Today is the 100th year anniversary of the end of World War 1. And it's a personal day for me due to experiencing the ceremonies first hand in France, Belgium and Germany as part as a school trip in Year 8. It was breath-taking to see the white marbled headstones, all sitting in rows or aches. The seer number of those grave was quite mind blowing and knowing that wouldn't be the total one of fallen as some weren't found.
Because today armistice day, I wanted to highlight a few stories of people who were involved in the war as well as those who lived through the event. For this first post, I wanted to acknowledge the females of the era. Tell some of their amazing stories who despite the hardships, stepped up when the men went away to fight. Some showed the mettle as a scientist, others showed tremendous courage and heart as a nurse. But, all are deserving of being recognised.
May Sybil Leslie
May Sybil Leslie was born in Woodlesford (6 miles from Leeds) in West Yorkshire, on the 14th of August 1887. She was one of the under sung champions of Chemistry in WW1 and worked with the likes of Marie Curie as well as Ernest Rutherford.
She graduated from the University of Leeds in 1908, receiving the best grade. This was a BSc (Bachelors) in Chemistry with first class honours! But, she didn't stop there. May carried out more research at the University of Leeds and graduate with MSc (Masters) in Chemistry just the year afterwards. If that wasn't enough great news, May also won a scholarship to work for 2 years at the Radium Institute of Paris. Where she would work under the guidance of Madame Curie. I could only guess at her level of excitement, she was a celebrity at this time.
Her research would be focused on the extraction of elements from their ores which contained a radioactive element known as thorium. May's research on thorium as well as another element called actinium would be further studied at Manchester. But, this would be under another famous chemistry - Ernest Rutherford. He was a celebrity for winning the Nobel peace prize for chemistry in 1908.
But then, the war started. The government hired her to complete research into the manufacture of Nitric Acid. May's research would by invaluable to the war effort because nitric acid was needed to make explosives. Though it took a few years she did enable Nitric acid to be manufactured on an industrial scale. Which would have cause Britain to have a better supply of explosives for the war.
For all of May's efforts, the University of Leeds awarded with a doctorate. Although, May would be sadly stripped of her government position when the war was over and the men returned.
However, not to let that effect her, May did become a demonstrator at Leeds University.
Nellie Spindler
Nellie Spindler was a WW1 staff nurse who worked at the front lines within Europe. She was born in the year 1891 within the city of Wakefield. Wakefield is located in my home county of West Yorkshire and I remember her being celebrated within Leeds last year. Nellie was one of a few women who answered the call for the need for nurses on the front line. She joined the Queen Alexandra's Imperial Military Nursing Service (QAIMNS) and within the first few weeks of the war, Nellie was mobilised for duty. These brave women would be positioned wherever there would be an injured solider. So usually, the QAIMNS would be in all theatres of war and consequently faced many of the same dangers that the soldiers they were serving. Her nursing group was the 44th Casualty Cleaning Station. It specialised in abdominal wounds. These are bad wounds. Abdominal wounds would have to be treated swiftly because of the concerns with too much blood loss and infection. Not to mention, it was linked to a high mortality rate.
Nellie's CCS should have been a save distance away from the front. But, war doesn't always stick to rules. Sadly, Nellie along with the 44th CCS, was stationed closer to the front within the summer of 1917. She was just three miles from the front lines nearby the city of Ypres. On the morning of the 21st of August 1917, a shelling attack started. Two shells narrowly avoided the medical quarters of the 44th CCS group. Despite the shell fire, the nurses and medical staff worked regardless. But, there was one shell too many on that morning and Nellie Spindler was critically wounded.
Eye witnesses to the event described that Nellie had shrapnel injuries. Luckily for Nellie, the shrapnel fragments just managed to avoid her heart. But, they would have caused major internal bleeding. The other nurses quickly cared for their injured colleague. But, Nellie lost consciousness. Within 20 minutes Nellie passed away.
