Katherine Rosebery Drinkwater (née Jay)

Place of birth: Chippenham

Service: August/Awst 1916 - August/Awst

Death: 1939/12/29, Wrexham, Cause not known

Notes: Katherine Drinkwater, born 1872, was a doctor’s daughter, and had her medical education in London and Liverpool (where she was one of the first women to receive the University’s Diploma of Public Heath). In 1903 she married a GP, widower Dr Harry Drinkwater, and moved to Wrexham. There she became an assistant school medical officer, and also held a position as Assistant Gynaecologist at the Women’s Hospital, Liverpool. In 1916 the Royal Army Medical Corps called for women doctors to volunteer for service in Malta, and Katherine was one of the first group of 22 to go. Life as a woman doctor with the RAMC was not easy. In a letter to the Times in 1918, Dr Jane Walker, President of the Women’s Medical Federation wrote “Although many of the medical women serving in the army not only have a high professional standing in civil practice, but now have a large experience in military hospitals, they rank below the latest joined R.A.M.C. subaltern, and are obliged to take orders from him. When they travel, they travel not as officers, but as ‘soldiers’ wives’”. Katherine had charge of the Military Families Hospital in the Auberge d’Aragon in Valletta, and remained there a year. In 1918 she was awarded the OBE for her work. After her return she continued to work in public health, became a JP, and continued with her husband to win prizes for their West Highland terriers in North Wales shows.

Sources: https://www.maltaramc.com/ladydoc/d/drinkwaterkr.html http://owen.cholerton.org/ref_drs_harry_and_katharine_drinkwater.php

Reference: WaW0435

Photograph

Katherine had charge of this Military Families Hospital in the former Auberge d’Aragon, in Valletta, Malta.

Newspaper report

Report of Dr Drinkwater’s imminent return from Malta. Llangollen Advertiser 3rd August 1917

London Gazette

Katherine Drinkwater’s award of the OBE (right hand column, fifth from the bottom). London Gazette June 7th 1918.

Thurza Dunn

Place of birth: Newport

Service: Munitions worker and rugby player

Notes: Thurza Dunn was a worker at one of the munitions factories in Newport. She also played rugby for her factory team. These games were played to raise funds for the war effort. Thanks to Ann Davidson.

Reference: WaW0377

Thurza Dunn

Thurza Dunn and her team mates. Thurza is in the front row, second from the left. Thanks to Ann Davidson.

Newspaper report

Report of a charity rugby match held in Jenner Park, Barry, between two teams of munitions workers. Barry was raising funds for a submarine; their target of £10,000 was exceeded! Barry Dock News 15th March 1918.

Gertrude Winifred Allan Dyer

Place of birth: Newport

Service: Worker, QMAAC

Death: 1918-01-27, Cause not known

Memorial: Christchurch Cemetery, Newport, Monmouthshire

Notes: aged 38. On her grave it says that the stone was erected by her family and ‘Newport Women’s Liberal Association of which she was the secretary for 18 years’. A plaque has also been placed on her grave by the Commonwealth War Commission. Her name also appears on the WW1 Roll of Honour book kept in Newport Reference Library and the Welsh National Book of Remembrance.

Reference: WaW0103

Grave of Gertrude Dyer

Grave of Gertrude Dyer, Christchurch Cemetery, Newport

Name of Gertrude Dyer

Name of Gertrude Dyer, Newport Roll of Honour, Newport

Memorial plaque

CWGC memorial plaque to Gertrude Dyer

Dorothy Caroline Edmondes (née Nicholl)

Place of birth: Usk

Service: Nurse, masseur, VAD

Death: 1963, Cause not known

Notes: Dorothy was born in 1871, daughter of a landowning family in Merthyr Mawr. Her husband, Major Charles Edmondes, died in 1911. She joined the VAD in 1915 as a nurse, but had at some stage trained in massage (physiotherapy). In 1917 she set up an outpatient orthopaedic clinic at the Red Cross Hospital in Bridgend, at which she was head masseuse, a post she held until 1922. She was awarded an OBE in that year ‘for work among the wounded and ex-service men in Bridgend’. Dorothy Edmondes stood as a Conservative candidate for Ogmore in the 1922 general election.

