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The Scottish Military Research Group - Commemorations Project (Registered Scottish Charity No. SC043826). Please visit our homepage at www.scottishmilitaryresearch.co.uk
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gourdongirl
Joined: 10 Oct 2008 Posts: 1200 Location: Musselburgh Scotland
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Posted: Sat Dec 26, 2009 6:45 pm Post subject: Northesk Church, WWI Roll of Honour.Nurse Helen B Wood query |
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I managed to take some photos of the large brass WWI Roll of Honour at the entrance of Northesk Church in Musselburgh. Some are better than others, due to the glare of the light on the brass. However I will try and arrange a daylight visit in the near future. (I will post the photos when I get time to down load them to photobucket).
Shona
Last edited by gourdongirl on Wed Dec 30, 2009 10:20 pm; edited 3 times in total |
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gourdongirl
Joined: 10 Oct 2008 Posts: 1200 Location: Musselburgh Scotland
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Posted: Sat Dec 26, 2009 6:45 pm Post subject: |
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However I have a query, that I hope some readers might be able to help with. (As it is only a few days since I took the pix, I really haven't had a chance to do a deeper search, but I can find no record on CWGC or SNWM or in the copy of the Musselburgh News list of dead that I have).
The first name on the Roll of Honour is that of Nurse Helen B Wood, and the one I am having problems with. It does not look like an "add on" but inscribed at the same time as the rest. I plan to contact my church elder as he is a bit of a local historian so he might be able to help too, but if anyone here can point me in the right direction I would be very greatful.
Thanks in advance.
Shona |
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Tonym
Joined: 18 Jan 2007 Posts: 224 Location: East Sussex
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Posted: Sat Dec 26, 2009 11:57 pm Post subject: |
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Shona
Just a suggestion are they all casualties or is it a Roll of Honour of those who served?
Tony _________________ Pte. W. BROWN, Middlesex Regiment, K.I.A Battle of The Somme.
Sgt. J. V. MURPHY, The Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders, D.O.W Monte Cassino, Italy. |
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gourdongirl
Joined: 10 Oct 2008 Posts: 1200 Location: Musselburgh Scotland
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Posted: Sun Dec 27, 2009 12:55 am Post subject: |
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Cheers Tony,
I am assuming (rightly or wrongly) that they all died as the wording at the top says......"To the Glory of God and in memory of those connected with this congregation who fell in the Great War 1914-1919".
Shona |
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ADP
Joined: 13 Jun 2008 Posts: 467 Location: Edinburgh
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Posted: Sun Dec 27, 2009 8:58 am Post subject: |
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gourdongirl wrote: | The first name on the Roll of Honour is that of Nurse Helen B Wood, and the one I am having problems with. It does not look like an "add on" but inscribed at the same time as the rest. I plan to contact my church elder as he is a bit of a local historian so he might be able to help too, but if anyone here can point me in the right direction I would be very greatful. |
I have found some clues on the net to Helen B Wood.
http://ldu.lothiansfhs.org/forums.php?m=posts&q=691
This looks like the family at 34 Hercus Loan, Musselburgh in the 1901 census.
John Wood 52
Frances Wood 33
Nellie Wood 12
Annie Wood 11
Johnson Wood 10
Janet Wood 8
Mary Wood 6
Willie Wood 4
Frank Wood 1
Helen Adamson 71
Jessie Chalmers 32
Helen Burnet Wood (assumed to be Nellie in the list above) was born in Portobello in 1888 to John Wood and Frances Wood (ms. Adamson).
I haven't found her on the CWGC lists as Hel(l)en, Nellie or Ellen. I see no obvious sign of her death on ScotlandsPeople.
Also on the 1891 census in Portobello:
John Sampson Wood 41
Frances Wood 23
Helen Burnet Wood 2
Ann Wilson Wood 1
Johnson Wood 1 Month
ADP
Last edited by ADP on Sun Dec 27, 2009 9:44 am; edited 1 time in total |
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Tonym
Joined: 18 Jan 2007 Posts: 224 Location: East Sussex
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Posted: Sun Dec 27, 2009 9:33 am Post subject: |
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Shona
The fact that she does not appear on CWGC casualties would suggest that she was possibly a BRCS/St.John, VAD Nurse and if she died in the UK from natural causes would not have qualified under the CWGC criteria for commemoration. However, the Lothian FHS comment that she was 'Killed' in the war opens up the question of how she died.
