Elsie Knocker
Encyclopedia
Elsie Knocker was a British nurse and ambulance
driver in World War I who, together with her friend Mairi Chisholm
, won numerous medals for bravery and for saving the lives of thousands of soldiers on the Western Front
in Belgium
. Dubbed "The Madonnas of Pervyse
" by the press, the two became the most photographed women of the war.
, Devon
on July 29, 1884, the youngest of five children to Dr. Thomas Lewis and Charlotte Shapter (née Bayly). During her childhood she picked up the nickname, "Elsie". Tragically, she was orphaned at an early age. Her mother died when she was just four and her father died from tuberculosis
two years later. She was subsequently adopted by Lewis Edward Upcott, a teacher at Marlborough College
, and his wife Emily who sent her to be educated at St. Nicholas's, Folkestone
, and then at the exclusive Château Lutry in Switzerland
. After training at the Children's Hip Hospital at Sevenoaks
, she married Leslie Duke Knocker in 1906, with whom she had a son, Kenneth Duke, a year later. But the marriage failed and soon after she was divorced she began training as a midwife at Queen Charlotte's Hospital
. Since being divorced was a status frowned upon in Edwardian England, Knocker invented the myth that her husband had died in Java
leaving her a widow.
, a Douglas
solo, and a Chater-Lea
with a sidecar which would travel with her to the Western Front.
. When her friend and fellow motorcycle fanatic, Mairi Chisholm
, was chosen to join Hector Munro’s Flying Ambulance Corps she was able to convince Munro to accept Knocker as well seeing as she had some training as a nurse, was an excellent mechanic
and chauffeur
, and spoke both French and German. This meant that Knocker had to cancel a “ladies stiff reliability trial” with "plenty of hairpin bends
" over 120 miles of Hampshire
and Dorset
countryside. The day before she was due to ship out she wrote in her diary:
"This time tomorrow night I shall be in Belgium… in the midst of all the terrors of war."
and May Sinclair
) followed Dr. Munro down the gang-plank of the S.S. ‘Princess Clementine’ at Ostend
, West Flanders. Whilst visiting the town of Nazareth
(8 miles south-west of Ghent
where the corps was initially quartered) Knocker was witness to the aftermath of a massacre when she came across 26 Belgian military policemen who had been shot and mutilated by the Germans
. At the end of October, the corps relocated to Furnes
, near Dunkirk, where the women worked tirelessly picking up wounded soldiers mid-way from the front and bringing them back to their field hospital at the rear. Knocker and Chisholm soon came to the conclusion that they could save more lives by treating the wounded directly on the front lines.
In November, the two decided to leave the corps and set up their own dressing station five miles east in a town named Pervyse
, north of Ypres
, just one hundred yards from the trenches
. Here, in a vacant cellar which they named the "Poste de Secours Anglais" ("British First Aid
Post"), the two would spend the next three and a half years aiding the wounded in the Belgian sector. Knocker gave most of the medical attention, while Chisholm transported the injured, often in terrible conditions and under fire, to a base hospital 15 miles away. No longer affiliated with the Belgian Red Cross
, they were forced to raise their own funds. With donations they arranged for the cellar to be reinforced with concrete and even have a steel door fitted, supplied by Harrods
. Through sheer perseverance Knocker was able to arrange for the two of them to be officially seconded to the Belgian garrison stationed there. Equipped with cameras, both women photographed
not only each other but also much of the suffering around them. In January 1915, they were rewarded for their courageous work on the front lines when they were both decorated by King Albert I of Belgium
with the Order of Léopold II
, Knights Cross (with palm).
“So much of me went into my work that I suppose I was easily swept along on a tide of glamour and welcome frivolity. Perhaps I had a desire just to drift for once, not to struggle. It was pleasant to imagine that all would turn out well, and after fifteen months' risking my life at the Front marriage seemed a comparatively small risk to take. I did want someone to take some of the burden off my shoulders and thought how good it would be for Kenneth to have a father. After a lightening honeymoon we hardly saw one another again. I was too busy at Pervyse, and my husband had to return to his squadron.”
