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.

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.