One possible suggestion is if she died as a result of the influenza epidemic the family, when giving details of her death to the FHS, may have quoted "Killed" rather than "Died".
If she was serving in France and died from the influenza epidemic then she should qualify for CWGC commemoration if she died from it in the UK then unfortunately she does not qualify. If she has a UK Death Certificate this should solve the problem.
Hope that doesn't sound too complicated.
Tony _________________ Pte. W. BROWN, Middlesex Regiment, K.I.A Battle of The Somme.
Sgt. J. V. MURPHY, The Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders, D.O.W Monte Cassino, Italy. |
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Tonym
Joined: 18 Jan 2007 Posts: 224 Location: East Sussex
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Posted: Sun Dec 27, 2009 2:07 pm Post subject: |
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Shona
Try this - http://ww1talk.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=2126
It should explain all. She was a U.S. Army Nurse.
If the link doesn't work PM your email and I will forward the full text.
Tony _________________ Pte. W. BROWN, Middlesex Regiment, K.I.A Battle of The Somme.
Sgt. J. V. MURPHY, The Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders, D.O.W Monte Cassino, Italy. |
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lost in tilloy
Joined: 29 Sep 2007 Posts: 111
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Posted: Tue Dec 29, 2009 8:07 pm Post subject: |
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Not sure if this is the same info as Tony gave as the link didn't work for me, but The Scotsman dated 4th July 1917, page 10, lists her under the death column. It reads:
WOOD- Accidentally killed at sea, Helen B. Wood, aged 29 years, American Red Cross nurse, eldest daughter of John S. and Francis Wood, 3 Mall Avenue, Musselburgh.
Regards
LIT |
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Tonym
Joined: 18 Jan 2007 Posts: 224 Location: East Sussex
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Posted: Tue Dec 29, 2009 8:35 pm Post subject: |
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lost in tilloy wrote: | Not sure if this is the same info as Tony gave as the link didn't work for me, but The Scotsman dated 4th July 1917, page 10, lists her under the death column. It reads:
WOOD- Accidentally killed at sea, Helen B. Wood, aged 29 years, American Red Cross nurse, eldest daughter of John S. and Francis Wood, 3 Mall Avenue, Musselburgh.
Regards
LIT |
LIT
Looks like something has gone wrong with the site but fortunately I kept the most relevant paragraphs so I post it here for all to read.
It confirms your details.
The first female member of the military killed in the line of duty was World War I Army nurse Edith Ayres. Nurse Ayres (nurses held no rank during World War I) was killed on May 20, 1917, while with Base Hospital #12 aboard the USS Mongolia en route to France. The ship’s crew fired the deck guns during a practice drill, and one of the guns exploded, spewing shell fragments across the deck and killing Nurse Ayres and her friend Nurse Helen Wood.
Army Nurse Edith Ayers, Attica, Ohio. Killed May 20 1917 in an accident aboard the USS Mongolia, enroute to France.
Army Nurse Helen Burnet Wood, Evanston, Ill. Also killed aboard the USS Mongolia.