Knocker and Chisholm engaged in multiple battlefield rescues, even carrying fallen men on their backs to their first-aid station. After she and Chisholm rescued a wounded German pilot in No Man's Land
both women were awarded the British Military Medal
, and made Officers, Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of St. John of Jerusalem
. Fellow corps volunteer May Sinclair said of Knocker: "She had an irresistible inclination towards the greatest possible danger." As word spread of their deeds they began to get visits from journalists, photographers and VIP's
earning them the subsequent distinction of being the most photographed women of the war. The war ended for both women in March 1918, when they were gassed
during a German offensive and had to return home. By 1919, Knocker's marriage to the Baron had unraveled when both he and the Roman Catholic Church discovered the truth about her previous marriage. For Chisholm, this deception ended their friendship. The two barely spoke again. As part of the settlement Knocker was allowed to remain a Baroness in name only.
(WAAF) working with RAF Fighter Command
and was twice Mentioned in Despatches. Tragedy struck on July 3, 1942 with the death of her son, Wing Commander
Kenneth Duke Knocker, who was killed when his plane was shot down over Groningen
.
in Park Lane, Ashtead
, Surrey
from approximately 1926 until her death. Later in life she began breeding Chihuahuas
and was always accompanied by three or four of them. She was greatly concerned about the welfare of both animals and the conservation of Ashtead Common
where she could often be seen walking her pets, "flamboyantly dressed with large earrings and a voluminous dark cloak". On 26 April 1978 the Baroness died aged 93 of pneumonia
and senile dementia. She never remarried.
Online text
Digital archives
Ambulance
An ambulance is a vehicle for transportation of sick or injured people to, from or between places of treatment for an illness or injury, and in some instances will also provide out of hospital medical care to the patient...
driver in World War I who, together with her friend Mairi Chisholm
Mairi Chisholm
Mairi Lambert Gooden-Chisholm of Chisholm , OLII, MM, OStJ, OEB, was a Scottish nurse and ambulance driver in the First World War who, together with her friend Elsie Knocker, won numerous medals for bravery and for saving the lives of thousands of soldiers in on the Western Front in Belgium...
, won numerous medals for bravery and for saving the lives of thousands of soldiers on the Western Front
Western Front (World War I)
Following the outbreak of World War I in 1914, the German Army opened the Western Front by first invading Luxembourg and Belgium, then gaining military control of important industrial regions in France. The tide of the advance was dramatically turned with the Battle of the Marne...
in Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
. Dubbed "The Madonnas of Pervyse
Pervijze
Pervijze is a small rural village in the Belgian province of West-Flanders, and a part of the municipality of Diksmuide. Pervijze has an area of 12.23 km² and almost 900 inhabitants...
" by the press, the two became the most photographed women of the war.
Early life
She was born Elizabeth Blackall Shapter in ExeterExeter
Exeter is a historic city in Devon, England. It lies within the ceremonial county of Devon, of which it is the county town as well as the home of Devon County Council. Currently the administrative area has the status of a non-metropolitan district, and is therefore under the administration of the...
, Devon
Devon
Devon is a large county in southwestern England. The county is sometimes referred to as Devonshire, although the term is rarely used inside the county itself as the county has never been officially "shired", it often indicates a traditional or historical context.The county shares borders with...
on July 29, 1884, the youngest of five children to Dr. Thomas Lewis and Charlotte Shapter (née Bayly). During her childhood she picked up the nickname, "Elsie". Tragically, she was orphaned at an early age. Her mother died when she was just four and her father died from tuberculosis
Tuberculosis
Tuberculosis, MTB, or TB is a common, and in many cases lethal, infectious disease caused by various strains of mycobacteria, usually Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Tuberculosis usually attacks the lungs but can also affect other parts of the body...
two years later. She was subsequently adopted by Lewis Edward Upcott, a teacher at Marlborough College
Marlborough College
Marlborough College is a British co-educational independent school for day and boarding pupils, located in Marlborough, Wiltshire.Founded in 1843 for the education of the sons of Church of England clergy, the school now accepts both boys and girls of all beliefs. Currently there are just over 800...
, and his wife Emily who sent her to be educated at St. Nicholas's, Folkestone
Folkestone
Folkestone is the principal town in the Shepway District of Kent, England. Its original site was in a valley in the sea cliffs and it developed through fishing and its closeness to the Continent as a landing place and trading port. The coming of the railways, the building of a ferry port, and its...
, and then at the exclusive Château Lutry in Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
. After training at the Children's Hip Hospital at Sevenoaks
Sevenoaks
Sevenoaks is a commuter town situated on the London fringe of west Kent, England, some 20 miles south-east of Charing Cross, on one of the principal commuter rail lines from the capital...
