Hear about the heroines of WWI through the words of someone who was there.
There were so many women involved in World War I, both on the Front Lines and on the home front. Matron Adelaide Maud Kellett was on the hospital ship at Gallipoli and later ran a hospital for soldiers who had lost limbs. In this episode Kelly Chase reads out the words of Adelaide herself in this touching tribute to the women who served in World War One.
If you want other episodes of women of WWI, check out:
Annie Wheeler Mother of Queenslanders
Maria Bochkareva and the Russian Women's Battalion of Death
Hi, this is Kelly Chase and you are listening to History Detective, a podcast where I delve into the past to uncover the mysteries of history. Before I get started, I wanted to let you know I’ve just released a book called History, Her Story, Our Story, Inspirational Women Who Shaped Our World. You can find a link to the Kindle or paperback in the show notes.
Today I have a little bit of a different episode for you. I want to talk about the role of women in World War One. But instead of sharing my thoughts, I want to share the thoughts of someone who was there at the time. I recently stumbled upon the writings of Matron Adelaide Maud Kellett, who in 1914 at the age of 41, having been an army nurse for 7 years, served on the hospital ship at Gallipoli, then 2 years later she opened the 2nd Australian Auxiliary Hospital at Southall, where she worked with patients who had lost limbs.
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Matron Kellett wrote this piece about the role of women in WWI in 1927 and I thought it was a beautiful testament to the importance of women during the war. So here are the words of Matron Adelaide Maud Kellett called Women in the War.
“READ WOMEN OF WAR” from The RSL Book of WWI, True Stories of Aussie Courage and mateship from the annals of the RSL.
Modern woman- having seen to her man’s equipment and wellbeing and having waved a smiling if somewhat strained farewell- looks around for something to do- and how much she finds to her hand! Knitting, sewing, packing, munition making, farming, gardening, nursing- women of all classes turn their hands to anything and everything.
During the Great War, what astonishing work was done by them! The great lady, unaccustomed to toil, waited on the sick and wounded and did the most uncongenial tasks in the hospital into which she had converted her beautiful home; the busy worker who earned her daily bread gave her precious time to the washing of dishes, waiting in canteens, scrubbing, clerical work, any of the hundred and one jobs which had to be done.
One calls to mind the work of the volunteer helpers, who, amongst their activities, included the most valuable (if perhaps the least interesting) work of rolling bandages, making surgical dressings and sorting into bundles the old linen which was more precious than gold to the doctor and nurse on the field.
That wonderful institution — the Women's Army Auxiliary Corps — had so many branches that it is impossible to mention them all telephonists, wardsmaids, cooks, housemaids, laundresses, all branches of clerical work — their activities for the army seemed endless. Then there were the Women's Royal Naval Service who did similar work for the navy, and the Women's Royal Air Force whose work was entirely for the Air Force. There were women railway porters, bus conductors, postwomen, drivers of post vans, farm hands and window cleaners — all carrying out their duties in order to release men for active service.
One remembers also that splendid organisation — the Voluntary Aid Detachment -- which rendered invaluable assistance to the Army Medical Corps and the Army Nursing Service, both at home and on the field. Women ambulance drivers were ready at all hours to respond to the call, oft-times within the danger zone — their duty was not only to drive but to keep the ambulances clean and in good repair, a most difficult task in those days of mud and slush and broken roads.
Nor does one forget the work done by the nurses of the Red Cross Society, which had its own hospitals and organisation. These nurses did similar work to that of the Army Nursing Service and endured like disabilities and suffered similar tragic happenings.
The work of the Army Nursing Service is well known — to be a member was like a privilege and an honour! At the outbreak of war nurses vied with each other to be first to enlist — the principal matron's task was made most difficult not by the scarcity of applicants, but by the limitations of the numbers needed. And how bitter was the disappointment of those for whom a place could not be found! In every theatre of war were nurses from all parts of the world — Australia, Canada, New Zealand, South Africa, Italy, France and America. Exposed to dangers of all kinds, in bitter cold and extreme heat, in clearing stations, hospital ships and on transports — wherever there were sick or wounded soldiers, there were also army nurses carrying out their duties fearlessly and cheerfully.
Particularly dangerous was the work of the munition workers, and many were the deaths caused by explosions, to say nothing of the disabilities caused by the different chemicals handled in their daily work. Amongst the Women's Army Auxiliary Corps death was frequent. There comes to my mind an air raid at Abbeville in which ten were killed by a bomb. And in Boulogne two Voluntary Aid nurses were decapitated when returning from a concert. A number Canadian sisters were killed at Étaples, and there were numerous instances of deaths from various illnesses and on torpedoed ships. tragic of all was the torpedoing of the Marquette – numbers were drowned, amongst them ten army sisters, many others dying later from wounds and exposure; several others were permanently
disabled.
In considering woman's work in wartime, special reference must be made to the organisation known as the Scottish Women's Hospital in Salonika, which was entirely staffed by them — doctors, nurses, orderlies, stretcher-bearers, domestics, drivers, registrar, commanding officer — all were women. This hospital and the British and Australian Nursing Services working in this malaria-infested area suffered unusual privations: there were few comforts and the cold was intense. Many have never recovered their normal health owing to the severe strain of their experiences.
But, while rendering to all these our sincerest admiration, one thinks of the women who gave their men to the war. They were the truest heroines, waiting, waiting for news and comforting themselves as best they might, helping in the less spectacular unrelieved by the excitement and danger of life at the front. To them one offers one's homage and admiration.
August 1927
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This Kelly Chase, on the Case.
If you would like to hear more stories of women’s involvement in WWI, I have several other episodes about women during World War One including, Monia Michael and Anna Guerin who popularised the poppy as the symbol of commemoration, Annie Wheeler, the mother of Queenslanders who facilitated communication between the men in the trenches and their families on the other side of the world and of course Maria Bochkareva, who spearheaded the Russian Women’s Battalion of Death. Make sure you scroll back in the feed to find their fascinating stories.
Don’t forget to grab your copy of my new book History, Her Story, Our Story: Inspirational Women Who Shaped Our World, there is a link in the show notes. Also, I now have a History Detective YouTube Channel, and there are more than 20 History Detective videos now available, so make sure you head over there to subscribe.
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I would like to acknowledge the traditional owners of the land on which this podcast is being recorded today. I pay my respects to the elders and knowledge holders past present and emerging.