Uncategorised BWM naming question

[Noor]

Hi all

Can someone advise please which branch BWMs were stamped with the person's first name initial and full second name?
Like I understand Mercantile marine medals had full first name? Can it be something else naval?

Medal in question is named only 'A.Leahy".

Kind regards,

Noor

[Noor]

"Mystery" solved already - this kind of medals were named many odd medical units were many civil volunteers served.

Miss A.Leahy was in the American volunteers Harvard Unit. She arrived in France 1915.

Odd medal to interesting unit indeed.

[Noor]

I did some reading and I would like to share - sounds interesting formation:

REPORT ON THE WORK OF THE NURSING STAFF OF THE HARVARD UNIT
(No. 22, General Hospital)

CROWN COPYRIGHT: THE NATIONAL ARCHIVES WO222/2134

***

1. Arrival and Constitution
No.22, General Hospital, which had started as a British Unit in June 1915, and of which Miss Suart, QAIMNS, was in charge, was taken over by the 1st Harvard Unit, which arrived in France on June 25th.
No notification of their impending arrival at Boulogne was received, and arrangements had to be made for the complete staff to be accommodated at the Louvre Hotel for the night. I happened to be in Boulogne at the time and was able to receive them. They were taken to Etaples the next morning, by the Motor charabanc. The Matron, Miss Suart, and the Home Sister remained at the Hospital to welcome the Americans, and to assist them in getting their unit into order.
This unit was staffed by Medical and Nursing personnel from the Harvard School of Medicine, U.S.A. It was attached to the British Expeditionary Force, and paid from Army Funds. The O.C. was Lt. Colonel Sir Allen Perry, RAMC. The Nursing Staff of 75 was constituted as follows:

1 Matron (Miss M. Parsons)
26 Sisters
48 Staff Nurses

These ladies were serving under six-monthly contracts, and in a few cases, under three-monthly contracts, so that constant reinforcements were necessary in order to keep the staff up to strength (73). The O.C., Registrar, and N.C.O.’s and men were supplied to the unit by the R.A.M.C.

2. Reinforcements
During the whole period of its existence, the Unit received the following reinforcements;

7.9.15 1 Nurse from American Ambulance, Paris
9.12.15 36 Nurses from America
6.5.16 5 Nurse from American Ambulance, Paris
12.6.16 33 Nurses from America
8.9.16 15 Nurses from America
8.12.16 20 Nurses from America
13.3.17 17 Nurses from America
30.4.17 7 Trained nurses and 4 VAD from America
8.6.17 16 Trained nurses and 4 VAD from America
9.6.17 2 Nurses from Ambulance, Paris
16.6.17 1 Nurse from Ambulance, Paris
10.7.17 1 Nurse from Ambulance, Paris
22.9.17 9 Nurses from Ambulance, Paris
20.3.18 1 Trained nurse and 2 VAD from Paris
28.3.18 1 Trained nurse from Paris
11.5.18 1 Trained nurse from Paris
8.6.18 1 Trained nurse from Paris
25.8.18 1 Trained nurse from Paris
21.9.18 11 Trained nurses from America
22.10.18 1 VAD from America
26.10.18 8 Trained nurses and 1 VAD from America

3. Establishment
The establishment for this Unit (1040 beds) was 73 Nursing Staff. In August 1916, the strength of the Nursing staff stood at 79, and 10 members were temporarily detached for duty with the Chicago Unit, then very considerably under strength.
In October 1916, Doctor White (Business Manager of the Harvard Unit in America) wrote a letter stating that the Nursing Staff would be reduced from 73 to 50 during the winter months. It was immediately pointed out that the Hospital could not be run with such a reduced staff and no further action was taken. In March 1917, a request was forwarded for an increase of staff from 74 to 90, to meet an increase in beds from 1040 to 2370 during the summer. This was authorised by War Office Letter 0153/2538 (A.M.D.1) dated 29.3.17. On 8.4.17., the Matron forwarded another application, requesting that 10 VAD members be sent out from America. The strength of the Unit was then only 78.
The request for VAD members was approved and they arrived during the summer of 1917. In October 1918, when the work was very heavy, it was found difficult to carry on with the existing nursing establishment, as those members on the strength were not all employed on nursing duties, some of them being employed as Anaesthetists, X-Ray assistants etc. War Office authority was therefore obtained on 24.10.18, War Office Letter 121/Medical/3500 (A.M.D.1) to increase the Nursing Staff by a number corresponding to those Nurses then doing work which would otherwise be performed by Medical Officers.

