This year’s Women’s History Network Midlands Region Conference entitled ‘The First World War: Nursing’ took place at the University of Worcester (City Campus) on Saturday, 21 November 2015.
A group photograph showing Nurse Edith Cavell (seated centre) with a group of her multinational student nurses whom she trained in Brussels’. © IWM (Q 70204)
In combination with a wide and varied programme, we received a keynote address from Prof Christine E. Hallett, The University of Manchester: ‘Le Petit Paradis des Blessés: Nurses, Nursing and Internationalism on the Western Front (1915-1918)’.
Prof Christine E. Hallett, The University of Manchester speaking about ‘Le Petit Paradis des Blessés’: Nurses, Nursing and Internationalism on the Western Front (1915-1918)
#whn #ww1nursing conference has kicked off with Prof Christine Hallett on Le Petit Paradis pic.twitter.com/gPU2Okawqy — WomensHistNetworkWM (@WHN_WM) November 21, 2015
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The remainder of the morning was given to a series of papers reflecting on the subsequent political and literary representations of the execution of the English nurse, Edith Cavell, by the Germans in Belgium in 1915. The speakers were Professor Alison S. Fell, University of Leeds; Professor Jean Webb, University of Worcester and Steven Moralees of the Cavell Nurses’ Trust.
Three panels were held in the afternoon: V.A.D. [Voluntary Aid Detachment] Nurses, Nursing in Europe and Trauma, Death and Therapy. Details of the speakers and their papers can be found in this pdf: WHNConf-November2015-Final
It was an absolutely exhilarating day – roomfuls of Women’s history academics generously sharing their research with each other and supporting independent researchers like myself to find out more about the hidden stories of women’s work during the First World War. Please forgive my indulgence in storing my tweets here – I wanted to set up a Storify, but find myself mysteriously locked out from paradise. Whilst I debate my social media manners with the app moderators, I’ve gathered the commentary from the day here. As you’ll gather from my tweets, I attended Panel 3: Trauma, Death and Therapy.
Join us! RT @Guernseyevacuee: Still places available: The Womens History Network: 1st World War Nursing conference https://t.co/cFUaOzsR8T
— WomensHistNetworkWM (@WHN_WM) October 29, 2015
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Looking forward to talking about #FWW nurses & commemoration at the @WHN_WM conference @worcester_uni today https://t.co/IfSP4tJUNd
— Alice Kelly (@DrAliceKelly) November 21, 2015
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#ww1nursing #whn “nurses walked the precipice between the exhileration of service and the trauma of witnessing” Christine Hallett — WomensHistNetworkWM (@WHN_WM) November 21, 2015
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Comparing the #ww1nursing writings & memoirs of Ellen LaMotte, Mary Borden & Maud Mortimer at #whn. Modernist & emotionally challenging…
— WomensHistNetworkWM (@WHN_WM) November 21, 2015
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Dr Alison Fell on the political appropriation and representation of Edith Cavell after her death.
Now Prof Alison Fell on the careful construction of memories of Edith Cavell after her execution #whn #ww1nursing pic.twitter.com/Aioapb50fa — WomensHistNetworkWM (@WHN_WM) November 21, 2015
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Edith Cavell might still be unknown if not been for the ghastly Hun. Depicted during the war as virginal & young, she was in fact 49 #whn
— WomensHistNetworkWM (@WHN_WM) November 21, 2015
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Nurse Edith Cavell (1865-1915)
Edith Cavell monument in Paris was blown up by Germans in 1940 as it represented the martyrdom of humanity by brutality #whn #ww1nursing — WomensHistNetworkWM (@WHN_WM) November 21, 2015
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Close political connection betw commem of loss of both Edith Cavell & Lusitania as evidence of enemy brutality. Still? #ww1nursing #whn
— WomensHistNetworkWM (@WHN_WM) November 21, 2015
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Cavell commemorated in 1920 in London, Paris & Brussels as martyr & embodiment of feminine virtue, not as working professional #nurse #whn — WomensHistNetworkWM (@WHN_WM) November 21, 2015
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Cavell often portrayed as working alone altho she was part of a much larger resistance network in Belgie & GB #whn #ww1nursing
— WomensHistNetworkWM (@WHN_WM) November 21, 2015
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Here she is #edithcavell you can visit her dog in Florence Nightingale #Museum with Flo’s Owl #taxidermy #ww1nursing pic.twitter.com/OshWb6AFL8 — WomensHistNetworkWM (@WHN_WM) November 21, 2015
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Edith Cavell and her dog. After her death, ‘Jack’ was adopted by Princess Mary de Croy. He died in 1923, and his stuffed remains can be seen in the Florence Nightingale Museum, St Thomas’ Hospital, London. (IWM http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/30083371)
