Happy International Women's Day!

As its international women's day, I thought it would be fitting to tell the stories of some of the women hailed heroines during the first world war. Many of them went on to lead full interesting lives after the war, with some even continuing their work during the second world war. However, I am only going to tell their stories during the first world war. If you would like to find out what happens to them next, their is plenty of information on the internet as well as in books about women's work.

The first two women I am going to tell you about spent most of the war together so I thought that it would be fitting to combine their stories. Elizabeth Knocker was born in Exeter, England on the 29th June 1884. Mairi Chisholm was born in Nairn, Scotland on the 26th February 1896 and moved down to Dorset as a child. They met when they were eighteen years old and became good friends. 
At the outbreak of war, Elizabeth wrote to Mairi about what they should do during the war and they both decided to join the Women's Emergency Corps. This was on organisation set up by Evelina Haverfield, Decima Moore & the Women's Social & Political Union. Mairi was chosen by Hector Munro to join the Flying Ambulance Corps, where she convinced Hector to also choose Elizabeth due to her training as a nurse, great mechanical and chauffeur skills and because she spoke fluent in both French & German. 
The duo arrived in France on the 25th September 1914 and were quickly relocated in October to the town of Furnes near Dunkirk. Their role was to pick up soldiers from mid-way from the front & deliver them to a field hospital at the rear. They soon realised that despite their efforts, many of the soldiers were dying of their injuries before they made it to the hospital. They therefore decided to leave the organisation and set up on their own, setting up a dressing station just 100 yards from the trenches situated north of Ypres. It was decided that Elizabeth would treat patients, whilst Mairi drove the patients to the base hospital, all whilst under fire. They were even known to have carried the injured on their backs in order to get them to safety as quickly as possible.
Whilst doing this work, they also decided to take photographs of them at work, as well as the suffering going on around them. These photographs were to become highly popular in later years and are just some of the many chosen to be shown by historians today. 
In January 1915 both Elizabeth & Mairi where awarded the Order of Leopold II, knights cross with palm by King Albert I of Belgium. They were also awarded the British Military Medal and made Officers, most venerable order of the hospital of St John of Jerusalem after rescuing a German pilot from no mans land. Mairi also received the Order of Queen Elizabeth of Belgium & the 1914 Star. The war came to an abrupt end for the pair in March 1918 after being gassed during a German offensive and were subsequently sent home.

On the 6th October 1889, Dorothie Feilding was born in Newnham Paddox to aristocratic parents. Out the outbreak of war she shunned her privileged upbringing and drove ambulance at the front. She received the Croix De Guerre and on the 1st September 1916, became the first woman to be awarded the Military Medal for bravery. Along with these, Dorothie also received the Order of Leopold II, knights cross with palm by King Albert I of Belgium. 
Dorothie returned home to be married in June 1917 and spent the rest of the war driving the wounded around London.

On the 24th August 1863, Mary Amelia St Clair was born in Cheshire, England. Mary was a well-known writer & Suffragist but at the outbreak of war, Mary chose to be known under the name May Sinclair and volunteered to drive ambulances on the western front. However, after just a few short weeks, May was sent home for the duration and instead spent much of her time putting her experiences down on paper in the form of prose & poetry.

In August 1917, Mary O'Connell Bianconi (Known as Molly on the front line) joined the First Aid Nursing Yeomanry and worked as a driver in the St Omer Ambulance Convoy. In July 1918, after a heavy air raid, Molly & six others worked tirelessly to help the wounded whilst under fire, helping those buried in caves, dugouts and hospitals that had been hit. Due to her huge efforts, she received the Military Medal for bravery.

In 1914, a qualified surgeon named Elsie Inglis tried to volunteer with the Royal Army Medical Corps where she was told to 'go home & sit still'. Elsie therefore decided to set up her own organisation and so the Scottish Women's Hospitals were born, treating troops in Serbia & Russia. Elsie was the first women to receive the Order of the White Eagle, given to her by Serbia. Elsie & her team were evacuated in 1917 & unfortunately died just one day after returning to Britain from Cancer.

Chicago 1886, Mary Borden was born. At the outbreak of war, Mary was living in Britain. She decided to help the war effort by using her own money to equip & staff a field hospital. From 1915 she served as a nurse for the duration of the war. In her spare time she also wrote poetry such us 'The song in the mud'.

Join me on Tuesday with more stories about the brave women of world war one.