Tuesday 10 March 2015

International Women's Day Part 2

As promised here is part two of the stories of just some of the many heroines of the first world war. 

On the 24th January 1862, Edith Wharton was born in New York City. Pre-war Edith had bought a apartment in Paris and at the outbreak of the first world war, she decided to move back to the apartment, situated on the Rue De Varenne. Here, Edith opened a sewing work room that would provide unemployed 'work-girls' meals & one franc in exchange for their work. 
In the autumn of 1914, Paris became overrun with Belgian refugees after Germany had invaded Belgium. These people had nothing and no where to go. Edith again decided to help by setting up Hostels specifically for the refugees. Not only did it offer a place to stay, Edith also arranged meals and clothing and eventually started an employment agency in order to help the refugees find work.
Throughout the war, Edith worked tirelessly, supporting charities who helped refugees, the injured, the unemployed and the displaced. She even organised concerts which provided musicians with an income. On 18th April 1916, Edith was awarded a Chevalier of the Legion of Honour.
Edith worked hard to raise funds to help various charities. Most of the money received were donations sent over from the American people, who wanted to help with the war effort. Edith was able to raise tens of thousands of dollars, which enabled her to open tuberculosis hospitals after an the disease broke out in the trenches.

On the 9th August 1867 Evelina Haverfield was born in Kingussie in Scotland. A well known British Suffragette and aid worker, at the outbreak of the first world war, Evelina set up the Women's Emergency Corps. In 1915, Evelina joined Elsie Inglis and worked tirelessly helping the injuried in Serbia, until they were evacuated in 1917.

Flora Sandes was born on 22nd January 1876 in Yorkshire. In 1914, Flora volunteered to become a nurse but was turned down due to a lack of qualifications. Undeterred, she instead joined the St John's Ambulance and on the 12th August 1914 left for Serbia with thirty-six other women. Flora & Evelina decided to set up a fund for promoting comforts for Serbian soldiers and prisoners. This was carried on through the end of the war and beyond. In order to raise enough funds, Flora wrote a book by using her diaries to share her experiences.
During a difficult retreat back to the sea through Albania, Flora was separated from her unit and for her own safety & chance of being fed, she enrolled as a soldier with a Serbian regiment, where she was quickly promoted to Corporal. However, in 1916, Flora was seriously wounded by a grenade, where she subsequently the Order of the Karadorde Star. Due to her injuries, Flora spent the rest of the war running a hospital.



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