Cymraeg

The Experiences of Women in World War One

A collection of information, experiences and photographs recorded by Women's Archive of Wales in 2014-18

A collection of information, experiences and photographs recorded by Women's Archive of Wales in 2014-18

Browse the collection


Sorted by date of death

Ethel Annie Llewelyn

Place of birth: Beaufort

Service: Nurse, 1914 - 1918

Death: 13/04/1921, Llangwyfan Welsh National Memorial Sanatorium, Tuberculosis/Twbercwlosis

Memorial: St David’s Church, Beaufort, Brecknockshire

Notes: Born 1895, Ethel was the daughter of the Vicar of Beaufort. She worked at the Welsh Hospital, Netley, Southampton. It may have been there that she contracted TB. She was buried in Llangwfan churchyard.

Sources: http://firstworldwar.gwentheritage.org.uk/content/catalogue_item/ethel-annie-llewelyn-memorial-plaque

Reference: WaW0161

Memorial to Ethel Annie Llewelyn

Memorial, St David’s Church, Beaufort.

Memorial to Ethel Annie Llewelyn


Florence Gwendolin Howard

Place of birth: Pontypridd ?

Service: Staff Nurse, Territorial Nursing Service/Gwasanaeth Nyrsio Tiri

Death: 1914-11-18, Not known, Septic poisoning / Gwenwyno septig

Memorial: St Catherines Church, grave Glyntaff Cemetery, Pontypridd, Glamorgan

Notes: Nothing is currently known of Florence Howard.

Sources: http://twgpp.org/information.php?id=2257521; http://www.qaranc.co.uk/war_graves_memorials_Nurse/Nyrss.php

Reference: WaW0026

Name of Florence Howard on war memorial plaque in St Catherine’s Church, Pontypridd

St Catherine’s Church, Pontypridd

Name of Florence Howard on war memorial plaque in St Catherine’s Church, Pontypridd

Florence Howard in uniform

Florence Howard

Florence Howard in uniform


Catherine (Katie) Evans

Place of birth: Holyhead

Service: Nurse, VAD

Death: 1914/10/16, Holyhead, Peritonitis

Notes: Katie was the second of seven surviving daughters of Hugh Evans, a marine engineer, and his wife Elizabeth (twin girls died in infancy). Her Red Cross record has not survived, but it is likely that she served at the Holyhead Red Cross Hospital. She died aged 34. On the day after the funeral her sister Pollie Williams [qv] volunteered for the VAD. Many thanks to Aled L Jones and Barry Hillier.

Reference: WaW0251


Margaret Walker Bevan

Place of birth: Swansea

Service: Nurse, QAIMNS

Death: 1915 - 1919, Cause not known

Notes: Born in Swansea in 1883, Margaret trained as a nurse in Coventry and later worked in Barnsley. Early in 1915 she joined the staff of the Welsh Military Hospital, Netley. The Welsh Hospital was designed to be moveable, and it was soon packed up and sent, with its staff, to Deolali in India. Margaret worked there, and in Mesopotamia, until December 1919. After the war she became Matron of the new Memorial Hospital in Farnborough, Surrey.

Sources: People’s Collection Wales

Reference: WaW0429

A ward at the ‘Welch’ Hospital, Deolali. Margaret is standing on the left. Thanks to Dave Gordon.

Photograph

A ward at the ‘Welch’ Hospital, Deolali. Margaret is standing on the left. Thanks to Dave Gordon.

Margaret in a hospital tent, possibly in Basra, Mesopotamia. Thanks to Dave Gordon

Photograph

Margaret in a hospital tent, possibly in Basra, Mesopotamia. Thanks to Dave Gordon


Description of the Welsh War Hospital, Netley. 'The Hospital' 24th October 1914.

Magazine article

Description of the Welsh War Hospital, Netley. 'The Hospital' 24th October 1914.


Ellen Myfanwy Williams

Place of birth: Cardigan

Service: Nurse, 1914 - 1915

Death: 1915-01-19, West Bromwich Hospital, Cause not known

Memorial: Cenotaph, Cardigan, Cardiganshire

Notes: aged 26. Buried Cardigan cemetery.

