Elizabeth Lucas

Elizabeth was married to the poet E.V. Lucas and was mother to Audrey Lucas. One of Audrey's poems is featured in some of the Exhibitions and in Volume I of Female Poets of the First World War.   Audrey was at Downe House School in Kent during WW1.  

With financial backing from author J.M. Barrie, Elizabeth Lucas took over a chateau at Bettancourt in the war zone on the River Marne in northern France during WW1.   She set up a refuge for orphaned and displaced children.   Her daughter helped out during the school holidays and when she left school, worked as a nurse in Paris.

Inspirational Women who helped Serbia in The First World War

Flora Sandes (1876 - 1956) was born in Yorkshire.  Her father was a clergyman and the family moved to Suffolk when Flora was nine.

When war was declared, Flora volunteered to nurse but was turned down as she had no formal qualifications.   She joined an ambulance unit organised by an American woman - Mabel Grouitch whose husband was Serbian.   Mrs Grouitch took the ambulance unit to the Eastern Front.

In Serbia, Flora joined the Serbian Red Cross before enrolling in the Serbian Army as an ordinary soldier.

Flora's story is amazing.   "A Fine Brother: The Life of Flora Sandes" is by Louise Miller, published by Alma Books.  Definitely worth a read!

Milunca Savic (1888 - 1973) cut her hair and wore men's clothes to take her brother's place in the Second Balkan War in 1913.   Her disguise was only discovered when she was wounded.

Milunca went on to fight in both World Wars, receiving medals for bravery and was in a concentration camp for ten months in WW2.

There were other women who fought during the First World War and I will endeavour to tell you about them as their countries are featured in the Female Poets section.

The exhibitions at The Wilfred Owen Story, 34 Argyle Street, Birkenhead, Wirral, CH41 6AE
(Tuesdays - Fridays during 2013 11 am - 2 pm)

and at

The Ace Centre, Cross Street, Nelson, Lancashire BB9 7NN (Mondays - Saturdays 10 am - 4 pm) until 3rd September 2013

and at

Fleetwood Library, North Albert Street, Fleetwood, Lancashire FY7 6AJ (Mondays - Saturdays 9 am - 5 pm but Wednesdays
9 am - 12.30)

feature Flora, Milunca and other Inspirational Women of WW1, as well as some other interesting facts about the War.

Inspirational Women of WW1

During the course of my research yesterday, I found this weblog which is extremely well researched and interesting:  http://4yearsofww1.info - definitely worth a look.

As WW1 progressed, women began to be taken more seriously.  Early in 1917, they lobbied for the chance to serve their country as their men folk did. The plan was to give women the duties of cooking, mechanical and clerical work and other, more menial tasks that would occupy a man who could be fighting.

For the first time, in the summer of 1917, women were able to wear uniforms and go to work in jobs normally reserved for men. Their pay was less than that of their male colleagues and would remain so for many years. 

And women could not rise to higher ranks. By the end of the war, 80,000 women had volunteered to serve at the front with the WAAC, the Women's Relief Defence Corps or the First Aid Nursing Yoemanry. Their amazing contribution to the war effort deserves recognition.

Photo: Women of the Queen Mary's Auxiliary Army Corps entertain troops with a tug-of-war-match, Etaples, 1918.

For more amazing photographs see the Facebook Page Wipers: A Soldier's Tale from 1914 - 1918

Inspirational Women

As the main point of my research has been to find women who wrote poetry at the time of the Great War, my list of Inspirational Women is not as long - yet!

I should like to enlist your help - if you know of any women who you feel come under the heading of "Inspirational" for whatever reason during WW1, please let me know and I will add the to the list and give you a mention.

Women like Anna Airy (1882 - 1964) who was born in Greenwich.  Anna was one of the first British women to be commissioned officially as a war artist.

One of the inspirational women featured in the Exhibition at the Ace Centre until 4th September 2013 is Gertrude Bell, an English writer, traveller, administrator, archaeologist and spy.

