Katharine Furse
Encyclopedia
Dame Katharine Furse, GBE
, RRC
(23 November 1875, Bristol
– 25 November 1952, London
), founder of the English Voluntary Aid Detachment
(VAD) force, was born Katharine Symonds, daughter of the poet and critic John Addington Symonds
and Janet Catherine North. Her aunt was the famous painter Marianne North
.
Educated by governesses and her mother, Furse spent most of her early life in Switzerland and Italy. In 1900 she married the painter Charles Wellington Furse
, who died four years later leaving her with two young children. In 1909 Furse joined the Red Cross Voluntary Aid Detachment that was attached to the Territorial Army. On the outbreak of the First World War she was chosen to head the first Voluntary Aid Detachment unit to be sent to France. Aware of her administrative abilities, the authorities decided to place her in charge of the VAD Department in London.
On the outbreak of World War I
in 1914, Furse realised that the existing number of nurses would prove totally inadequate to deal with the enormous amount of work which might be expected, and in September 1914 she proceeded to France
with a number of assistants, these forming the nucleus of the VAD force. In January 1915 she returned to England
, and the VAD work was then officially recognised as a department of the Red Cross organization. She resigned her position in 1917, and the same year became director of the Women's Royal Naval Service
. She received the order of the Royal Red Cross
in 1916, and the Order of the British Empire
in 1917.
Although considered a great success as head of the Voluntary Aid Detachment, Furse was unhappy about her lack of power to introduce reforms. In November 1917, she and several of her senior colleagues resigned. She was immediately offered the post as Director of the Women's Royal Naval Service (WRNS). The Royal Navy was the first of the armed forces to recruit women and since 1916 the Women's Royal Naval Service took over the role of cooks, clerks, wireless telegraphists, code experts and electricians. The women were so successful that other organizations such as the Women's Army Auxiliary Corps
(WAAC) and the Women's Royal Air Force
(WRAF) were also established.
After the war, Furse joined the travel agency of Sir Henry Lunn. Working mainly in Switzerland, she became an expert skier and did a great deal to popularize the sport with British tourists. Her achievements were acknowledged when she became President of the Ladies' Ski Club. Her autobiography, Hearts and Pomegranates was published in 1940.
In 1920, Furse formed the Association of Wrens and this led to her becoming head of the Sea Rangers and for ten years, from 1928 to 1938, was director of the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts
whose constitution she drafted. Her last public appearance was at the Conference of Former Scouts in London in September 1952. She died in London, two days after her 77th birthday.
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
, RRC
Royal Red Cross
The Royal Red Cross is a military decoration awarded in the United Kingdom and Commonwealth for exceptional services in military nursing.The award was established on 27 April 1883 by Queen Victoria, with a single class of Member...
(23 November 1875, Bristol
Bristol
Bristol is a city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, with an estimated population of 433,100 for the unitary authority in 2009, and a surrounding Larger Urban Zone with an estimated 1,070,000 residents in 2007...
– 25 November 1952, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
), founder of the English Voluntary Aid Detachment
Voluntary Aid Detachment
The Voluntary Aid Detachment was a voluntary organisation providing field nursing services, mainly in hospitals, in the United Kingdom and various other countries in the British Empire. The organisation's most important periods of operation were during World War I and World War II.The...
(VAD) force, was born Katharine Symonds, daughter of the poet and critic John Addington Symonds
John Addington Symonds
John Addington Symonds was an English poet and literary critic. Although he married and had a family, he was an early advocate of male love , which he believed could include pederastic as well as egalitarian relationships. He referred to it as l'amour de l'impossible...
and Janet Catherine North. Her aunt was the famous painter Marianne North
Marianne North
Marianne North was an English naturalist and botanical artist-Life with her parents:Marianne North was born at Hastings, the eldest daughter of a prosperous land-owning family descended from the Hon. Roger North, younger son of Dudley North, 4th Baron North...
.
Educated by governesses and her mother, Furse spent most of her early life in Switzerland and Italy. In 1900 she married the painter Charles Wellington Furse
Charles Wellington Furse
Charles Wellington Furse was an English painter.He was born at Staines, the son of the Rev. C. W. Furse, archdeacon of Westminster, and rector of St John's, Smith Square and descended collaterally from Sir Joshua Reynolds; and in his short span of life achieved such rare excellence as a portrait...
, who died four years later leaving her with two young children. In 1909 Furse joined the Red Cross Voluntary Aid Detachment that was attached to the Territorial Army. On the outbreak of the First World War she was chosen to head the first Voluntary Aid Detachment unit to be sent to France. Aware of her administrative abilities, the authorities decided to place her in charge of the VAD Department in London.
On the outbreak of World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
in 1914, Furse realised that the existing number of nurses would prove totally inadequate to deal with the enormous amount of work which might be expected, and in September 1914 she proceeded to France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
with a number of assistants, these forming the nucleus of the VAD force. In January 1915 she returned to England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, and the VAD work was then officially recognised as a department of the Red Cross organization. She resigned her position in 1917, and the same year became director of the Women's Royal Naval Service
Women's Royal Naval Service
The Women's Royal Naval Service was the women's branch of the Royal Navy.Members included cooks, clerks, wireless telegraphists, radar plotters, weapons analysts, range assessors, electricians and air mechanics...
. She received the order of the Royal Red Cross
Royal Red Cross
The Royal Red Cross is a military decoration awarded in the United Kingdom and Commonwealth for exceptional services in military nursing.The award was established on 27 April 1883 by Queen Victoria, with a single class of Member...
in 1916, and the Order of the British Empire
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
in 1917.
Although considered a great success as head of the Voluntary Aid Detachment, Furse was unhappy about her lack of power to introduce reforms. In November 1917, she and several of her senior colleagues resigned. She was immediately offered the post as Director of the Women's Royal Naval Service (WRNS). The Royal Navy was the first of the armed forces to recruit women and since 1916 the Women's Royal Naval Service took over the role of cooks, clerks, wireless telegraphists, code experts and electricians. The women were so successful that other organizations such as the Women's Army Auxiliary Corps
Women's Army Auxiliary Corps
The Women's Army Auxiliary Corps can refer to:* Women's Army Auxiliary Corps , a branch of the British military in the First World War* prior name of the Women's Army Corps, a branch of the U.S. military in World War II...
(WAAC) and the Women's Royal Air Force
Women's Royal Air Force
The Women's Royal Air Force was a women's branch of the Royal Air Force which existed in two separate incarnations.The first WRAF was an auxiliary organization of the Royal Air Force which was founded in 1918. The original intent of the WRAF was to provide female mechanics in order to free up men...
(WRAF) were also established.
After the war, Furse joined the travel agency of Sir Henry Lunn. Working mainly in Switzerland, she became an expert skier and did a great deal to popularize the sport with British tourists. Her achievements were acknowledged when she became President of the Ladies' Ski Club. Her autobiography, Hearts and Pomegranates was published in 1940.
In 1920, Furse formed the Association of Wrens and this led to her becoming head of the Sea Rangers and for ten years, from 1928 to 1938, was director of the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts
World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts
The World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts is a global association supporting the female-oriented and female-only Scouting organizations in 145 countries. It was established in 1928 and has its headquarters in London, England. It is the counterpart of the World Organization of the Scout...
whose constitution she drafted. Her last public appearance was at the Conference of Former Scouts in London in September 1952. She died in London, two days after her 77th birthday.