, she married Leslie Duke Knocker in 1906, with whom she had a son, Kenneth Duke, a year later. But the marriage failed and soon after she was divorced she began training as a midwife at Queen Charlotte's Hospital
Queen Charlotte's Hospital
Queen Charlotte's and Chelsea Hospital is one of the oldest maternity hospitals in Europe, and until recently occupied a site on Goldhawk Road, Hammersmith, West London. Originally called Queen Charlotte's Hospital, it merged with the Chelsea Hospital for Women and is now based at the Hammersmith...
. Since being divorced was a status frowned upon in Edwardian England, Knocker invented the myth that her husband had died in Java
Java
Java is an island of Indonesia. With a population of 135 million , it is the world's most populous island, and one of the most densely populated regions in the world. It is home to 60% of Indonesia's population. The Indonesian capital city, Jakarta, is in west Java...
leaving her a widow.
Motorcycling
Being a divorcee/widow and single mother, however, hardly kept Knocker away from her passions. She became an ardent amateur motorbike enthusiast and when riding wore a dark green leather skirt and long leather coat buttoned all the way down with a belt “to keep it all together” designed by Dunhill. She earned the name "Gypsy" because of her love of the open road and membership of the Gypsy Motorcycle Club. She possessed a number of motorbikes including a ScottThe Scott Motorcycle Company
The Scott Motorcycle Company was owned by Scott Motors Limited, Shipley, West Yorkshire, England and was a well known producer of motorcycles and light engines for industry...
, a Douglas
Douglas (motorcycles)
Douglas was a British motorcycle manufacturer from 1907–1957 based in Kingswood, Bristol, owned by the Douglas family, and especially known for its horizontally opposed twin cylinder engined bikes and as manufacturers of speedway machines...
solo, and a Chater-Lea
Chater-Lea
Chater-Lea was a British bicycle, car and motor cycle maker with a nine-storey factory in Banner Street in the City of London and, from 1928, premises at Letchworth, Hertfordshire. It was founded by William Chater-Lea in 1900 to make bicycle components. It made cars between 1907 and 1922 and...
with a sidecar which would travel with her to the Western Front.
World War I
When war was declared in 1914, Knocker wrote to Chisholm that there was “work to be done”, and suggested they go to London to become dispatch riders for the Women's Emergency CorpsWomen's Emergency Corps
The Women's Emergency Corps was a service organisation founded in 1914 by Evelina Haverfield, Decima Moore, and the Women's Social and Political Union to contribute to the war effort of the United Kingdom in World War I. The Corps later evolved into the Women's Volunteer Reserve.-References:* * at...
. When her friend and fellow motorcycle fanatic, Mairi Chisholm
Mairi Chisholm
Mairi Lambert Gooden-Chisholm of Chisholm , OLII, MM, OStJ, OEB, was a Scottish nurse and ambulance driver in the First World War who, together with her friend Elsie Knocker, won numerous medals for bravery and for saving the lives of thousands of soldiers in on the Western Front in Belgium...
, was chosen to join Hector Munro’s Flying Ambulance Corps she was able to convince Munro to accept Knocker as well seeing as she had some training as a nurse, was an excellent mechanic
Mechanic
A mechanic is a craftsman or technician who uses tools to build or repair machinery.Many mechanics are specialized in a particular field such as auto mechanics, bicycle mechanics, motorcycle mechanics, boiler mechanics, general mechanics, industrial maintenance mechanics , air conditioning and...
and chauffeur
Chauffeur
A chauffeur is a person employed to drive a passenger motor vehicle, especially a luxury vehicle such as a large sedan or limousine.Originally such drivers were always personal servants of the vehicle owner, but now in many cases specialist chauffeur service companies, or individual drivers provide...
, and spoke both French and German. This meant that Knocker had to cancel a “ladies stiff reliability trial” with "plenty of hairpin bends
Hairpin turn
A hairpin turn , named for its resemblance to a hairpin/bobby pin, is a bend in a road with a very acute inner angle, making it necessary for an oncoming vehicle to turn almost 180° to continue on the road. Such turns in ramps and trails may be called switchbacks in American English, by analogy...
