Annie Mary Davies

Place of birth: Abergele, Denbighshire

Service: Nurse, VAD

Notes: Annie, a farmer’s daughter aged 21, joined the VAD in early October 1917. Two weeks later she was posted to the City of Middlesex Military Hospital, Napsbury in Hertfordshire where she remained until May 1919.

Reference: WaW0181

Red Cross record card

Red Cross card in the name of Annie Mary Davies

Red Cross record card (reverse)

Red Cross card in the name of Annie Mary Davies (reverse))

City of Middlesex Military Hospital, Napsbury

City of Middlesex Military Hospital, Napsbury, Hertfordshire.

Dorothy Gibbon

Place of birth: Clydach

Service: Nurse, VAD, 1918

Notes: Dorothy Gibbons, a school teacher, worked as a VAD at Quarr Auxiilary Hospital, Clydach, Swansea Valley. She married Benjamin Clatworthy in 1923.

Reference: WaW0102

Dorothy Gibbon VAD

Benjamin Clatworthy

Red Cross card

Red Cross record card for Dorothy Gibbon

Red Cross card (reverse)

Red Cross record card for Dorothy Gibbon

M A James

Service: Nurse, VAD

Memorial: Church war memorial, Llandre, Cardiganshire

Notes: aged 26.

Reference: WaW0029

Llandre Church

Name of M A James, VAD, on memorial in Llandre Church to those who served in the War.

Olive Jenkins

Place of birth: Pontnewynydd

Service: Nursing Sister, VAD, 1916-07-04 - 1918-12-02

Death: 1918-12-02, Caerleon Infirmary, Influenza / Y Ffliw

Memorial: War Memorial Gates, Pontypool, Monmouthshire

Notes: Died aged 28.

Sources: http://www.gwentarchives.gov.uk/media/38358/ww1-newsletter-13082014-compressed.pdf;http://www.redcross.org.uk/About-us/Who-we-are/History-and-origin/First-World-War/Search?fname=Olive&sname=Jenkins&hosp=Pontypool

Reference: WaW0088

Olive Jenkins

Name of Olive Jenkins VAD on Pontypool Memorial Gates.

Red Cross record of Olive Jenkins (1)

Red Cross Record of Olive Jenkins (2)

Mary Morgan (née Corfield)

Place of birth: Swansea

Service: Nurse, VAD

Notes: I nursed during World War I, in the YMCA building. It lent itself to be a hospital, it was never used before. We worked right through from 6 am to 2 pm. Eventually we had little single bedrooms upstairs, could sleep there, so worked full time – all day from 6 to 10.30, with a midday meal. I slept there. We worked hard, had to do what we were told. Second World War was very different. I nursed during World War I, in the YMCA building. It lent itself to be a hospital, it was never used before. We worked right through from 6 am to 2 pm. Eventually we had little single bedrooms upstairs, could sleep there, so worked full time – all day from 6 to 10.30, with a midday meal. I slept there. We worked hard, had to do what we were told. Second World War was very different. There were officers from the war, we had to take orders from them, had to stand up, but WWII was quite different. Went to the workhouse (on Mount Pleasant) for training in the early days. Before the YM, go to casualty ward in Swansea Hospital – we saw a lot. The soldiers went straight to the YM from the docks or the station. They seemed to by-pass London. Bad cases by boat to Swansea and Cardiff by sea. We saw some terrible injuries. One thing I hated doing ... Blood didn’t worry me – dressing the empty sockets of eyes. We did work hard....There were not many things for young women – some drove cars ... got into khaki. Father never let me leave home, but nursing during the war was different. He gave me a good allowance - £60 a year. Father said to me, you’ve got to look after yourself, and don’t you get into debt. I did love it [nursing]. We did pull our weight. We had to take orders from people we’d have looked down our noses at [before]. We were just ordinary VADs, war was war. We kept in touch with quite a lot of the men.

Sources: Recorded at Bloomfield Care Home, Sketty by Jenny Sabine, c. 1990

Reference: WaW0124

Red Cross card

Red Cross card for Mary Corfield

Red Cross card (reverse)

Red Cross card for Mary Corfield

Margaret (Maggie) Mary Evans

Place of birth: Pwllheli ?