4. Promotions
In August 1917, a request was forwarded to the War Office for the promotion of 22 Staff Nurses to the rank of Sister, as only 4 of the original Sisters remained, and all reinforcements joined as Staff Nurses. These promotions were approved by the War Office Letter 24/America/29 (A.M.D.1) dated 19.9.17. Approval was also given on 10.9.17 for the appointment of Miss A. B. Stevens as Assistant Matron.
On 26.9.18., a further application was forwarded for the promotion of 11 Staff Nurses to the rank of Sister, there being at that time only 15 Sisters on the Staff, and establishment being 26 Sisters. These promotions were approved by War Office Letter 24/America/29 (A.M.D.1) of 11.12.18.

5. Pay and Allowances
Members of the Harvard Unit were paid from Army Funds at Q.A.I.M.N.S.R. rates, with the exception that they did not receive Active Service outfit and Camp Kit allowances. On arrival in England in June 1915, the 75 original members were provided with Active Service Outfits, Camp Kits and a grant for uniform. In October 1917, when the staff had been increased to 90, a request was made for a corresponding increase for Camp kits, but the War Office directed that beds and mattresses should be indented for, as required, to meet the increase in staff.
Uniform allowance (£9) was not paid to individual nurses, as many of them were serving on short contracts, but the whole sum was administered by a Committee, of which Dr. White (the Business Manager) was a member.
War Office Letter 0153/2381 (F.2) of 22.11.17, ruled that members of the Harvard Unit were eligible to receive the additional £20 per annum on signing a contract to serve for the present emergency, and the greater number of Nurses took advantage of this ruling.
On leaving the service, members of the Harvard Unit were entitled to a gratuity at Q.A.I.M.N.S.R. rates.

6. Sickness
Members of the Unit when sick were admitted to Sisters’ Hospitals in the usual way, and, when necessary, evacuated to the United Kingdom. Many of them enjoyed a rest at one or other of the Convalescent Homes in France.
On 16.2.17., Miss C. Sinclair was admitted to the Villa Tino suffering from cerebro-spinal meningitis, and unfortunately died on 22.2.17. This was the only casualty the Unit suffered.

7. Change of Matron
In July 1916, a letter was received from Dr. White, through the War Office, stating that the Matron, Miss M. Parsons, was desirous of resigning, and suggesting that Mrs Hagar, then in England, should be sent out to replace her. This was agreed to, and on 8.8.16., Mrs Hagar arrived and was temporarily attached to No.18, General Hospital, in order that she might become acquainted with a Matron’s duties in a Military Hospital. Miss Parsons handed over to Matron Hagar on 16.8.16., and left for England. She has since returned to France for service with the American Red Cross.

8. Surgical Teams
During the heavy work in the beginning of 1918, surgical teams were sent up from the Harvard Unit to work in the front area. S/Nurse Stone was appointed Anaesthetist to No.8, Team, and Sister Haley as Theatre Sister, whilst S/Nurse Thompson was Anaesthetist, and S/Nurse Christie Theatre Sister to No.9, Team. Later S/Nurse Christie was replaced by S/Nurse Angus. Other Sisters who worked in the front area during the autumn of 1917 and in 1918 were Sisters Enebuske (anaesthetist), Hinckley, Aschah, Bentley, Durling, Brown, Norton, Thompson, Springer, and Davidson, whilst Sisters Porter and Hinchliffe both worked in CCS’s as anaesthetists.

9. Anaesthetists
In November 1917, when the training of Sisters in the administration of anaesthetics was decided upon and courses were started, No.22, General Hospital was chosen as one of the training centres. The Unit was already experienced in this branch of work, which is often undertaken by Nurses in America, after special training, and several trained anaesthetists were included in the original Nursing Staff. Sister H. Enebuske, a trained anaesthetist, was appointed to assist Colonel Cabot in the training of the Sisters. The first 4 members of the Unit to undergo training were Sisters A. E. Clinch, and M. A. Dunn, and S/Nurses G. Lawrence and M. Daniels. Of these, only Sister Dunn and S/Nurse Lawrence completed their two months at the Base satisfactorily. They were then posted to No.5, C.C.S. for the final month of training, but Staff Nurse Lawrence was not ultimately considered suitable for the work. In July Sister Dunn acted as Anaesthetist to a surgical team at No.6, C.C.S. during the very heavy work. In the second course which started in May 1918, Sisters M. A. Ball, A. T. Porter, and S/Nurse E. Hinchliffe were trained and after taking the course at the Base and in a C.C.S. were all certified as competent.

