British red cross Voluntary Worker

[andrew pugh]

Good Evening All.

I seem to recall that someone did a thread on civilian awards for women some time ago, and wanted to know about any women who were granted awards during the great war,they wanted to create a list of these people.Were they aware of Mrs Ruby Pickard who died on the 13th April 1916,she was the wife

of a Captain Pickard,of St.Leonard,Pont De Broques,Pas De Calais.She was a British Red Cross

Voluntry worker in the news paper department of that organisation, and for her services in supplying

the British hospitals with daily newspapers, when she died at the age of 67years of age she was granted the right to have the same Commonwealth War Graves head stone given to the soldiers and is buried in Wimereux Communial Cemetery.I think she is the only civilian to have that privelage.

Hope someone might find this of some intrest.

Regards Andy

[Sue Light]

And just as a little bit of additional information, Mrs. Pickard was operated on at 14 General Hospital, Wimereux, on 9th March 1916, and found to have stomach cancer for which nothing could be done - unfortunately they simply had to stitch her up again, and she died a month later.

Sue

[Jim Strawbridge]

when she died at the age of 67years of age she was granted the right to have the same Commonwealth War Graves head stone given to the soldiers and is buried in Wimereux Communial Cemetery.I think she is the only civilian to have that privelage.

Urban myth I am afraid. Ruby/Rubie Pickard was afforded a CWGC grave and headstone by right as a member of the British Red Cross Society who died on service abroad. She is not alone in this.