Service: Nurse, VAD, March 1914 – July 1918 / Maw

Death: 1918/07/20, RN Hospital, Plymouth, Ubknown / Anysbys

Memorial: War Memorial, Pwllheli, Caernarvonshire

Notes: Maggie Evans volunteered part-time for the VAD until 1917, when she was posted to the RC Hospital Porthmadoc, and then in 1918 to the Royal Naval Hospital, Plymouth where she died. A letter about Maggie’s death from Mildred Lloyd Hughes [qv] the Sister in charge was published in Yr Udgorn 7th August 1918 (in English).

Reference: WaW0176

Margaret (Maggie) Mary Evans

Maggie Evans in uniform

Welsh Book of Remembrance

Name of Miss Margaret M Evans with other nurses in the Welsh Book of Remembrance

Red Cross card

Red Cross record card for Margaret M Evans

Red Cross card (reverse)

Red Cross record card for Margaret M Evans (reverse)

Letter

Letter to Women’s Work Sub Committee, Imperial War Museum, from Maggie’s mother, August 1918

Letter

Second letter to Women’s Work Sub Committee, Imperial War Museum, from Maggie’s mother, April 1919

Letter

Letter to Women’s Work Sub Committee, Imperial War Museum, from C Hall, April 1919

Letter

A letter about Maggie’s death from the Sister in charge was published in Yr Udgorn 7th August 1918

Grave

Grave of Maggie Evans VAD, Pwllheli cemetery. Thanks to Wayne Bywater

Hannah Rees

Service: Nurse, VAD

Memorial: Capel y Garn Memorial Roll, Rhydypennau, Cardiganshire

Notes: seems to have served and survived

Reference: WaW0048

Capel y Garn

Name of Hannah Rees, VAD, Bronceiro, who served in the War. Capel y Garn

Rebecca Rees

Service: Nurse, VAD

Memorial: Capel y Garn Memorial Roll, Rhydypennau, Cardiganshire

Notes: seems to have served and survived

Reference: WaW0049

Capel y Garn

Name of Rebecca Rees, VAD, Bronceiro, who served in the War. Capel y Garn

Red Cross card

Red Cross record card for Rebecca Rees

Red Cross card (reverse)

Red Cross record card for Rebecca Rees

Ella Richards

Place of birth: Lampeter

Service: Nurse, VAD

Death: 1918-10-14, Salonika, Pneumonia / Niwmonia

Memorial: War memorial, Lampeter, Cardiganshire

Notes: aged 31. buried at Mikra British Cemetery, Salonika

Sources: Cambrian News and Merionethshire/Meirionnydd Standard 9 May/Mai 1919

Reference: WaW0050

Nurse Ella Richards

Nurse Ella Richards in VAD uniform

Lampeter's War Memorial

Ella Richards's name on Lampeter War Memorial

Capel Soar 1

Ella Richards's name on War Memorial in Capel Soar

Capel Soar 2

Memorial plaque to Ella Richards, Capel Soar

Newspaper report

Ella Richards mentioned in despatches, Cambrian News and Merionethshire Standard 18th July 1919

Red Cross Card

Red Cross card of Ella Richards

Red Cross Card (reverse)

Red Cross card of Ella Richards

Charlotte Emma (Lottie) Roberts

Place of birth: Abergwyngregyn near Bangor, 1883

Service: Nurse, VAD, 1914 - 1919

Notes: Charlotte (Lottie) Roberts joined the VAD in August 1914. After a period nursing in Lincoln she was posted to Calais in June 1916. She was so proud of her uniform that she chose wear it for her wedding in London 1919 or 20. She was awarded the Royal Red Cross.

Reference: WaW0099

Lottie Roberts VAD

Lottie Roberts in VAD uniform

Lottie Roberts VAD

Lottie Roberts in outdoor VAD uniform

Lottie Roberts wedding

Lottie's Wedding to F W Baker 1919/20

Royal Red Cross medal

photograph of Lottie's Royal Red Cross medal