Thursday, 5 November 2020

Chapter 2. My Grandmother's enrollment and The Red Cross.

 My Grandmother enrolled with the Red Cross on 13th October, 1915 and I find it very poignant that I am writing this at the same time of year, she would almost certainly have experienced similar seasonal autumnal changes. 

Members of the Red Cross were organised into Voluntary Aid Detachments and a primary role was to help the Naval and Military Services treat sick and wounded soldiers and sailors. A total of 90,000 volunteers worked at home and abroad taking part in nursing duties plus air raid duties, searching for missing persons and transporting the wounded.

I found her date of registration on the www.vad.redcross.org.uk a discovery which her really brought her to life. 

We are fortunate to have this photo of a clinic for the soldiers in Exeter [I think]. It's interesting to see the nurses in the background.


I don't have a photo of my Grandmother in her uniform but I founded some beautiful examples on google images, I feel they convey the camaraderie these young women almost certainly experienced in what most have been a very challenging time: 












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