Inez Milholland (1886 - 1916) - American Feminist Activist and Journalist

Inez Milholland (1886 - 1916) was an American feminist activist and journalist. She was born on 6th August 1886 in Brooklyn, New York.

In 1913, Inez organised the March for Women's Suffrage held in Washington, D.C., U.S.A.  She led the parade on a white horse.

During the First World War, Inez was an official war correspondent for a Canadian newspaper on the Italian Front, where she had acces to the front lines. 

Inez died on 22nd October 1916 during a speaking tour of the United States.

Inez featured in one of the very first commemorative exhibitions we held and is in the book of that exhibition "No Wman's Land: A Centenary Tribute to Inspirational Women of World War One", which is available via Amazon.

Mary Ann Eliza Young (1884 - 1919) - British Nurse

Nurse MARY ANN ELIZA YOUNG. Mary was born in Cardiff in 1884 - baptized on 12th April 1884.  Her parents were John Roger and Mercy Young of Machen Place, Riverside, Cardiff, Wales.  Mary was an Assistant Mistress at Lansdowne Road Council School, Cardiff before the war.

Mary is the only female student to feature on the First World War Roll of Honour of Cheltenham Training College, where she trained as a teacher from 1903 – 1905. Mary joined the Voluntary Aid Detachment on 19th October 1915 and worked initially at the Western General Hospital in Cardiff.

Posted to the 57th General Hospital in France on 15th July 1917, Mary worked in hospitals in Boulogne and Marseilles.  Mary died of pneumonia on 13th February 1919 at the age of 35 and was buried in Mazargues War Cemetery, Marseilles, Bouches-du-Rhone, France - Grave Reference: III. A. 57.

Sources: British Red Cross WW1 Records and https://uniofglos.blog/specialcollections/ww1/mary-anne-eliza-young/

Marguerite Maude McArthur (1892 - 1919) - British

Civilian MARGUERITE MAUDE McARTHUR, a volunteer with the Young Men's Christian Association (YMCA). Marguerite was born on 25th March 1892 in Kensington, London, UK.  Her parents were Allen Gordon McArthur, a barrister and J.P., who was born in Australia, and Emma Maude Finley McArthur, nee Finlay, who was born in Canada. 

Marguerite had a brother, Alexander and a sister, Kathleen. Marguerite was educated at Norland Place School in Notting Hill Gate, London, Newnham College, Cambridge and then in Dresden in Germany.

When war broke out, Marguerite was visiting family in Canada.  She returned to Britain in October 1914 and immediately volunteered. She worked in the War Office Translation Bureau fro two years due to her language skills. From March 1918 Marguerite worked for the Army Education Service of the YMCA, teaching in Etaples, France.

Marguerite died of pneumonia on 13th February 1919, at the age of 26 and was buried in Etaples Military Cemetery, Pas de Calais, France - Grave Reference: XLV. B. 7. After her death, Marguerite’s friend Josephione Kellett put together a book about her which is available here: https://archive.org/details/thatfriendofmine00kell/page/n7   I urge you to read it!

Doris Mary Luker

Worker DORIS MARY LUKER, No. 6947 of the Queen Mary's Army Auxiliary Corps.

Doris Mry Luker

Doris died of pneumonia on 13th February 1919 at the age of 21. Doris’s parents were James George and Mary Maria Luker, nee Ryder, of Woking, Surrey, and she had a sister called Effie, b. 1893 and a brother called James Ryder Luker b. 1896, who became a Private in the London Regiment in WW1 and died on 15th September 1916. 

Doris joined the QMAAC in January 1917, and had been in France for 12 months when she died. She was buried in Etaples Military Cemetery, Pas de Calais France - Grave Reference: LXXII. B.15.

Doris's grave in Etaples

The photographs of Doris and her brother are from the "Woking News & Mail" and were kindly sent to me by Kevin Nicholas Smith.

James Ryder Luker