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E Bethel
Place of birth: Talywain ?
Service: Munitions Worker
Notes: E Bethel’s name is recorded as a National Munitions Worker in the Roll of Honour at Pisgah Baptist Church, Talywain. Nothing is known of her.
Reference: WaW0293
Minnie Bevan
Place of birth: Swansea
Service: Munitions Worker
Notes: Suffered from shock but survived the accident that killed Gwendoline (Gwenllian) Williams and Sarah Jane Thomas 8th January 1919
Reference: WaW0085

Newspaper report of explosion
Minnie Bevan mentioned in a newspaper report, Carmarthen Journal Jan 1919
Helen Beveridge
Place of birth: Abergavenny ?
Service: Nurse, Scottish Womens Hospitals, November 1916 - September 1919
Notes: Born in 1887, Helen volunteered for the Scottish Women’s Hospitals on November 1916, and left immediately for Salonika. She remained in Serbia until she was invalided home in the summer of 1919. She was awarded the medal of the Royal Serbian Red Cross for her work there.
Reference: WaW0274

Newspaper report
Report of a gift of a wrist watch to Helen Beveridge at Frogmore St Baptist Church. Abergavenny Chronicle 24th November 1916.
Mary Lavinia Beynon
Place of birth: Swansea ?
Service: Midwife
Notes: Mary Beynon, aged 40, was charged with the murder of Esther Davies [qv]. The charge was that she had used an instrument to procure an abortion, as a result of which Esther Davies died. Mary, who was the wife of a Police Inspector, was cleared of the charge in November 1919.
Reference: WaW0303

Newspaper report
Report of the ‘not guilty’ verdict. Report of the charge against Mary Beynon. Cambria Daily Leader 11th August 1919.
Maisie Bowcott
Place of birth: Abergavenny
Service: Nurse, VAD, 1918/07/01 - 1919
Notes: Maisie Bowcott worked in English hospitals, first in Wimborne, Dorset, and then at the Military Hospital, Tidworth, Hants.
Reference: WaW0155
Frances Ethel Brace
Place of birth: Manorbier
Service: Nurse, QAIMNS, 16/06/1916
Death: 1916-09-21, Military Hospital, Malta, Malaria
Memorial: War Memorial, Cosheton; Llanelwy, Pembrokshire, Flintshire
Notes: Frances Brace trained at Carmarthen Infirmary, and joined QAIMNS in 1916. She was posted to Salonika as a staff nurse. There she contracted malaria and dysentery, and was transferred to Malta. She died there on 2ist September 1916, aged 30.
Sources: http://www.wwwmp.co.uk/pembrokeshire-war-memorials/;http://www.flintshirewarmemorials.com/memorials/st-asaph-memorial/st-asaph-cathedral-welsh-nurses-ww1/brace-frances-ethel/
Reference: WaW0001
Annie Matilda Breeze
Place of birth: Machynlleth
Service: Nurse, TFNS ?, 1914 -
Notes: Annie Breeze probably trained in London, as her name appears at number 1 on the Roll of Honour at the Welsh Chapel, King’s Cross. She worked in hospitals in Aldershot before leaving for France in 1916. She was awarded the Royal Red Cross that year.
Reference: WaW0196

Annie Breeze’s name on Roll of Honour
Annie Breeze’s name on Roll of Honour of those who served in WWI, Kings Cross Welsh Chapel London

Newspaper report
Report concerning Annie Breeze, Cambrian News and Merioneth Standard 3rd November 1916
Annie Elizabeth (Nancy) Brewer (Mistrick)
Place of birth: Newport
Service: Nurse, Fondation Baye
Death: 1921/01/30, Newport, Brights disease
Notes: Annie Brewer, also known as Nancy, was born in 1874. Her father worked in the Dos Road Nail factory. She qualified in ‘the nursing and attendance of insane persons’ in 1899. After a few years working in hospitals she seems to have become a nurse/companion, travelling to many parts of Europe. At the outbreak of War she joined a private French hospital and ambulance organisation, the Fondation Baye, and worked as part of the Fondation in many war zones of France. She was wounded when her ambulance was bombed, and also suffered serious illness. She remained in France in the Army of Occupation until late 1920. She was decorated several times by the French government, including two awards of the Croix de Guerre and also the Legion d’Honnour. During her time in France she also married a young ambulance driver, Daniel Mistrick. She returned to Newport early in 1921 to nurse her mother, but died very shortly afterwards. Annie took many photographs of her time in France, and was also frequently photographed by others. A selection can be seen below.
Sources: www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/wales/authors/88112f9c-1724-34e3-8c65-6d48968dc06b22cb34378481r_date%22%20and%20%28gallica%20all%20%22nancy%20Brewer%22%29
Reference: WaW0187

Announcement of award of Croix de Guerre
Announcement in the Journal Officiel de la Republique Français, 17th December 1917: Miss BREWER (Nancy), voluntary nurse in the de Baye unit, at the hospital at Dugny: a highly skilled nurse whose moral strength and devotion have been conspicuously shown on many occasions, notably 18 August 1917 during the shelling of her ambulance. Gave on that day a magnificent example of coolness and of absolute disregard for danger, lavishing her care on the wounded while under enemy artillery fire.

Nurses looking at a zeppelin
Photograph by AB of a group of nurses looking up at a zeppelin flying over.

Announcement of award of Medaille de la Reconaissance français
Announcement in the Journal Officiel de la Republique Français 22nd October 1920: Miss Brewer (Annie Elizabeth, Nancy), British, senior nurse in the unit of Mlle de Baye: has been with this at the Front since 1915, at Vitry-le-François, at Deuxnouds, before Beauzée, at Souilly, at Dugny; since the Armistice has been attached to the Army of Occupation, notably at Saarbrücken; taken ill in April 1918, has had to undergo a long period in hospital; scarcely able to return to duty, daily imposing on herself new tasks way beyond her strength; at present undergoing treatment in rnhospital in a condition that her doctors describe as extremely serious.
May Brooks
Place of birth: Cardiff
Service: Worker, WAAC/QMAAC, 1917 - 1919
Notes: May Brooks was a clerk in a confectionary firm before joining the WAAC. She served at various places in the south of England. She contracted influenza, spending a week in hospital, and was discharged on compassionate grounds in June 1919. Image and information courtesy of Glamorgan Archives (DWESA6).
Sources: https://archifaumorgannwg.wordpress.com/
Reference: WaW0117

May Brooks, WAAC/QMAAC. Image courtesy of Glamorgan Archives
May Brooks in the outdoor uniform of the WAAC/QMAAC. Image courtesy of Glamorgan Archives
Gladys Butler
Place of birth: Valleys, 1914
Service: Small child
Notes: Gladys Butler had vivid memories of being dressed in a miniature soldier's uniform (c.1916/17) and being stood on a table. When admired as a 'smart soldier boy', she insisted 'I'm not a boy, I'm a girl!' (CF November 2014)
Reference: WaW0090