Reference: WaW0296

Dorothy Edmondes

Dorothy Edmondes in nurse’s uniform

Red Cross record card

Record card for Mrs Dorothy Edmondes

Red Cross record card (reverse)

Red Cross card for Mrs Dorothy Edmondes (reverse)

OBE citation

OBE citation for Dorothy Edmondes, London Gazette 2 January 1922

Elizabeth Edmunds

Service: Chief Lady Welfare Superintendent, NEF Pembrey

Notes: Chief Lady Welfare Superintendent, NEF Pembrey (munitions). Awarded the MBE in January 1919.

Reference: WaW0139

Elizabeth Edmunds

Elizabeth Edmunds, chief Lady Welfare Superintendent, NEF Pembrey.

Reverse of photograph of Elizabeth Edmunds

Caroline Maud Edwards

Place of birth: Newport

Service: Nursing Sister, QARNNS

Death: 1915/12/30, HMS Natal, Cromart, Explosion/Ffrwydrad

Memorial: Chatham Naval Memorial, Chatham, Kent

Notes: Sister Edwards was serving on HMHS Drina, but was visiting HMS Natal with others to see a Christmas film. She died with at least 400 others in an unexplained explosion.

Sources: http://www.northern-times.co.uk/Opinion/Stones-Throw/The-little-known-tragedy-of-HMS-Natal-07112012.htm

Reference: WaW0091

Caroline Edwards's name on Chatham Naval Memorial

Name of Caroline Edwards, QARNNS, on Chatham Naval Memorial..

Maud Edwards

Maud Edwards in QARNNS uniform

Jane Edwards

Place of birth: Taicynhaeaf

Service: Munitions worker

Death: 1962, Dolgellau, Cause not known

Notes: Jane Edwards worked in a Liverpool munitions factory, though it is not known which of the many factories there. Family tradition via her nephew says that her hair went yellow from the effect of the powder. Thanks to J T Jones.

Reference: WaW0352

Jane Edwards

Jane Edwards in munitions uniform. Her tunic shows a triangular war-workers badge. Photograph from J T Jones, Bala.

Nurse Edwards

Place of birth: Cynwyd

Service: Nurse, Not known / anhysbys

Notes: Nurse Edwards was one of three Welsh nurses serving on the hospital ship Britannic (sister ship to the Titanic). The others were Annie Handley and M A Harries. All survived when the ship struck a mine in the Aegean sea on 21st November 1916 and sank, with the loss of 30 lives out of 1065 on board. She subsequently nursed in France

Reference: WaW0256

Newspaper article

Report of Nurse Edwards’s home leave, Yr Adsain 27th February 1917

Maria Eley

Place of birth: Cardiff

Service: Rugby player, munitions worker

Death: 2007, Cause not known

Notes: Maria Eley played fullback for Cardiff Ladies Rugby Team during 1917 and 1918, including a match against Newport ladies in Cardiff Arms Park on December 16th 1917, when she was 16 years old. Cardiff lost. Maria died in 2007 aged 106.

Sources: http://www.scrumqueens.com/news/wales-v-uk-forces-99-years https://cardiffrugbymuseum.org/articles/earliest-photograph-women%E2%80%99s-team

Reference: WaW0240

Newspaper advertisement

Advertisement for Grand Rugby Match 16th December 1917. Western Morning News.

Maria Eley

Cardiff Ladies Rugby Team, probably taken 16th December 1917. Maria is sitting middle row left.

Press cutting

Cutting giving the score of the match played on 15th December 1917. Source not known.

Lily Ellis

Place of birth: Mountain Ash

Service: Nurse, TFNS, 1914 - 1919

Notes: The daughter of a well-known Mountain Ash choral conductor, Hugh Ellis, Lily trained at Swansea General and Eye Hospital. After working in Swansea and Malvern she was appointed to be theatre sister at Lewisham Hospital London. At the outbreak of War she joined the TFNS and was serving at the 1st Southern General Hospital when King George V visited it in 1916; she was awarded the Royal Red Cross.

Reference: WaW0486

Lily Ellis

Newspaper photograph of Nurse Lily Ellis. Aberdare Leader 24th June 1916.

Newspaper report

Report of Lily Ellis’s appointment as Theatre Sister at Lewisham Hospital.

Newspaper report

Report of Lily Ellis award of the Royal Red Cross. Aberdare Leader 24th June 1916.