Mildred Aldrich's mysterious 'Captain S"

I have just been informed by the Facebook Group WW1 Buffs that The Western Front Association Thames Valley Branch has details of the 'Captain S" mentioned in Mildred Aldrich's "Hilltop on the Marne", including a photo of 'Captain S":   

There is also a suggestion that the person Mildred corresponded with in America during the early days of the War (her letters form the bulk of the book) is Gertrude Stein, the American poet who lived in Paris. 

However, I thought Gertrude purchased an ambulance during the First World War when she lived in Paris and drove it to take supplies to hospitals in the area.   I think a little more research is needed...

http://www.westernfrontassociation.com/attachments/article/2024/WFA_Thames_Valley_Branch_News_The_Poppy_September_2011.pdf

with grateful thanks to the wonderful Facebook Group WW1 Buffs - find them here:  https://www.facebook.com/pages/WW1-Buffs/162842593777796?fref=ts

How very sad.   I expect Mildred was devastated.

Scarlet Finders and Lady Helpers

My grateful thanks to Sue Light from the beautiful and most informative website Scarlet Finders -

http://www.scarletfinders.co.uk/   Sue flew to my rescue when I asked what "Lady Helpers" were in WW1 - one of the poets on my list - Beatrix Brice Miller - was awarded a medal and she was described as a "Lady Helper".  I just had to find out what they did, how they got there and where they stayed while there!   

Beatrix Brice Miller, incidentally, went with the BEF to France in August 1914. 

Sue says:

"The 'Lady Helpers' are an interesting group.  I'm not sure that the term was widely used other than in grouping together a varied selection of women on the medal index cards held by The National Archives - probably finding some difficulty in classifying them, 'Lady Helpers' was used as a catch-all term.

Looking at the women so described, they fall into many different categories.  To take a few of them, Mabelle Egerton started a 'coffee stall' in Rouen for French soldiers; Lady Bradford wrote letters home for soldiers throughout the war; Lady Michelham put a great deal of money into supplying and funding a hospital train (among other things); several were involved in setting up hospitals or mobile medical units, such as Lady Murray, Lady Dudley.  Lady Angela Forbes did a variety of things, but probably most remembered for her soldiers' canteen at Etaples.

They were, on the whole, rich, influential, philanthropic women who wanted to be involved in the war and self-financed various projects to do so.  The War Office had learnt a lesson during the Boer War about rich women who made a nuisance of themselves, and during the Great War were fairly stringent in removing anyone who didn't toe the line, or tried to get involved in anything that might prejudice the reputation of the British army.   So I don't know where Beatrix Brice Miller fitted in - I see there was also a Mary Brice Miller - possibly her sister-in-law? (Note from Lucy:  This was, we believe Sue, Beatrix's Mother).  

There might be an answer within the Women's Work Collection at the Imperial War Museum - most women who did some sort of voluntary job get a mention somewhere.  Also, the actual medal roll, to which the medal index card relates, might give some idea of what her role was, though equally, it might not!

Assuming that they had permission from the War Office to go to France, they would have travelled in the normal way for the time - boat across the Channel, and then probably motor car on arrival.  Of course, they were never 'at the front.'  If working for the British, they would almost certainly have been confined to the base towns - the Channel ports of Boulogne, Calais etc., and those towns that housed British soldiers - Etaples, Rouen, Abbeville, Treport, etc.  If they were working for the French, or wanted to go farther afield, then they would probably cross the Channel into somewhere such as Le Havre or farther south, and would need permission from the French authorities.

Accommodation would depend entirely on what sort of work they were doing.  Many would stay in hotels, private rooms or with friends. If they were involved in hospital work, then probably on the premises.

I suspect that the IWM might be the best bet to get a clue as to what she did, but sometimes it's hard to find out, especially if they didn't stay in France for long.  If her name turns up anywhere on my travels I'll certainly make a note and let you know."

Best wishes - Sue

Thank you very much indeed Sue.   I shall follow up those leads.

Mildred Aldrich

I first became aware of Mildred Aldrich through looking at Matt Jacobsen's wonderful website OldMagazineArticles.com


Now, I am 'haunted' by Mildred Aldrich's "Hilltop on the Marne" - it spans about two months from July to September 1914 and is in the form of extracts from letters written to a friend in America.  It is, to my mind, extremely well written and makes you want to find out what happened next.

Mildred, an American writer, had lived in Paris for sixteen years before deciding she needed to find somewhere quiet to spend her retirement years.   It took her just over a year of searching to find the cottage overlooking the River Marne.  After a little restoration work, she moved in in July 1914.

