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.