The Ace Centre
Cross Street
Nelson
Lancashire
BB9 7NN

Entry is free and the Centre is open from Mondays to Saturdays 10 am till 4 pm (but not Bank Holidays - but Colne R & B Festival is on over the August Bank Holiday so you definitely won't be stuck for something to do!).

If you've never been to the Ace Centre, they also have a lovely Bistro for breakfast, teas, coffees, lunches and of course afternoon teas.

The poster features inspirational woman Elizabeth Ann Slater whose handwritten book of verse was given to me by her granddaughter Kathleen Holyhead, herself now a great-grandmother.   The poems are, in my view, just as inspirational today as they were when Elizabeth Ann wrote them out.

An interesting Facebook Page

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Wipers-A-Soldiers-Tale-From-the-Great-War/148267568575094

Many people find Facebook annoying - while there is a great deal that is not relevant, there are also several, in my view excellent, Pages dedicated to remembering the First World War and I salute those who dedicate so much of their time to educating us.   Wipers: A Soldier's Tale from the Great War is an example.

We bumped into Ella the other day - Ella is a former Beauty Queen and she has become a friend - she is a true inspiration.  Life today is just as hard in many ways as it was at the beginning of the 20th Century and I feel very sure that the inspiration of those women who lived through the Great War is helping us all today.

Women like Edith Cavell, Ella Wheeler Wilcox, Mary Riter Hamilton, Mildred Aldrich, Elsie Inglis and Kathleen Scott - to name but a few.

Photo:  Munitions Workers - a panel from the Exhibition at the Ace Centre in Nelson, Lancashire (GB) until 4th September 2013.

Exhibition at the Ace Centre, Nelson, Lancashire - 15th August - 4th September 2013

Apologies - I have not forgotten about Inspirational Women - far from it.  Several of them are featured in the Exhibition at the Ace Centre which we went to set up and launch last week.

One of the Inspirational Women is Elizabeth Ann Slater Weaver who is featured on the flyer.   She was Grandmother to Kathleen Holyhead who lent me a wonderful notebook full of poems written in Elizabeth Ann's own hand.

Another Inspirational Woman featured in the Exhibition at the Ace Centre is Mary Riter Hamilton, the Canadian artist who travelled to France in early 1919 to paint the Aftermath.  Mary lived in a little tin hut among the Chinese workers who were clearing away the mess left when the War ended, spending three years painting what she saw.

Also featured are Edith Cavell, munitions workers. spies, women pilots, nurses and 'VAD's and other Inspirational Women, as well as lots of poets.

The Exhibition is on the first floor of the Ace Centre in the Pendle Art Gallery.  Viewing is from 10 am till 4 pm Mondays to Saturdays (but NOT Bank Holidays) and entry is Free.

Nelson is easily reached by road and parking in Nelson is free but you must have a 'blue badge' which is available free of charge from shops and/or the Reception area at the Ace Centre.

Or you can go by train via Preston, taking the Blackpool South - Colne train.  Nelson is the stop after Brierfield and the Ace Centre is a short walk into the centre of Nelson - opposite the Library and Town Hall.  And while you are there, don't forget to have a look at the War Memorial outside the Library.

The Ace Centre has a lovely Bistro for breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea or just a drink or a snack.

The Ace Centre
Cross Street
NELSON
Lancashire
BB9 7NN

Kathleen Bruce - 1878 - 1947

Kathleen Bruce married Scott of the Antarctic and it is by that name that she is remembered as a sculptress.

Kathleen was very much ahead of her time - she went to live in Paris on her own and studied with Rodin, meeting many of the interesting people who lived and worked in Paris in the early 1900s.

Kathleen also travelled a great deal on her own - I was reminded of her yesterday at the Rebellion Festival when I met up with Monika from Sweden.  Monika also travels the world on her own.

Kathleen's story has been written by one of her Grand daughters and is published as "A Great Task of Happiness" by Louisa Young (Macmillan, London, 1995).