father was gassed and a POW in WW1, and it seems as if Benny himself had to be "fetched" by the Red Caps before they got him into REME in WW2.

Article: http://images.google.co.uk/imgres?imgurl=h...6lr%3D%26sa%3DN

[Steven Broomfield]

I surrender. But he was a milkman in Eastleigh.

Mind you, the thought of 'Star Turn' Reg Varney.....Blakey must be spinning....and how did we get from Edith Cavell to 'On the Buses' in three moves?

[MartinWills]

Look East are not the only culprits. The CWGC managed somewhile ago to award the MC to a soldier I was researching. They have since acknowledged their error.

[auchonvillerssomme]

I/m doing some esearch for a script and I have a question. Does anyone know about radio broadcasts in England during 1917-1918? Were there news braodcasts interspersed with entertainment? Any information would be very useful. Thank you...

Thats an interesting question. The early broadcasts were in the states. The first extended broadcast of the human voice was transmitted through the air on December 24, 1906 from Brant Rock, Massachusetts. Between 1912 and 1917 Charles Herrold and his students are broadcasting music and talk on a regular schedule to a growing San Jose audience. College radio. He also broadcasted every day to receiving stations at the Pan Pacific International Exhibition in 1915.

In April, 1917. All amateur wireless stations are ordered shut down, silent, so that the Government can use radio for defense purposes. The war is important to radio technically as the vacuum tube, invented earlier by de Forest is improved for war communication, and all other radio patents are pooled for defense reasons.

In the UK. Beginning in 1920, a number of licenses were issued to British and American subsidiary companies in Britain for the purpose of conducting experimental transmissions under terms of a license issued by the General Post Office in accordance with the Wireless Telegraphy Act of 1904. On June 15, 1920, Marconi's Wireless Telegraphy Company, Limited, in Chelmsford, Essex, was licensed to conduct an experimental broadcast featuring Dame Nellie Melba. The signal was received throughout Europe and as far as Newfoundland.

To show a family sat comfortably round a radio in 1917 would probably draw some amount of criticism.

More info here

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Broad...ry_intervention

Mick