Her story is amazing - you can find it on the Internet, entitled "Hilltop on the Marne".  Mildred travelled to Paris and back twice during those early days of WW1 and, in spite of earnest requests from departing neighbours that she should accompany them, she refused to leave her home.

Mildfred describes being relieved that she stayed put when she hears reports of how the refugees were stuck on the roads.   She also describes the arrival of various groups of soldiers - two lots of British and one of French - and her efforts to help them with refreshments. When the French arrive, some are billeted in her house.

I should love to know what happened to the Uhlans rumoured to be camped out in a wood near the River, or to Captain S- of The King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry, 13th Infantry Brigade, 15th Division of the British Expeditionary Force, one of the first soldiers Mildred comes into contact with.

Photo:  German Uhlans - courtesy of WW1 Buffs Facebook Page.

"Fifty Amazing Stories of the Great War" - Esmee Sartorius, Nurse in WW1

Also mentioned in this lovely book which I purchased from the recycling shop at our local Re-cycling Centre last Monday (22nd July 2013), is Esmee Sartorius who wrote about women who nursed during the First World War.   Esmee recorded her experiences in "Everyman at War", published by J.M. Dent & Sons Ltd.

Esmee, along with many other women, volunteered to help as soon as war broke out in August 1914, joining the St. John's Ambulance.    By 14th August, Esmee was in Brussels.   She and her cousin were asked to report to the Grand Palace to start work but the Germans were very close to Brussels and so they were ordered to Antwerp.   Due to the seriousness of the situation, the nurses were given the option of returning to England.   Esmee and her cousin, however decided to stay in Brussels.

After a fruitless tram journey and search for some wounded soldiers reported to be just outside Brussels, the girls were ordered to proceed to Charleroi.   They had ten minutes to get ready before being whisked off in a Belgian Red Cross car to Charleroi, which they found in ruins and still burning.  They spent a sleepless night in the house of a kindly Belgian family who offered them shelter, the house shaking all night long from the explosion of artillery shells.

Next day the girls marched off to Marcinelle, five miles from Charleroi, where they met up with a British Matron and two other nurses.   They had plenty of work nursing wounded French soldiers under German guard.  

Esmee says "Life was one continual series of shocks;  strange noises made us think we were being shelled; the electric light going out one night made us vividly imagine we were going to be blown up.
Our patients were taken to concentration hospitals in Charleroi or to Germany, as soon as they were fit enough to be moved."

I shall definitely add Esmee to my "Inspirational Women" section of the Exhibition.

Mildred Aldrich

When it comes to inspirational women, I just had to add Mildred Aldrich.  I have mentioned her before in the blog but I have now had time to read a little more of her amazing story, first published in 1915 by Constable and Company, London - "A Hilltop on the Marne".

Mildred was an American writer and journalist who moved to Paris.  She decided to retire 'somewhere quiet in the country' and, at the age of 61 in June 1914, Mildred moved to a cottage on a hill overlooking the River Marne.   It surely doesn't take much imagination to work out what happened next, especially since Mildred mentions that "trains to Belgium, Metz and Strasbourg pass within sight of my garden"...

I have often wondered how people found about what was happening in an age when scarcely anyone had a telephone and long before radio came on the scene, let alone television.  Mildred answers that question telling us that in France at any rate, the local (equivalent of a) policeman went down the road banging a drum and posting up copies of the Order for Mobilisation.

After that, Mildred goes on to say "I silently returned to my garden and sat down.  War again!  This time war close by - not war about which one can read ... in the newspapers".

On 24th August 1914 Mildred wrote: "Brussels occupied Thursday, Namur fallen Monday."

Mildred wrote extensively about her experiences and her writing, in my humble opinion, makes fascinating reading. She was a friend of poet Gertrude Stein and mixed with many of the literary stars who lived in Paris in the early part of the 20th Century.   Do try to read some of her work.

"A Hilltop on the Marne" is available on Gutenberg.

Female Intelligence Agents in World War One and the British Army's Official WW1 Ratcatcher

I am now busy preparing the panel on 'female spies' of World War One and I have found some amazing stories.

I also discovered another book in the little re-cycling shop at our local Re-cycling Centre - this one is later than the RN Sick Berth Attendant's Manual I told you about earlier.   This book is a gathering of "Fifty Amazing Stories of the Great War" and is dated 1936, published by Odhams Press Ltd., London.