" over 120 miles of Hampshire
Hampshire
Hampshire is a county on the southern coast of England in the United Kingdom. The county town of Hampshire is Winchester, a historic cathedral city that was once the capital of England. Hampshire is notable for housing the original birthplaces of the Royal Navy, British Army, and Royal Air Force...
and Dorset
Dorset
Dorset , is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The county town is Dorchester which is situated in the south. The Hampshire towns of Bournemouth and Christchurch joined the county with the reorganisation of local government in 1974...
countryside. The day before she was due to ship out she wrote in her diary:
"This time tomorrow night I shall be in Belgium… in the midst of all the terrors of war."
Flanders
In the early evening of 25 September 1914, Knocker, Chisholm and the other volunteers (which included Dorothie FeildingDorothie Feilding
Lady Dorothie Mary Evelyn Feilding-Moore , better known as Dorothie Feilding, MM, CdeG, OLII, was a British heiress who shunned her aristocratic background to become a highly decorated volunteer nurse and ambulance driver on the Western Front during World War I...
and May Sinclair
May Sinclair
May Sinclair was the pseudonym of Mary Amelia St. Clair , a popular British writer who wrote about two dozen novels, short stories and poetry. She was an active suffragist, and member of the Woman Writers' Suffrage League...
) followed Dr. Munro down the gang-plank of the S.S. ‘Princess Clementine’ at Ostend
Ostend
Ostend is a Belgian city and municipality located in the Flemish province of West Flanders. It comprises the boroughs of Mariakerke , Stene and Zandvoorde, and the city of Ostend proper – the largest on the Belgian coast....
, West Flanders. Whilst visiting the town of Nazareth
Nazareth, Belgium
- General information:Nazareth is a municipality located in the Belgian province of East Flanders. The municipality comprises the towns of Eke and Nazareth proper. On January 1, 2006 Nazareth had a total population of 10,947...
(8 miles south-west of Ghent
Ghent
Ghent is a city and a municipality located in the Flemish region of Belgium. It is the capital and biggest city of the East Flanders province. The city started as a settlement at the confluence of the Rivers Scheldt and Lys and in the Middle Ages became one of the largest and richest cities of...
where the corps was initially quartered) Knocker was witness to the aftermath of a massacre when she came across 26 Belgian military policemen who had been shot and mutilated by the Germans
Germans
The Germans are a Germanic ethnic group native to Central Europe. The English term Germans has referred to the German-speaking population of the Holy Roman Empire since the Late Middle Ages....
. At the end of October, the corps relocated to Furnes
Veurne
Veurne is a city and municipality in the Belgian province of West Flanders. The municipality comprises the town of Veurne proper and the settlements of Avekapelle, Booitshoeke, Bulskamp, De Moeren, Eggewaartskapelle, Houtem, Steenkerke, Vinkem, Wulveringem, and Zoutenaaie.-Origins in the 15th...
, near Dunkirk, where the women worked tirelessly picking up wounded soldiers mid-way from the front and bringing them back to their field hospital at the rear. Knocker and Chisholm soon came to the conclusion that they could save more lives by treating the wounded directly on the front lines.
In November, the two decided to leave the corps and set up their own dressing station five miles east in a town named Pervyse
Pervijze
Pervijze is a small rural village in the Belgian province of West-Flanders, and a part of the municipality of Diksmuide. Pervijze has an area of 12.23 km² and almost 900 inhabitants...
, north of Ypres
Ypres
Ypres is a Belgian municipality located in the Flemish province of West Flanders. The municipality comprises the city of Ypres and the villages of Boezinge, Brielen, Dikkebus, Elverdinge, Hollebeke, Sint-Jan, Vlamertinge, Voormezele, Zillebeke, and Zuidschote...
, just one hundred yards from the trenches
Trench warfare
Trench warfare is a form of occupied fighting lines, consisting largely of trenches, in which troops are largely immune to the enemy's small arms fire and are substantially sheltered from artillery...
. Here, in a vacant cellar which they named the "Poste de Secours Anglais" ("British First Aid
First aid
First aid is the provision of initial care for an illness or injury. It is usually performed by non-expert, but trained personnel to a sick or injured person until definitive medical treatment can be accessed. Certain self-limiting illnesses or minor injuries may not require further medical care...