The body of Helen Burnett Wood was taken back to Chicago. Miss Wood’s home put on a massive display for the dead nurse. At Union Station her body was met by a delegation including people from both Chicago and Evanston. It was headed by John W. Scott, Vice president of the Chicago Chapter of the Illinois Branch of the American Red Cross. From the station the body was taken to Helen’s home in Evanston. Friends requested that rather than flowers, donations be sent to her aging parents in Scotland. On Saturday 26 May the coffin was escorted by fifty blue jackets from the Great Lakes Training Center and by fifty automobiles containing representatives of the Red Cross, the medical reserve corps, the city of Evanston, friends and relatives. The somber procession proceeded from her home on Sheridan Road to the First Presbyterian Church. Outside the church stood an honor guard of fifty Red Cross Nurses, fifty students from Northwestern University wearing black gowns and capes, fifty nurses from Evanston Hospital, and twenty-five uniformed members of the Grand Army of the Republic. Clergymen from three different denominations, Presbyterian, Methodist, and Baptist, offered prayers, and the president of the Chicago chapter of the American Red Cross expressed his sympathy
Attica Ohio received the remains of Edith Ayres with equal ceremony. Her body arrived at Chicago Junction, Ohio, on Thursday, May 24. Here it was met by a team from the Ohio National Guard. At the
junction thirty-two automobiles, most of them filled with family friends and dignitaries, escorted the “auto-hearse” on a slow drive cross-country to Attica. Edith’s funeral took place on the same day as Helen’s. On that Saturday all businesses in Attica were closed. On the preceding Thursday and Friday schools were closed. Representatives of the American Red Cross and the Governor of Ohio sent condolences. From 11:00 until 2:00 she Edith lay in state in a flag-draped coffin inside the First Methodist Church as the people she had grown up slowly filed past. At the grave site a military salute was fired. Everything was as dignified and respectful as it could be made.
The highlighting is mine
Tony _________________ Pte. W. BROWN, Middlesex Regiment, K.I.A Battle of The Somme.
Sgt. J. V. MURPHY, The Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders, D.O.W Monte Cassino, Italy. |
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lost in tilloy
Joined: 29 Sep 2007 Posts: 111
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Posted: Tue Dec 29, 2009 10:00 pm Post subject: |
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Hi Tony
Many thanks for the additional, and very detailed, information.
Regards
LIT |
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gourdongirl
Joined: 10 Oct 2008 Posts: 1200 Location: Musselburgh Scotland
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Posted: Wed Dec 30, 2009 5:08 pm Post subject: |
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I must say a huge thank you to all who have replied and gone on the hunt for information. This site and its members are fantastic.
I guess the reason I couldn't find her here was coz she was in America!
Brilliant work.
Thankx again.
Shona |
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Tonym
Joined: 18 Jan 2007 Posts: 224 Location: East Sussex
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Posted: Wed Dec 30, 2009 8:01 pm Post subject: |
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Shona
You're very welcome. There was another reason why I pursued it as my interest is Female casulaties of all campains and the fact that you found her on the memorial I had to include her particularly as she was a Scottish lass.
You say that have a photo of the memorial, if her name is clear on your pic I would appreciate a copy of it if not I can wait until you re-photo it.
Incidentally my daughter was the one who found the website for me.
Best wishes.
Tony _________________ Pte. W. BROWN, Middlesex Regiment, K.I.A Battle of The Somme.
Sgt. J. V. MURPHY, The Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders, D.O.W Monte Cassino, Italy. |
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gourdongirl
Joined: 10 Oct 2008 Posts: 1200 Location: Musselburgh Scotland
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Posted: Wed Dec 30, 2009 9:53 pm Post subject: |
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Tony,
Helen's name is the first one in the left hand column of the memorial. PM me your email addy and I will forward my pics.
Also please say a big thank you to your daughter for finding the web page.
Shona
Last edited by gourdongirl on Thu Dec 31, 2009 1:53 am; edited 6 times in total |
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gourdongirl
Joined: 10 Oct 2008 Posts: 1200 Location: Musselburgh Scotland
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Posted: Wed Dec 30, 2009 10:03 pm Post subject: |
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I have moved this post to the new thread about Northesk Church Roll of Honour, Hope this is OK?
Shona
Last edited by gourdongirl on Thu Dec 31, 2009 1:52 am; edited 2 times in total |
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gourdongirl
Joined: 10 Oct 2008 Posts: 1200 Location: Musselburgh Scotland
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Posted: Wed Dec 30, 2009 10:07 pm Post subject: |
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This post has also been moved to the new thread!
Shona
Last edited by gourdongirl on Wed Dec 30, 2009 10:18 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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