Helen was born on 4th May 1891. Her parents were
George, a butler, and Elizabeth Hetterley, nee Kirby, who lived in Station Rd.,
Oakham. Helen’s siblings were: Lilian, b.
1889, Phillis, b. 1890, Hilda, b. 1893, Sybil, b. 1897, Charles, b. 1900,
Marjorie, b. 1902, Humphrey, b. 1903 and Herbert, b. 1906.
Helen trained as a nurse and in 1911 was working as a
children’s nurse with a wealthy family in London. During WW1, Helen worked at the Military
Hospital in Canterbury where she contracted T.B. After initial treatment, when nothing further
could be done for her, Helen returned home, where she died on 30th
May 1917. Helen was
buried in Oakham Cemetery in Rutland - Grave Reference: 30. 45.
Helen’s
cousin, Sergeant Joseph Hetterley, joined the Army Service Corps in March 1915
and served with the 2nd Northumberland Field Ambulance on the Western
Front. He served during the Second
Battle of Ypres and was killed in July 1915.
Sources: Commonwealth War Graves Commission List of
Female Casualties of the First World War; Find my Past and http://www.theygavetheirtoday.com/oakham-town-wwi.html and with thanks to Callan Chevin who found the photograph of Helen and of her grave.