Post"), the two would spend the next three and a half years aiding the wounded in the Belgian sector. Knocker gave most of the medical attention, while Chisholm transported the injured, often in terrible conditions and under fire, to a base hospital 15 miles away. No longer affiliated with the Belgian Red Cross
Belgian Red Cross
The Belgian Red Cross was established in 1864 by Doctor Andrea Wegner and has its headquarters in Brussels.-External links:***...
, they were forced to raise their own funds. With donations they arranged for the cellar to be reinforced with concrete and even have a steel door fitted, supplied by Harrods
Harrods
Harrods is an upmarket department store located in Brompton Road in Brompton, in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, London. The Harrods brand also applies to other enterprises undertaken by the Harrods group of companies including Harrods Bank, Harrods Estates, Harrods Aviation and Air...
. Through sheer perseverance Knocker was able to arrange for the two of them to be officially seconded to the Belgian garrison stationed there. Equipped with cameras, both women photographed
War photography
War photography captures photographs of armed conflict and life in war-torn areas.Although photographs can provide a more direct representation than paintings or drawings, they are sometimes manipulated, creating an image that is not objectively journalistic.-History:Photography, presented to the...
not only each other but also much of the suffering around them. In January 1915, they were rewarded for their courageous work on the front lines when they were both decorated by King Albert I of Belgium
Albert I of Belgium
Albert I reigned as King of the Belgians from 1909 until 1934.-Early life:Born Albert Léopold Clément Marie Meinrad in Brussels, he was the fifth child and second son of Prince Philippe, Count of Flanders, and his wife, Princess Marie of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen...
with the Order of Léopold II
Order of Leopold II
The Order of Leopold II is an order of Belgium and is named in honor of King Léopold II. The decoration was established on 24 August 1900 by Leopold II as king of the Congo Free State and was in 1908, upon Congo being handed over to Belgium, incorporated into the Belgian awards system...
, Knights Cross (with palm).
Second marriage and more honors
In January 1916, Knocker married again, this time to a pilot in Belgian Flying Corps who happened to be a baron, named Harold de T'Serclaes. The newly-formed Baroness wrote of her marriage:“So much of me went into my work that I suppose I was easily swept along on a tide of glamour and welcome frivolity. Perhaps I had a desire just to drift for once, not to struggle. It was pleasant to imagine that all would turn out well, and after fifteen months' risking my life at the Front marriage seemed a comparatively small risk to take. I did want someone to take some of the burden off my shoulders and thought how good it would be for Kenneth to have a father. After a lightening honeymoon we hardly saw one another again. I was too busy at Pervyse, and my husband had to return to his squadron.”
Knocker and Chisholm engaged in multiple battlefield rescues, even carrying fallen men on their backs to their first-aid station. After she and Chisholm rescued a wounded German pilot in No Man's Land
No Man's Land
No man's land is an unoccupied area between two opposing positions.No Man's Land may also refer to:-Places:In the United Kingdom* No Man's Land, Cornwall, England* No Man's Land Fort, off the coast of England* Nomansland, Devon, England...
both women were awarded the British Military Medal
Military Medal
The Military Medal was a military decoration awarded to personnel of the British Army and other services, and formerly also to personnel of other Commonwealth countries, below commissioned rank, for bravery in battle on land....
, and made Officers, Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of St. John of Jerusalem
Venerable Order of Saint John
The Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem , is a royal order of chivalry established in 1831 and found today throughout the Commonwealth of Nations, Hong Kong, Ireland and the United States of America, with the world-wide mission "to prevent and relieve sickness and...
. Fellow corps volunteer May Sinclair said of Knocker: "She had an irresistible inclination towards the greatest possible danger." As word spread of their deeds they began to get visits from journalists, photographers and VIP's
VIP
VIP and V.I.P. is a three-letter acronym that may refer to:-In general:* Vacuum insulated panel* Values, Influence, and Peers, an anti-crime campaign in Ontario elementary schools* Variable Information Printing, a form of on-demand printing...
earning them the subsequent distinction of being the most photographed women of the war. The war ended for both women in March 1918, when they were gassed
Poison gas in World War I
The use of chemical weapons in World War I ranged from disabling chemicals, such as tear gas and the severe mustard gas, to lethal agents like phosgene and chlorine. This chemical warfare was a major component of the first global war and first total war of the 20th century. The killing capacity of...
during a German offensive and had to return home. By 1919, Knocker's marriage to the Baron had unraveled when both he and the Roman Catholic Church discovered the truth about her previous marriage. For Chisholm, this deception ended their friendship. The two barely spoke again. As part of the settlement Knocker was allowed to remain a Baroness in name only.
