"Throughout Mabel Pretty's work with the Red Cross and as the wife of the Commanding Officer of the 6th Battalion Suffolk Regiment, one of her closest friends and colleagues was Stella Cobbold. Married to Barrister Clement John Fromanteel Cobbold, of the famous Ipswich brewing family, Stella was also the great niece of Lord Gwydyr of Stoke Park, Belstead. Her father was one of the doctors who pioneered blood transfusion during the war, as treatment for massive haemorrhage and Stella was involved with Red Cross from its inception. Educated at Roedean, Stella was in the same year group as Mabel's sister-in-law Mildred Pretty and Edith Dempster (later Mrs Edith Pretty of Sutton Hoo). Mabel and Stella were founder members of the Suffolk Branch of the British Red Cross and their husbands were Commanding Officers of the 1/6th Battalion and 2/6th Battalion Suffolk Regiment respectively.
Mabel and Stella were at the head of the group of ladies who so successfully established the Hospital Supplies Depot and the county-wide network of depots which completely supplied all the Red Cross hospitals across the county, as well as sending supplies and medicines directly to all conflict Fronts.
Both women experienced significant personal loss during WW1 but they worked tirelessly for the entire duration of the conflict, with no let-up even when the Armistice came. Moving their work into caring for those recovering from injuries and the onslaught of the Spanish Flu, Stella herself, worn out by the war and personal loss, finally succumbed. 2nd December 2018 marks 100 years since an incredible woman gave her life for her country, Stella Willoughby Savile Cameron Cobbold (died 2.12.1918, aged 36).
Stella Willoughby Savile Cameron Cobbold was buried in the Churchyard of St Mary the Virgin, Belstead, Suffolk."
With thanks to Julia Barrett on the Facebook Page Clothing the Rose https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=1953415991404191&id=258032757609198