Sources: http://www.wwwmp.co.uk/ceredigion-war-memorials/

Reference: WaW0066

Name of Ellen Williams on St Mary's Church memorial, Cardigan

Nurse Williams

Name of Ellen Williams on St Mary's Church memorial, Cardigan


Annie Crosby

Place of birth: Liverpool

Service: Passenger

Death: 1915-05-07, SS Lusitania, Drowning/Boddi

Memorial: War memorial, Bagillt, Flintshire

Notes: aged 36, drowned with her sister Ellen in the sinking of the Lusitania

Sources: http://www.flintshirewarmemorials.com; www.rmslusitania.info/

Reference: WaW0003


Ellen (Nellie) Crosby

Place of birth: Liverpool

Service: Passenger

Death: 1915-05-07, SS Lusitania, Drowning / Boddi

Memorial: War memorial, Bagillt, Flintshire

Notes: aged 40, drowned with her sister Annie in the sinking of the Lusitania

Sources: http://www.lintshirewarmemorials.com; www.rmslusitania.info/

Reference: WaW0004


Mabel Dearmer

Place of birth: Llanbleblig, 1872

Service: Volunteer, Red Cross/Y Groes Goch

Death: 1915-07-11, Serbia, Typhus/Pneumonia Teiffws/ Niwmonia

Notes: Mabel Dearmer, born 1872, was a successful writer, dramatist and illustrator of adult and children’s books. She and her husband the Rev Percy Dearmer were both pacifists and supporters of the Church League for Women’s Suffrage. When her husband accepted a post as chaplain to the British Red Cross in Serbia, she volunteered to go too, and died in July 1915. Her letters home were published posthumously as ‘Letters from a Field Hospital’.

Sources: http://britishlibrary.typepad.co.uk/untoldlives/2014/08/mabel-dearmer-in-serbia.html https://www.amazon.com/Letters-field-hospital-Mabel-Dearmer/dp/117677140X#reader_117677140X

Reference: WaW0092

Grave, on the left, of Mabel Dearmer, Kragujevac Central Cemetery, Serbia

Mabel Dearmer's grave, left.

Grave, on the left, of Mabel Dearmer, Kragujevac Central Cemetery, Serbia

Mabel’s photograph was collected by the Women’s Subcommittee of the Imperial War Museum as part of its collection of women who died during the War

Mabel Dearmer

Mabel’s photograph was collected by the Women’s Subcommittee of the Imperial War Museum as part of its collection of women who died during the War


One of Mabel Dearmer’s characteristic children’s book illustrations, 1901rnrn

Book illustration

One of Mabel Dearmer’s characteristic children’s book illustrations, 1901rnrn

List of the staff of the Stobart Hospital, Kragujevac, Serbia. ‘Dearmer, Mrs Percy’ is listed under ‘Women Orderlies’ and her husband The Rev Dr P Dearmer is the Hon Chaplain. Emily Hill [qv] is listed under ‘Nursing Sisters.

Stobart Hospital Staff List

List of the staff of the Stobart Hospital, Kragujevac, Serbia. ‘Dearmer, Mrs Percy’ is listed under ‘Women Orderlies’ and her husband The Rev Dr P Dearmer is the Hon Chaplain. Emily Hill [qv] is listed under ‘Nursing Sisters.


Augusta Minshull

Place of birth: Atherstone

Service: Nurse, St John’s Ambulance, Scottish Women’s Hospital

Death: 1915/03/21, Kraguievatz, Typhus fever / Haint teiffws

Memorial: Chela Kula Military Cemetery, Nĭs, Nĭs, Serbia

Notes: Augusta Minshull was born in 1861 in Atherstone, near Manchester, but was brought up in Denbigh where her parents ran the Crown Hotel. She seems to have trained as a nurse after her mother’s death. She had extensive experience in hospitals in England and Dublin. In 1914 she seems to have travelled first to Belgium, and then to Kraguievatz, Serbia early in 1915. She died there in the epidemic of typhus, aged 53 or 54.

Reference: WaW0468

Augusta’s photograph was collected by the Women’s Subcommittee as part of its collection of women who died during the war.

Augusta Minshull

Augusta’s photograph was collected by the Women’s Subcommittee as part of its collection of women who died during the war.

Newspaper report of Augusta Minshull’s death in Serbia. Denbighshire Free Press 17th April 1915.

Newspaper report

Newspaper report of Augusta Minshull’s death in Serbia. Denbighshire Free Press 17th April 1915.


Obituary of Augusta Minshull in the British Journal of Nursing, detailing her career.

Obituary

Obituary of Augusta Minshull in the British Journal of Nursing, detailing her career.

Roll of honour of members of the Scottish Women’s Hospitals who died overseas.

Roll of honour

Roll of honour of members of the Scottish Women’s Hospitals who died overseas.


Martha Emily Jenkins

Place of birth: Liverpool

Service: Stewardess, SS Aguila

Death: 1915/03/27, SS Aguila / Pembrokeshire coast, Drowning / Boddi

Memorial: Tower Hill Memorial, London

Notes: Martha Jenkins, Liverpool born but of Welsh extraction, was a stewardess on SS Aguila trading between Liverpool and the Canaries. The ship was torpedoed by a German U Boat off the coast of Pembrokeshire. Eight lives were lost including an un-named female passenger.

Sources: http://www.benjidog.co.uk/Tower%20Hill/WW1%20Agenoria%20to%20Alaunia.html#Aguila

Reference: WaW0173

Martha Emily Jenkins, stewardess, drowned 1915

Martha Emily Jenkins

Martha Emily Jenkins, stewardess, drowned 1915

Medal Record Card for Martha Emily Jenkins

Medal Record card

Medal Record Card for Martha Emily Jenkins


Part of report of the sinking of SS Aguila, Abergavenny Chronicle 2nd April 1915

Newspaper report

Part of report of the sinking of SS Aguila, Abergavenny Chronicle 2nd April 1915



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