Nellie Spindler was only 26 years old when she died. Which isn't far from my own age, I could imagine the feeling of hopelessness that the nurses might have experienced when watching their colleague go that quickly.
Nellie was laid to rest at Lijssenthoek military cemetery with full military honours. Just one single female amongst 10,000 men. Horrifically, Nellie Spindler wasn't the only QAIMNS member to have been buried in Belgium. The other was Sister Elsie Mable Gladstone ARRC.
Sister Elsie Mable Gladstone ARRC (Associate Royal Red Cross)
Elsie Gladstone was born in India on the 27th of March 1886. She was born into a military family with four other sisters. They were settled in Jersey before the event of the first world war. In 1915, Elsie had finished her training as a nurse at Guy's Hospital within the city of London. Immediately after, Elise Gladstone entered into the Civil Hospital Reserve and served on a hospital ship for some time.
But turn to 1919 and Elise is recorded as working for the 48th Casualty Cleaning Station (CCS). Her CCS was treating the men who had contracted Influenza (The flu). Unfortunately, she contracted the disease as well. The disease quickly worsened into pneumonia and Elise succumbed to her illness. She was 32 years old when she died.
Her colleague, Sister Rose, wrote on the back of her portrait. These words showed the level of responsibly that Elise had. Especially in the latter stages of the war, 50 nurses were specially trained as lady anaesthetist;
Sister Elise M. Gladstone. QAIMNS. Died nursing influenza stricken troops, Namur, Jan 1919. Served in France from August 1915. REC. RCC. Anaesthetist for the hospital train
Despite her training, Elise wasn't allowed to keep her certificate as she was female. Neither would her skills be recognised until the war had finished.
Elise Gladstone was laid to rest in Belgrade Cemetery in Namur, Belgium. She was awarded the Royal Red Cross 2nd class for her contributions to the war. Yet sadly, Elsie would never know about it.
Links
Nellie Spindler
Site 1
Site 2
Sister Elsie Mable Gladstone
Site 1
Site 2
Because today armistice day, I wanted to highlight a few stories of people who were involved in the war as well as those who lived through the event. For this first post, I wanted to acknowledge the females of the era. Tell some of their amazing stories who despite the hardships, stepped up when the men went away to fight. Some showed the mettle as a scientist, others showed tremendous courage and heart as a nurse. But, all are deserving of being recognised.
May Sybil Leslie
May Sybil Leslie was born in Woodlesford (6 miles from Leeds) in West Yorkshire, on the 14th of August 1887. She was one of the under sung champions of Chemistry in WW1 and worked with the likes of Marie Curie as well as Ernest Rutherford.
She graduated from the University of Leeds in 1908, receiving the best grade. This was a BSc (Bachelors) in Chemistry with first class honours! But, she didn't stop there. May carried out more research at the University of Leeds and graduate with MSc (Masters) in Chemistry just the year afterwards. If that wasn't enough great news, May also won a scholarship to work for 2 years at the Radium Institute of Paris. Where she would work under the guidance of Madame Curie. I could only guess at her level of excitement, she was a celebrity at this time.
Her research would be focused on the extraction of elements from their ores which contained a radioactive element known as thorium. May's research on thorium as well as another element called actinium would be further studied at Manchester. But, this would be under another famous chemistry - Ernest Rutherford. He was a celebrity for winning the Nobel peace prize for chemistry in 1908.
But then, the war started. The government hired her to complete research into the manufacture of Nitric Acid. May's research would by invaluable to the war effort because nitric acid was needed to make explosives. Though it took a few years she did enable Nitric acid to be manufactured on an industrial scale. Which would have cause Britain to have a better supply of explosives for the war.
For all of May's efforts, the University of Leeds awarded with a doctorate. Although, May would be sadly stripped of her government position when the war was over and the men returned.
However, not to let that effect her, May did become a demonstrator at Leeds University.
