With grateful thanks to the Revd Stuart Jermy, Vicar of St. Martin's of Tours, St. Martins and St. Johns, Weston Rhyn for finding the grave of Eugenie Elizabeth Teggin and taking these photographs.

Staff Nurse EUGENIE ELIZABETH TEGGIN, No. 2/Res/T66 of the Queen Alexandra's Imperial Military Nursing Service. Staff Nurse Eugenie Teggin died on 25th December 1918, at the age of 28. Her parents were John and Mary A. Teggin, nee Wollam, of The Willows, St. Martin's Moors, Oswestry, Salop.  Eugenie had a brother called Harry, b. 1888 and a sister called Ada, b. 1883.  Eugenie was buried in St. Martin’s Churchyard, St. Martin’s Shropshire, UK -  Grave Reference: In old ground North East of Church. 

Wherever possible I try to contact the churches where WW1 women are buried and I ask for them to be remembered in prayers.  

I am extremely grateful to everyone who helps me with my commemorative project.

Photographs of the grave of Louisa Ellen Speedy, a WW1 New Zealand Volunteer Worker

With grateful thanks to Maria Coates for these wonderful photographs taken during a pilgrimage to Brookwood Cemetery two years ago -

Remembering Volunteer MISS LOUISA ELLEN SPEEDY, a New Zealand Volunteer Worker, New Zealand Reinforcements. Louisa died of influenza and  pneumonia on 11th January 1919 at the age of 47. Her parents were Graham and Emily J. Speedy. Louisa was buried in Brookwood Military cemetery, Surey, UK - Grave Reference: II. H. 1B.

Ida Thekla Bowser, Fellow of the Institute of Journalists (1874 – 1919) – British writer and journalist

Ida Thekla Bowser was born in London in 1874. Her parents were John Carrick Bowser and his wife, Elizabeth, nee Mannell, of London. Thekla’s elder sister Elsie was Matron of a Nursing Home in Putney, London, UK.

Thekla became a writer and journalist, writing under the name of Thekla Bowser. She worked for “The Queen” magazine and had articles published in national newspapers.  Thekla became a member of The Order of St. John of Jerusalem in England in around 1903. When war broke out, she served as an Honorary  nurse initially in England and then, after volunteering for overseas service, served in France as Commandant of a First Aid Post at a railway station.

Thjekla became ill and returned to Britain where she underwent an operation.  She died on 11th January 1919 and was buried in Hastings Cemetery, Sussex, UK - Grave Reference: Screen Wall. E. M. B1.

Thekla’s book “Britain’s Civilian Volunteers: Authorised story of British Voluntary Aid Detachment Work in the Great War” (Moffat, Yard & Co., New York,, 1917) is available to read as a down-load on Archive: https://archive.org/details/01110420R.nlm.nih.gov/page/n7

“Hastings and St Leonards Observer” 18 January 1919

Photograph - photographer unknown - from Agnes Conway's collection for the nation of the Women of the First World War in the Imperial War Museum, London

Marjorie Lilian Purfoy Fitzgerald (1898 - 1919) - Driver with the Women's Royal Air Force.

A very special ceremony of Remembrance was held on Friday, 4th January 2019, at the graveside of Member MARJORIE Lilian Purfoy FITZGERALD, No. 16242, a Driver with the Women's Royal Air Force. Marjorie died on 4th January 1919 at the age of 20. She was buried in Goudehurst Cemetery, Kent, UK - Grave Reference: A. 16. 20.

The ceremony was organised by Goudhurst & Kilndown Local History Society and was attended by a representative of the WRAF Branch of the Royal Air Force Association (RAFA), Patricia Welsh. Patricia attended in uniform, laid a wreath and read out a poem written by Verena Bobbie Smith, a former Member of the Women’s Royal Air Force (WRAF), now an English teacher who raises funds for the Royal Air Force Association and other worthy causes. The poem was written in 2014 for the wrafsontour14 relay, at the National Memorial Arboretum (NMA) and has been adopted as the prayer of the WRAF Branch of the Royal Air Force Association.

Marjorie Fitzgerald was born on 11th April 1898 in Crowthorne, Berkshire. Her parents were Reverend Henry Purefoy Fitzgerald, an Anglican Minister and his wife, Lilian Mary, nee Langton. Marjorie had three siblings. The family moved to Goudehurst in Kent where they had a house called “Lidwells” which they converted into a convalescent hospital during WW1. Marjorie is the only First World War Female casualty commemorated on the WW1 Memorial in Goudehurst. Additional information supplied by Gill Joye, Archivist, Goudhurst & Kilndown Local History Society. 

The National Memorial Arboretum is Britain's year-round national site of Remembrance and is in Alrewas, near Lichfield, Staffordshire, United Kingdom.

Photo of Marjorie's grave kindly supplied by Patricia Welsh who put me in touch with Verena Bobbie Smith who kindly gave me permission to share her poem with you.