There are a few pages missing from the end of the book and it is not in very good condition but it is possible to read some of the stories and the one that interested me most was 'Marthe McKenna's "A Journey to Brussels" from the book "I was a Spy", Jarrolds, London Ltd.

Marthe was an agent for British Intelligence during WW1.   Her family were rendered homeless when their house was burnt down in August 1914 and the family became separated.  Marthe, a trained nurse, was sent to work in a German military hospital in a town called Roulers in Belgium, where she was reunited with her family.

Marthe's parents ran a cafe and she worked there in her free time, that along with her work at the hospital enabled her to collect valuable intelligence to pass on to the British.  The story in the book tells of a hair-raising trip to Brussels that Marthe undertook during the War in the company of a German Army Officer, hoping to obtain valuable information.   She mentions how shabby and forlorn Brussels looked and how little there was in any of the shops.

Marthe was found out and arrested but the fact that she had nursed wounded German soldiers so well, for which she had been awarded an Iron Cross medal, meant that her sentence was commuted to imprisonment.   After the War, Marthe married an English Army Officer and moved to Westroosebeke where she wrote her memoirs.  Winston Churchill wrote a Foreword for her book.

Amazing Find!

The most fantastic thing about finding and purchasing this book is that one of the selection of Fifty Stories was an extract from an account I had read early on last year when I began researching for this project.  It was about the British Army's Official Rat Catcher.   I had lost the Bookmark I made of the account and, in spite of an extensive search, and leaving messages on Forums and Facebook Groups, the one and only answer to my requests asking if anyone knew his name was a rather unhelpful "Roland" - which I am afraid meant nothing to me!

His name was in fact Philip Gosse, his story is fascinating and an extract from his memoirs is included in the book I found last Monday - from his book "Rats" published by Longmans Green and Co. Ltd.

Is that not an amazing find?

I am now planning another sub section to my project - "Interesting Facts of World War One".  What do you think?

Mor Female Intelligence Agents will be featured in my exhibitions.  The next one is to be held at The Ace Centre, Cross Street, NELSON, Lancashire BB9 7NN from Thursday, 15th August 2013 until 3rd September 2013.

"Understanding the causes, course and consequences of the First World War" ...

Diane Lees, Director of the Imperial War Museum says:

"...you can't understand the world today unless you understand the 'causes, course and consequences' of the First World War.

I agree with Diane.  It took me a few years but I figured out some time ago that most of the social problems of our society seem to have had their origins in a general inability to deal with the aftermath - especially regarding the mental health of those returning from the areas of combat.   With the knowledge we have today of 'combat stress' and 'post traumatic stress' it is hard for us to remember that in the early part of the 20th Century not as much was known and only a few people were pioneering the work in that field.

I am still finding out so much about WW1 that I did not know.  I think I have already mentioned Terence Zuber's amazing, eye-opening book "The Battle of the Frontiers Ardennes 1914"* which is extremely helpful and illuminating when it comes to understanding the causes of the First World War.

*(published by Tempus Publishing, Stroud, Gloucestershire, UK, 2007)

Talking of the Aftermath - have you looked at Mary Riter Hamilton's paintings?   Mary is definitely one of my Inspirational Women.   She travelled from Canada where she was already an established artist of international repute (she was turned down as an official WW1 artist on the grounds that she was a woman) to Flanders in 1919 in order to paint what she saw for the Canadian Amputees Association.  She stayed for three years, living in a tin hut and painting the most amazing pictures of the mess left.  Mary lived among the Chinese workers who cleared away that mess and she had some quite hair-raising adventures.  It was a real 'no man's land' - there was little to eat and not much water because the water table had been contaminated very early on in the War - corpses, dead horses, etc. caused toxic substances to leak into the water table. Apparently all the water needs of the troops, horses, hospitals, etc. had to be transported from England in barrels and boiled before use  It is hard to envisage when you go to that area now and see it all green and tended what it must have been like - especially for those who had to flee their homes.   Can you imagine when they returned how they must have felt.   And it all happened again barely 21 years later.

Mary was so horrified by what she saw and experienced that she never painted pictures again instead turning to textile design.  She donated her paintings to the Canadian National Archive where they are carefully stored.

Find out more here http://www.mhs.mb.ca/docs/mb_history/11/hamilton_mr.shtml 

The picture shown is entitled "Sanctuary Wood" - with grateful thanks to the Canadian National Archives www.collectionscanada.gc.ca - just one of 350 paintings that Mary painted while in France.