Women's ordeals

[Waffenlandser]

I am new to this forum, so I dont know about past topics and posts, so forgive me if this has already been discussed. A few years ago, while rummaging through a pile of dusty old paperbacks, I stumbled across this book by Victoria Buchanan Gould. It is titled "Testament of Youth". It was written in the 30's by the author. She recalls her experiences as a VAD at the Somme. This book is also a condemnation of that conflict. She lost her beloved friend Roland at Asiago and her brother in Flanders.

Miss Gould, who went on to lead the suffragette movement in post war England describes the frantic efforts of country doctors and teen aged girls to deal with the flood of wounded after July 1 1916. These people had little experience with trauma of this nature. The accounts are mind boggling. As the attrition of the Somme got worse, so the flood turned into a deluge. Miss Gould describes the trains coming into Victoria and Charing Cross stations with their cargos of wounded and dying. Its horrific. Later she went to Etaples and became an experienced battlefield VAD. enduring the bombing of her hospital and almost getting blood poisoning.

Later on in the late 30s miss Gould wrote the tribute to Olive Schreiner, a South African legend called "An African Farm".

I think all the women of that generation are our heroines. The munitions workers, the VADs and the wives and sweethearts who waved their hankies to the departing trains and then became single " Maiden aunts"in a country devoid of young men.

Please note corrections in new post. *red faced*

In memory of the animals whose names are not mentioned on memorials. The Horses. The mules. The carrier pidgeons. The dogs and the poor farm animals.

[Sparky53]

I'm confused now - I thought Testament of Youth was written by Vera Brittain

Jane

[Dragon]

I suspect you mean Vera Brittain.

Posted while yours was loading, Jane!

Second edit:

in the late 30s miss Gould wrote the tribute to Olive Schreiner, a South African legend called "An African Farm".

Sorry, but I'm confused. I know Vera Brittain was influenced by Olive Schreiner, but Olive Schreiner wrote "The Story of an African Farm" in 1883.

Gwyn

Edited 26 August , 2007 by Dragon

[Myrtle]

Wasn't it Vera Buchanan-Gould who wrote a book about Olive Shreiner?

Myrtle

[Dragon]

Yes. 1949 (I admit to Googling for the date.)

Edited 26 August , 2007 by Dragon

[Waffenlandser]

I suspect you mean Vera Brittain.

Posted while yours was loading, Jane!

Second edit:

Sorry, but I'm confused. I know Vera Brittain was influenced by Olive Schreiner, but Olive Schreiner wrote "The Story of an African Farm" in 1883.

Gwyn

Sorry Folks. Its been a long day. I was just going to edit this and you beat me to it. * frantic search in the book shelves*

Of course Olive Schreiner wrote The Story of an African Farm. Testament of youth was by Vera Brittain. Her book about Olive Schreiner was written under her, I presdume, married name Vera Buchanan Gould. As I sit here, I have the old volume, given to me by my late mom on my lap.

The title of the book is "Not without honour The life and Writings of Olive Schreiner"

The foreword is by the late Field Marshall Jannie Smuts. First printed in 1948 by Hutchinson and Company.

" In the First World War, she did not see eye to eye with me the hard compulsion of war laid on me, and some of my most poignant memories of her in that tremendous time are conected with her supplications to me, literally on bended knees. How we both suffered , both meaning to do what was right in a world hardened almost beyond human endurance.

I loved her more, in spite of our different insights. "

Signed

J.C. Smuts.

My apologies for the errors. Sunday afternoon brain lapse.

[Dragon]

Of course Olive Schreiner wrote The Story of an African Farm. Testament of youth was by Vera Brittain. Her book about Olive Schreiner was written under her, I presdume, married name Vera Buchanan Gould.

I thought Vera Brittain married George Catlin. Her novel, 'Not Without Honour', was written before she was married. It was published in 1924. She describes it as her 'least successful' novel in Chapter 2 of 'Testament of Youth' (published 1933).

Vera Buchanan-Gould wrote 'Not without honour: The life and Writings of Olive Schreiner' which was published in 1948 or 1949.

I believe you are confusing two different authors and books.

[Jennyford]

Two different Veras. Vera Brittain married George Catlin, and wrote a number of books, but not on Olive Schreiner. Shirley Williams is her daughter.

[Waffenlandser]

Thank you all for your replies. My late mother was an avid WW1 history buff as well as a scholar of Olive Schreiner. She lost two uncles in DelvilleWood. She was born and raised in Cradock in the Eastern Cape. It was from her I was given the impression the two Veras were one.

My apologies for the error and my thanks for learning the real situation.

In any event, both Veras were unique.