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Mathilde Augusta Lilian Laloe

Place of birth: Carmarthen

Service: Administrator, SWH, 1916 - 1920

Notes: Lilian Laloe was the daughter of Auguste Felix Laloe, a teacher from France who became headmaster of the Queen Elixabeth Grammar School in 1874. She joined the Scottish Womens Hospitals as a cook, but was rapidly promoted to Adminstrator.

Sources: http://scottishwomenshospitals.co.uk/women/

Reference: WaW0086

Lilian Laloe (rear, second left).

Lilian Laloe (rear, second left) with Doctors from the Scottish Women's Hospital, Salonika, 1917?.

Margaret Ann Lloyd

Place of birth: Morriston 1894

Service: Munitions Worker

Notes: Margaret Ann Lloyd from Morriston (on the left) and friend (unknown) when they worked in the Mannesman Ammunition Factory manufacturing shells in Morriston – age early 20s. c. 1914-8

Reference: WaW0084

Margaret Ann Lloyd (L) and friend

Margaret Ann Lloyd (seated) and a friend, Mannesman Ammunition Factory, Morriston, c.1915 or 1916

Gertrude Madley

Place of birth: Llanelli, 1892

Service: Staff Nurse, QAIMNS Reserve / Wrth gefn, September 1916 - May 1920

Notes: Gertrude Madley was the daughter of a tinplate rollerman, and worked as a tinplate hand before training as a nurse in Swansea in 1913. She joined Queen Alexandra's Imperial Military Nursing Service Reserve as a Staff Nurse in September 1916. At just twenty-three years of age she was one of the youngest nurses to serve with the Reserve during the Great War. She served initally in Malta, and then, 1918 - 1920, in France

Sources: http://greatwarnurses.blogspot.co.uk/2014/09/from-small-acorns-mighty-oaks-grow.html

Reference: WaW0098

Gertrude Madley in France 1919

Staff Nurse Gertrude Madley QAIMNS in France 1919

Alice Meldrum

Place of birth: Trevor Llangollen, 1880

Service: Staff Nurse, QAIMNS Reserve / Wrth gefn, 1914 - 1920

Notes: Alice Meldrum survived the sinking of the Hospital Ship HMHS Anglia 17th November 1915. The ship was carrying wounded men from Boulogne to Folkestone when it struck a mine. Alice's account reads:“We carried as many as possible on deck, and those that could threw themselves into the sea; others were let down in the lifeboat, but unfortunately it was only possible to lower one boat, as the ship was sinking so rapidly. The patients kept their heads wonderfully, there was no panic whatever, and when one realises that in the vast majority of cases they were suffering from fractured limbs, severe wounds, and amputations, it speaks volumes for their spirit, their grit and real bravery for they must have suffered agonies of pain. After we had satisfied ourselves that there was no possible chance of getting any more patients out, for by that time our bows had quite gone under, and only the ship’s stern was above water, with the propellers going at a terrific rate and blinding us with spray, we then got down onto the rudder and jumped into the sea……”. Three hundred wounded and crew were saved by naval and other ships in the area. She wrote 'there was a humourous side to it, for we must have looked very weird in the different garments that had been so kindly supplied to us by the officers and men of the destroyers, who did everything in their power for our welfare……..I would remind you that 40 minutes in the water in November is not the kind of sea-bathing that many would indulge in from choice …….After a good meal on the Ambulance Train, we were soon on our journey to London.”. Alice Meldrum was awarded the Royal Red Cross, and also wrote a short account of her experiences. She spent the remainder of the War working at field hospitals in France.

Sources: http://greatwarnurses.blogspot.co.uk/2009/11/sinking-of-hospital-ship-anglia.html

Reference: WaW0101

Alice Meldrum's memoir

Experiences of Life on a Hospital Ship in Wartime� Alice Meldrum's memoir

Application to join QAIMNS

Alice Meldrum's application to join QAIMNS

Alice Meldrum

Alice Meldrum VAD

Royal Red Cross

Alice Meldrum's Royal Red Cross

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

M Jane Owen

Service: Munitions Worker

Memorial: Cenotaph, Swansea, Glamorgan

Reference: WaW0041

Swansea Cenotaph

Name of Jane M (or M Jane) Owen on Swansea Cenotaph

Doris Patterson

Place of birth: Swansea

Service: Munitions Worker

Notes: Aged 34. Doris Patterson witnessed the explosion that killed Gwenllian Williams and Eleanor Thomas, and was uninjured although she was only 'two yards away'.

Reference: WaW0095

Witness account of explosion

Newspaper account: Doris Patterson's witness account of explosion, South Wales Daily Post 18 January 1919

Violet Phillips

Place of birth: Newport

Service: Worker, WAAC/QMAAC, 1917 - 1919

Death: 1919-03-08, Chadderton Hostel, Cause not known

Memorial: St Woolos, Newport, Monmouthshire

Notes: Violet was the daughter of Mrs C.M.Phillips, 32 Barrack Hill, Newport, Mon.

Sources: http://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/390079/PHILLIPS,%20V

Reference: WaW0118

Grave of Violet Phillips

Grave of Violet Phillips, St Woolos Cemetery, Newport

A M Davies

Place of birth: Llanharan

Service: Nurse, Not known / anhysbys, 1915 - 1918 ?

Notes: Miss Davies, a professional nurse spent 18 months early in the war at Lady Hadfield’s Hospital at Wimereux, France (later No 5 British Red Cross Hospital). She later worked at the Welsh Hospital, Netley. She was awarded the Royal Red Cross in January 1918.

Reference: WaW0393

Newspaper report

Report of Nurse A M Davies’s award of the Royal Red Cross. Glamorgan Gazette 18th January 1918.

Ladas May (Known as Gladys WAAC / in Gelwid yn Gl Powell ( later Pritchard)

Place of birth: Cwmaman

Service: Worker, WAAC/QMAAC, 24/05/1918 - 11/02/1920

Notes: Ladas Powell joined the WAAC underage. She served at Stonar Camp, near Sandwich, Kent. Ladas, or Gladys as she was known in the WAAC, kept an album with photographs and documents in it as well as entries by friends and colleagues.

Reference: WaW0044