Nellie Spindler
Nellie Spindler was a WW1 staff nurse who worked at the front lines within Europe. She was born in the year 1891 within the city of Wakefield. Wakefield is located in my home county of West Yorkshire and I remember her being celebrated within Leeds last year. Nellie was one of a few women who answered the call for the need for nurses on the front line. She joined the Queen Alexandra's Imperial Military Nursing Service (QAIMNS) and within the first few weeks of the war, Nellie was mobilised for duty. These brave women would be positioned wherever there would be an injured solider. So usually, the QAIMNS would be in all theatres of war and consequently faced many of the same dangers that the soldiers they were serving. Her nursing group was the 44th Casualty Cleaning Station. It specialised in abdominal wounds. These are bad wounds. Abdominal wounds would have to be treated swiftly because of the concerns with too much blood loss and infection. Not to mention, it was linked to a high mortality rate.
Nellie's CCS should have been a save distance away from the front. But, war doesn't always stick to rules. Sadly, Nellie along with the 44th CCS, was stationed closer to the front within the summer of 1917. She was just three miles from the front lines nearby the city of Ypres. On the morning of the 21st of August 1917, a shelling attack started. Two shells narrowly avoided the medical quarters of the 44th CCS group. Despite the shell fire, the nurses and medical staff worked regardless. But, there was one shell too many on that morning and Nellie Spindler was critically wounded.
Eye witnesses to the event described that Nellie had shrapnel injuries. Luckily for Nellie, the shrapnel fragments just managed to avoid her heart. But, they would have caused major internal bleeding. The other nurses quickly cared for their injured colleague. But, Nellie lost consciousness. Within 20 minutes Nellie passed away.
Nellie Spindler was only 26 years old when she died. Which isn't far from my own age, I could imagine the feeling of hopelessness that the nurses might have experienced when watching their colleague go that quickly.
Nellie was laid to rest at Lijssenthoek military cemetery with full military honours. Just one single female amongst 10,000 men. Horrifically, Nellie Spindler wasn't the only QAIMNS member to have been buried in Belgium. The other was Sister Elsie Mable Gladstone ARRC.
Sister Elsie Mable Gladstone ARRC (Associate Royal Red Cross)
Elsie Gladstone was born in India on the 27th of March 1886. She was born into a military family with four other sisters. They were settled in Jersey before the event of the first world war. In 1915, Elsie had finished her training as a nurse at Guy's Hospital within the city of London. Immediately after, Elise Gladstone entered into the Civil Hospital Reserve and served on a hospital ship for some time.
But turn to 1919 and Elise is recorded as working for the 48th Casualty Cleaning Station (CCS). Her CCS was treating the men who had contracted Influenza (The flu). Unfortunately, she contracted the disease as well. The disease quickly worsened into pneumonia and Elise succumbed to her illness. She was 32 years old when she died.
Her colleague, Sister Rose, wrote on the back of her portrait. These words showed the level of responsibly that Elise had. Especially in the latter stages of the war, 50 nurses were specially trained as lady anaesthetist;
Sister Elise M. Gladstone. QAIMNS. Died nursing influenza stricken troops, Namur, Jan 1919. Served in France from August 1915. REC. RCC. Anaesthetist for the hospital train
Despite her training, Elise wasn't allowed to keep her certificate as she was female. Neither would her skills be recognised until the war had finished.
Elise Gladstone was laid to rest in Belgrade Cemetery in Namur, Belgium. She was awarded the Royal Red Cross 2nd class for her contributions to the war. Yet sadly, Elsie would never know about it.
…
These stories are impressively pure and heartbreakingly real. Most of the females mentioned were from West Yorkshire or the West Midlands and that was not planned. Though the research did tug at my emotions. It was just knowing the women with similar goals or similar ages were going through such a horrendous time. I couldn't help but relate to them. It just further highlights the true causalities and horrors that this world wars made. But, let it be known that we should never forget the courage of those who fought or lived in this era.
Links
Nellie Spindler
Site 1
Site 2
Sister Elsie Mable Gladstone
Site 1
Site 2
Comments
Post a Comment