World War II
In 1939, at the outbreak of World War II, the Baroness joined up again and became a senior officer in the Women's Auxiliary Air ForceWomen's Auxiliary Air Force
The Women's Auxiliary Air Force , whose members were invariably referred to as Waafs , was the female auxiliary of the Royal Air Force during World War II, established in 1939. At its peak strength, in 1943, WAAF numbers exceeded 180,000, with over 2,000 women enlisting per week.A Women's Royal Air...
(WAAF) working with RAF Fighter Command
RAF Fighter Command
RAF Fighter Command was one of three functional commands of the Royal Air Force. It was formed in 1936 to allow more specialised control of fighter aircraft. It served throughout the Second World War, gaining recognition in the Battle of Britain. The Command continued until 17 November 1943, when...
and was twice Mentioned in Despatches. Tragedy struck on July 3, 1942 with the death of her son, Wing Commander
Wing Commander (rank)
Wing commander is a commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many other Commonwealth countries...
Kenneth Duke Knocker, who was killed when his plane was shot down over Groningen
Groningen (province)
Groningen [] is the northeasternmost province of the Netherlands. In the east it borders the German state of Niedersachsen , in the south Drenthe, in the west Friesland and in the north the Wadden Sea...
.
Final years
After the Second World War the Baroness participated in raising funds for the RAF Association and the Benevolent Fund. She lived in the Earl Haig HomesHaig Homes
Haig Homes is a charity founded in 1928 to provide housing for ex-servicemen in the United Kingdom and the Channel Islands.Haig Homes is the leading UK provider of rental housing for ex-Service people....
in Park Lane, Ashtead
Ashtead
Ashtead is a village situated within the Metropolitan Green Belt of Surrey, England, and is just outside of the suburbia of London. It is separated from Leatherhead by the M25, and from Epsom by Ashtead Common.- History :...
, Surrey
Surrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
from approximately 1926 until her death. Later in life she began breeding Chihuahuas
Chihuahua (dog)
The ' is the smallest breed of dog and is so named for the state of Chihuahua in Mexico. Chihuahuas come in a wide variety of sizes, head shapes, colors and coat lengths.-History:...
and was always accompanied by three or four of them. She was greatly concerned about the welfare of both animals and the conservation of Ashtead Common
Ashtead Common
Ashtead Common is a wooded area to the north of the village of Ashtead in England which is open to the public. It is owned and managed by the City of London Corporation at no cost to the public. There are 180.5 ha of this common in the National Nature Reserve...
where she could often be seen walking her pets, "flamboyantly dressed with large earrings and a voluminous dark cloak". On 26 April 1978 the Baroness died aged 93 of pneumonia
Pneumonia
Pneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the lung—especially affecting the microscopic air sacs —associated with fever, chest symptoms, and a lack of air space on a chest X-ray. Pneumonia is typically caused by an infection but there are a number of other causes...
and senile dementia. She never remarried.
Awards and Decorations
| Knight of the Order of Léopold II with palm Order of Leopold II The Order of Leopold II is an order of Belgium and is named in honor of King Léopold II. The decoration was established on 24 August 1900 by Leopold II as king of the Congo Free State and was in 1908, upon Congo being handed over to Belgium, incorporated into the Belgian awards system... |
| Military Medal Military Medal The Military Medal was a military decoration awarded to personnel of the British Army and other services, and formerly also to personnel of other Commonwealth countries, below commissioned rank, for bravery in battle on land.... |
_ribbon.png) Officer of the Order of St. John of JerusalemVenerable Order of Saint John The Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem , is a royal order of chivalry established in 1831 and found today throughout the Commonwealth of Nations, Hong Kong, Ireland and the United States of America, with the world-wide mission "to prevent and relieve sickness and... |
See also
- Mairi ChisholmMairi ChisholmMairi Lambert Gooden-Chisholm of Chisholm , OLII, MM, OStJ, OEB, was a Scottish nurse and ambulance driver in the First World War who, together with her friend Elsie Knocker, won numerous medals for bravery and for saving the lives of thousands of soldiers in on the Western Front in Belgium...
