Elsie and Mairi Go to War
Elsie Knocker and Mairi Gooden-Chisholm were the only women to nurse on the front line during the Great War. They first met at a motorcycle club in 1912. Once war broke out, they zoomed off to London by motorbike to "do their bit". Within a month, they were on the Front Line near Ypres in Belgium, evacuating wounded soldiers from their First Aid Post a hundred yards from the trenches to hospital by ambulance.
Under constant threat from sniper fire and heavy artillery bombardments, their reputations spread and they were soon visited by journalists, photographers and royalty in the form of King Albert of the Belgians and Prince Alexander of Teck. The recipients of seventeen medals for bravery and self-sacrifice, they became known as the 'Madonnas of Pervyse'.
Becoming a member of The Western Front Association (WFA) offers a wealth of resources and opportunities for those passionate about the history of the First World War. Here's just three of the benefits we offer:
Identify key words or phrases within back issues of our magazines, including Stand To!, Bulletin, Gun Fire, Fire Step and lots of others.
The WFA's YouTube channel features hundreds of videos of lectures given by experts on particular aspects of WW1.
Read post-WW1 era magazines, such as 'Twenty Years After', 'WW1 A Pictured History' and 'I Was There!' plus others.
