Duncan Posted 20 July , 2006 Share Posted 20 July , 2006 I'm trying to research an Edith P. Meikle, who, according to her MIC, was a Matron in the VAD. I know it's a lomgshot but someone may know something about her? Cheers, Duncan. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stephen Nulty Posted 20 July , 2006 Share Posted 20 July , 2006 Duncan See here for a picture of her. I had a feeling she's been discussed on the forum before, but my Search doesn't seem to be working at the moment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neil Mackenzie Posted 20 July , 2006 Share Posted 20 July , 2006 Duncan. Ihave a friend who works at the Bethlem. I can ask her if she knows anyone who may know more if you like. Neil Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Duncan Posted 21 July , 2006 Author Share Posted 21 July , 2006 That's amazing! Thanks everyone. Incidentally, I've just bought her Victory Medal, from a US bloke off Ebay. Yes please, if you could ask your friend at Bethlem that would be great. Many thanks. Duncan. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stebie9173 Posted 21 July , 2006 Share Posted 21 July , 2006 Different initial, but this may be the lady in question: http://rcnarchive.rcn.org.uk/data/VOLUME06...22ndmay1920.pdf And the Search page for the RCN Archive: http://rcnarchive.rcn.org.uk/ Steve. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neil Mackenzie Posted 5 August , 2006 Share Posted 5 August , 2006 Duncan. I hadn't forgotten about this but my friend has been away. I have therefore emailed the archivist at the Bethlem & Maudsley to see if they have any more information on Edith. Neil Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neil Mackenzie Posted 8 August , 2006 Share Posted 8 August , 2006 Colin Gale has kindly replied to my query. Unfortunately, the only other info they have on Edith Meikle is that the dates of her Bethlem appointment were 1905-27 April 1912 and the fact that she was the sister of a Dr Meikle, a sometime student House Physician at Bethlem. Neil Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Duncan Posted 21 August , 2006 Author Share Posted 21 August , 2006 Colin Gale has kindly replied to my query. Unfortunately, the only other info they have on Edith Meikle is that the dates of her Bethlem appointment were 1905-27 April 1912 and the fact that she was the sister of a Dr Meikle, a sometime student House Physician at Bethlem. Neil Many thnaks for your kind help. The Red Cross supplied me with the following info regarding her. She enrolled with the London/16 detachment on the 9/3/17. Her rank was given as 'Rest Station Member' - what ever that was? She served at the HQ Reserve for the Joint War Committee of the British Red Cross and Order of St John as a nurse. She was posted to France on the 6/9/17 and served as Matron for the Belgian Field Hospital at Hoogstadt. That would explain her award from the Belgian King. She was discharged on the 25/3/18. It seems odd that a qualified nurse should enroll with the VAD! I thought the organisations was for unskilled nursing helpers, drivers, cooks etc. I would have thought a qualified nurse would have been enployed directly by a hoapital or with the Red Cross? Was Bethlem a phyciatric hospital then? Does that nean she was a phyciatric nurse between 1905 and 1912? Thanks for the help. Duncan. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sue Light Posted 22 August , 2006 Share Posted 22 August , 2006 It seems odd that a qualified nurse should enroll with the VAD! I thought the organisations was for unskilled nursing helpers, drivers, cooks etc. I would have thought a qualified nurse would have been enployed directly by a hoapital or with the Red Cross? Duncan When the detachments came into being, it was anticipated that each female detachment [even numbers] would include two trained nurses, to give training and advice. Until the Nurses’ Registration Act of 1919, ‘qualified’ nurses didn’t exist – there was no examination or registration – and women were classified by what sort of training they had. In 1914 the ‘gold standard’ was three years training in a general hospital of more than 100 beds, and many nurses, e.g. those in children’s, psychiatric and fever hospitals, although experienced, didn’t meet this standard. At the outbreak of war, the three year training had been necessary for all members of QAIMNS and TFNS for many years, but the British Red Cross and St. John Ambulance started to send nurses to France who fell short of this requirement, but were still employed as Sisters and Matrons in BRCS hospitals. Eventually, the Joint War Committee fell into line, and insisted on the same training for their nurses as those under the control of the War Office. So… reading between the lines, my take on Edith Meikle is [and this is only a guess]: She never did a full training in a general hospital, but had a lot of experience in at least one psychiatric hospital, where excellent management skills resulted in her holding some high position. She offered her services to the Joint War Committee [bRCS and St.John] during the war, but did not meet the criteria to be employed as a trained nurse, and was therefore attached to a Voluntary Aid Detachment – for those purposes, her training was sufficient. Her training and experience, while not sufficient for a JWC Hospital in France, was gratefully received by the Belgians. She was probably an excellent manager and administrator, and ideal for the job. I’m not sure how her rank of ‘Rest Station Member’ fits in, but VAD Rest Stations were set up, usually adjacent to railway stations, to provide food, comforts, and first aid to soldiers travelling through. And looking at the link further up the page – I really think this refers to another Meikle entirely. It would be interesting to know what she was doing between 1912 and 1917. Sue Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neil Mackenzie Posted 22 August , 2006 Share Posted 22 August , 2006 Duncan. Bethlem has been 'dealing' with psychiatric patients for about 625 years - although it has been treating them for a much shorter period! Wikipedia has a brief summary of its history including its various moves to its present location. It used to be in was is now the Imperial War Museum in Lambeth and that is where it would have been when Edith worked there. Neil Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Duncan Posted 22 August , 2006 Author Share Posted 22 August , 2006 Wikipedia has a brief summary of its history including its various moves to its present location. It used to be in was is now the Imperial War Museum in Lambeth and that is where it would have been when Edith worked there. Neil I'm getting confused with Bethlam and Bedlam! I thought the Imperial War Museum was known as Bedlam when it was a mental hospital - hence bedlam becoming the slang term? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neil Mackenzie Posted 23 August , 2006 Share Posted 23 August , 2006 Duncan. Bethlem and Bedlam You are not as confused as you think - they are one and the same place. Neil Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Duncan Posted 12 October , 2006 Author Share Posted 12 October , 2006 I got this womans MIC and British War Medal/Victory Medal roll through - the had two medal rolls, one for the VAD, and another for the British Committee of the French Red Cross which she served in between April 1915 and March 1916. Oddly though she didn't get awarded the 1914/15 Star. Were they not entitled to the 1914/15 Star? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
royalredcross Posted 13 October , 2006 Share Posted 13 October , 2006 No, those who nursed French under the British Committee of the French Red Cross were not entitled to the 1914-15 Star. If you give me the volume and page number from the MIC I may be able to tell you where she served. Norman Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Duncan Posted 16 October , 2006 Author Share Posted 16 October , 2006 No, those who nursed French under the British Committee of the French Red Cross were not entitled to the 1914-15 Star. If you give me the volume and page number from the MIC I may be able to tell you where she served. Norman Hi, The reference on the MIC is VAD/101 B5 806. All the best, Duncan. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
royalredcross Posted 17 October , 2006 Share Posted 17 October , 2006 Sorry I was not clear. It was the reference from her French Red Cross Card I wanted. It should start FRX/ Norman Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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