- Dorothie FeildingDorothie FeildingLady Dorothie Mary Evelyn Feilding-Moore , better known as Dorothie Feilding, MM, CdeG, OLII, was a British heiress who shunned her aristocratic background to become a highly decorated volunteer nurse and ambulance driver on the Western Front during World War I...
- May SinclairMay SinclairMay Sinclair was the pseudonym of Mary Amelia St. Clair , a popular British writer who wrote about two dozen novels, short stories and poetry. She was an active suffragist, and member of the Woman Writers' Suffrage League...
- Albert I of BelgiumAlbert I of BelgiumAlbert I reigned as King of the Belgians from 1909 until 1934.-Early life:Born Albert Léopold Clément Marie Meinrad in Brussels, he was the fifth child and second son of Prince Philippe, Count of Flanders, and his wife, Princess Marie of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen...
- Alexander Cambridge, 1st Earl of AthloneAlexander Cambridge, 1st Earl of AthloneMajor-General Alexander Augustus Frederick William Alfred George Cambridge, 1st Earl of Athlone , was a close relative of the shared British and Canadian royal family, as well as a British military commander and major-general who served as Governor-General of the Union of South Africa, the...
- Western FrontWestern Front (World War I)Following the outbreak of World War I in 1914, the German Army opened the Western Front by first invading Luxembourg and Belgium, then gaining military control of important industrial regions in France. The tide of the advance was dramatically turned with the Battle of the Marne...
External links
- Madonnas of the Western Front (2009) from The ScotsmanThe ScotsmanThe Scotsman is a British newspaper, published in Edinburgh.As of August 2011 it had an audited circulation of 38,423, down from about 100,000 in the 1980s....
Online text
- Elsie And Mairi Go To War: Two Extraordinary Women On The Western Front (2009) by Diane Atkinson at Kobo
- The Cellar-House of Pervyse (1917) at Internet ArchiveInternet ArchiveThe Internet Archive is a non-profit digital library with the stated mission of "universal access to all knowledge". It offers permanent storage and access to collections of digitized materials, including websites, music, moving images, and nearly 3 million public domain books. The Internet Archive...
- Excerpt from: The Cellar-House of Pervijse (1917) from 'The War Budget' at greatwardifferent.com
- Women in the War 91914) from the magazine 'T.P.'s Great Deeds of the Great War' at greatwardifferent.com
- A Surgeon in Belgium (1915) by Henry Sessions Souttar at Google Books
- Young Hilda at the Wars (1915) by Arthur Gleason at Internet ArchiveInternet ArchiveThe Internet Archive is a non-profit digital library with the stated mission of "universal access to all knowledge". It offers permanent storage and access to collections of digitized materials, including websites, music, moving images, and nearly 3 million public domain books. The Internet Archive...
- Golden Lads (1916) by Arthur Gleason & Helen Hayes Gleason at Internet ArchiveInternet ArchiveThe Internet Archive is a non-profit digital library with the stated mission of "universal access to all knowledge". It offers permanent storage and access to collections of digitized materials, including websites, music, moving images, and nearly 3 million public domain books. The Internet Archive...
- How War Seems to a Woman'; Excerpt from: The Golden Lads (1916) by Arthur Gleason & Helen Hayes Gleason at greatwardifferent.com
- Women and War Work (1918) by Helen Fraser; Chapter IV. at LexCycle Library
- Women and war: a historical encyclopedia from antiquity to the present, Volume 1 (2006) by Bernard A. Cook at Google Books
Digital archives
- The Nurses Story: Tending the Wounded at the Front at National Library of ScotlandNational Library of ScotlandThe National Library of Scotland is the legal deposit library of Scotland and is one of the country's National Collections. It is based in a collection of buildings in Edinburgh city centre. The headquarters is on George IV Bridge, between the Old Town and the university quarter...
- The Women of Pervyse at the Imperial War MuseumImperial War MuseumImperial War Museum is a British national museum organisation with branches at five locations in England, three of which are in London. The museum was founded during the First World War in 1917 and intended as a record of the war effort and sacrifice of Britain and her Empire...
- Women at War: The Two Women of Pervyse at the BFI National ArchiveBFI National ArchiveThe BFI National Archive is a department of the British Film Institute, and one of the largest film archives in the world. It was originally set up as the National Film Library in 1935; its first curator was Ernest Lindgren. In 1955 its name became the National Film Archive, and in 1992, the...