TOPIC:

Evening all

Boer War Memorial Bloemfontein

On a recent road trip to Cape Town, I spent some time tracking down the burial spot for a Nursing Sister in my collection.

Nursing Sister Gertrude Stockley Edwards, QSA, no bar

The scant information I have on her is as follows
Lived at 34 Gloucester Road, Regents Park, London
Trained at Royal Hospital, Sheffield
Enrolled Princess Christian's Army Nursing Service Reserve, 1 August 1900
Served No. 9 General Hospital Bloemfontein
Died of Disease, Bishops Lodge Hospital, Bloemfontein 22 May 1901
Will signed London 7 February 1901
Effects £453-2-2

Of the 5 Nurses named on the memorial, only two have grave markers



Reading various sources it would appear that approximately 2000 Nurses from Britain and Dominions served, using the outstanding database by Lt Col (Retd) Dr Keiron Spires, a figure of 2040 is listed.

Various sources list the deaths, all from disease, at 28 to 47. A quick sort of my Excel Field Force Casualty list came to 24, not counting the Natal Field Force which I do not have computerised. Anyone have a definite figure?

It was a good feeling when I found her final resting place, the tragedy of it all was that she was in London on 7th February 1901 when she signed her Will, and within 3 months would die far away from home. We paid our respects and laid a red rose in remembrance.

There are no metal markers in this cemetery, I believe they were all removed for safe keeping, although they were placed around the central monument in 2010 when I was there for the World Cup game when England was beaten by Germany. Generally it would appear an effort has been made to keep it clean and maintained, and many marble headstones were repaired.

Jon

Hello Jon

I recently revised Dooner's The Last Post the results, along with a biography of Dooner was published in Soldiers of The Queen (Victorian Military Society) Issue 164 June 2016 - Mildred Dooner and The Last Post.

I made the total of Nurse deaths 32, 22 more than published by Dooner.

Regards
Meurig

Jon
Regarding Nurse casualties in the NFF casualty roll, I had a look just now and found only two;
Nurse Chown (no initial), died Natal, 23/3/1900
Nurse E.M.Gardiner, died dysentery, PMB 8/4/1900.
Regards
IL.

Hello Jon

See attached detail on 38 nursing sisters during the ABW.

Regards
Elmarie

Morning Elmarie

An interesting list that I have compared with mine:

You are missing:
Caroline Fishwick 8-4-1900 Pmbg
Mary Ann Lloyd 17-12-1901 Pta
MC Rose 03-01-1900 Durban

The following aren't in my list and don't immediately appear in the medal roll on Ancestry - are they locally engaged civilians?
ME Edwards
FE Greenfield

I suspect "ECS Jones" and "ECS Stuart-Jones" are the same woman.

Regards
Meurig

Morning Meurig

I think you are quite right about ECS Jones and ECS Stuart-Jones, they are the same woman and I also suspect that ME Edwards and FE Greenfield were locally engaged civilians. That is why there is no more detail on that list. All these names appear on the list of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission.

Thanks for the other 3 names.

Regards
Elmarie