10. Surgical dressings laundry
In January 1918, a scheme was started in the Etaples area, for establishing a laundry for Surgical Dressings, which a view to seeing what could be done with large quantities of soiled dressings, which up to then had been thrown away. Miss Hinckley, one of the Harvard Nurses, who had been trained in this sort of work, took over the management. In 10 days it was calculated that £120 had been saved to the public by the cleansing of materials for surgical dressings, gauze, etc., which could be utilised again as such. Three empty huts were given up to Miss Hinckley, who had 4 French women, 3 men and a number of convalescents to help her. This temporary laundry continued working for about 3 months. After a time, Miss Hinckley’s services being no longer available, the supervision was undertaken very satisfactorily by Sister J. M. E. Livingstone, Q.A.I.M.N.S.R. The laundry had to be closed on April 1st, as the buildings it was occupying were required, and there was also great difficulty in obtaining the necessary labour.
As soon as the possibilities of the scheme were seen, a proposal was put forward by Captain Child, S.S.O. Etaples, who had been the main mover in the whole undertaking, for a surgical dressing laundry to be erected on a larger scale. The proposed building would cost about £2000 and would be able to deal with six times the amount of dressings dealt with by the temporary laundry. This scheme, however, never materialised, and the Armistice having been signed the necessity for it no longer existed.

11. Ambulance Trains
In September 1918, 3 members of the Harvard Unit were chosen to staff a British Ambulance Train, in order that they might have the experience of this branch of work. They remained on the train 3 months, Miss Bentley being in charge, but in December they were transferred back to 22, General Hospital, as the Unit was shortly to be demobilized.

12. Closing of Unit
On 29.12.18, a notification was received from D.M.S. L. of C. that No.22, General Hospital was to be cleared of patients, and the staff would return to England on 8.1.19. Lieut. Colonel White, the Manager of the Harvard Unit, came to France to arrange for the closing of the Unit, and the transfer of personnel to America. On 7.1.19 the whole of the Nursing Staff (the Matron, 85 Sisters, and 10 V.A.D.’s) arrived in Boulogne. They were entertained at lunch at the Hotel du Nord, and I saw them off by the afternoon boat. Before leaving, each member was seen by the Command Paymaster and received all pay and allowances due to her. Miss A. M. Alexander, who was sick in Hospital at the time, was evacuated to the United Kingdom by Ambulance Transport on 10.4.19, where leave to a Convalescent Home was to be arranged for her before her return to America.

12. Honours
The work accomplished by the Nursing Staff of the 1st Harvard Unit was officially recognised by the award of Honours to certain members, and by the Mention in Despatches of the Commander-in-Chief, of others who had specially distinguished themselves. The number of Awards and Mentions are as follows:

R.R.C. 1st Class 5
R.R.C. 2nd Class 9
Mentions in Despatches 9

Matrons M. Parsons and K. Hagar both received the R.R.C. 1st Class for their services in France.


E. M. McCarthy
Matron-in-Chief
British Troops in France and Flanders
24th June 1919

Source: http://www.scarletfinders.co.uk/23.html

[Guest Rick Research]

"Harvard's Military Record in the World War" made no mention of FEMALE PERSONS (sniff) who were not then admitted as students and so did not exist as alumni.

Assuming that she came from Massachusetts, you would be able to obtain her service record from the state Adjutant General's office/military archives under normal circumstances... but they are in the process of moving into a facility in Concord and will not be available until 2014 when everything is unpacked again.

Edited July 27, 2013 by Rick Research

[Noor]

Thanks for that Rick! So, these medals are actually well researchable.... would be interesting to know does they received then unnamed American issue Victory Medal next to the British War medal???? That would look as a cracker set!!!

[Guest Rick Research]

Not the BWM, but she should have gotten the U.S. Victory Medal (the Massachusetts military archive holds the issue cards). Already there, she would presumably have transferred into U.S. service like WW1 U.S. army nurse Myrtle Dix here--

During WW1 female nurses wore their own khaki military attire, without any rank badge but with

a SINGLE officers' "U.S." and Medical Corps Caduceus on the LEFT collar ONLY. No hat badge existed.

Can't put my hands on the new archive address/email at this moment, but it will be summer next year before they're open again.

[Noor]

Thanks Rick. Great information and I will try to get her card next year (if I still have the medal - "problem" is I have here another friend/fellow forum member who is RAMC collector and probably likes to trade it off from me ).

[Guest Rick Research]

Leahy was not from Connecticut--the only state whose WW1 records I have on hand. I don't have an address for the new Concord facility--guess they're not receiving mail during the transition.

email currently =

military.records@mil.state.ma.us

there is also a website

http://sites.ng.mil/sites/MA/resources/museumdefault.aspx

[Mervyn Mitton]

With Rick's excellent help, you would be wise to hold-on to this medal and see what you can add. British nurses from WW1 are valuable. Mervyn

[Noor]

Her name was Anna Leahy and she was a registered nurse. She was born in Harvard, Massachusetts on the 30 October 1889.

She arrived in Falmouth on board the SS Noordam with the Harvard Medical Unit on the 6 July 1915. She returned to the USA quite soon, embarked Liverpool on the SS Philadelphia on the 7 October 1915 (arrived in New York on the 17 October 1915).

Edited July 28, 2013 by Noor

[Guest Rick Research]

Harvard, Massachusetts is in Worcester County... north-central Massachusetts... nowhere near the university of the same name. Maybe no U.S. nursing service then....