Prof Jean Webb nowctalking abt how Edith Cavell is represented in children’s lit #ww1nursing #whn #edithcavell
— WomensHistNetworkWM (@WHN_WM) November 21, 2015
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Prof Jean Webb reflects on the loss of a Edith Cavell’s life in the repeated appropriation of her death
Important sidebar to Jean’s paper. Prof Maggie Andrews has just left to put on the tea urn #whn #ww1nursing #priorities — WomensHistNetworkWM (@WHN_WM) November 21, 2015
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Basically #edithcavell was represented to children as a saint. She even had a mountain named after her in Canada! #pubquizfactoid #whn
— WomensHistNetworkWM (@WHN_WM) November 21, 2015
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CA-vul or Ca-VELL. Our speakers are undecided. My old tutor would have stressed 1st syllable – CA-vul… #edithcavell #whn #ww1nursing — WomensHistNetworkWM (@WHN_WM) November 21, 2015
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Jean says #edithcavell is featured in 40 books still in print. ‘Amazing for someone not universally known these days’. #whn #ww1nursing
— WomensHistNetworkWM (@WHN_WM) November 21, 2015
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Delegates at the Women’s History Conference on 21 November 2015
Posthumous commemoration of #edithcavell emphasises her death not life. Empire accepted her martyrdom as more important than her life. #whn — WomensHistNetworkWM (@WHN_WM) November 21, 2015
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In #WW1 #edithcavell central to direct appeal ‘will YOU revenge?’. In #WW2 She represents resistance. #ww1nursing #whn
— WomensHistNetworkWM (@WHN_WM) November 21, 2015
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Post-war, #edithcavell‘s moral & religious fibre is to fore. Poster girl for church tracts ‘faith before the firing squad’ #ww1nursing #whn — WomensHistNetworkWM (@WHN_WM) November 21, 2015
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‘[T]he kettle refused to boil for some time, though finally some very weak tea was made.’ Olive Dent, #AVADinFrance https://t.co/5vtx3ry7nB
— Jane Potter (@drjanepotter) November 21, 2015
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#edithcavell featured in Piccolo Book of Heroines… clearly worth a read…https://t.co/LGLkDBNwGU #ww1nursing #whn — WomensHistNetworkWM (@WHN_WM) November 21, 2015
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Jean Webb: what is difference betw war writing for adults or for children? Responsibility. Of telling a truth, not varnishing sentiment #whn
— WomensHistNetworkWM (@WHN_WM) November 21, 2015
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Jean: truth of #edithcavell. A woman was lost. Her death used as propaganda and her life has been lost to view. Time to take cloud away #whn — WomensHistNetworkWM (@WHN_WM) November 21, 2015
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Steven Moralees from the Edith Cavell Nurses Trust on the practical legacy of her death
Stephen Moralee intro Cavell Nurses Trust, estab in 1917 to support nurses “shattered emotionally & physically” #whn pic.twitter.com/MQnTlW3cOP
— WomensHistNetworkWM (@WHN_WM) November 21, 2015
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Endowment of £14k donated in #ww1 in #edithcavell‘s name (worth £500k now). Supports nurses in need across UK #ww1nursing #whn — WomensHistNetworkWM (@WHN_WM) November 21, 2015
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Pam Barrett reminds us of warmer weather as she tells us about #hartlebury #castle #hlf #success at #whn #ww1nursing pic.twitter.com/Gn1QRzWQOF
— WomensHistNetworkWM (@WHN_WM) November 21, 2015
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#hartlebury #castle was VAD hospital during #ww1. Hurd Library, in the castle, holds hospital scrapbooks feat: poems, pix, letters #whn — WomensHistNetworkWM (@WHN_WM) November 21, 2015
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Lunch!!! #whn #ww1nursing
— WomensHistNetworkWM (@WHN_WM) November 21, 2015
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‘Then came a snack lunch, and a change of apron followed by the necessary medicines…’ Olive Dent #AVADinFrance https://t.co/MZszc1vZsU — Jane Potter (@drjanepotter) November 21, 2015
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Dr Claire Chatterton on the development of phsychotherapeutic approaches in WW1
And we’re off again. Dr Claire Chatterton of #OU on Nursing soldiers with psych trauma in #ww1 #whn #ww1nursing pic.twitter.com/0ZeZGjDewl
— WomensHistNetworkWM (@WHN_WM) November 21, 2015
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Research material referred to by Claire throughout her paper 
Research material referred to by Claire throughout her paper
Observation: in #ww1 hospitals, officers were “neurasthenic” whilst other ranks “have shellshock” #ww1nursing #whn — WomensHistNetworkWM (@WHN_WM) November 21, 2015
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Shellshock outlasted #ww1. Peter Barham 2004: in 1937, 30k MOD disability pensions paid to men w/ ‘mental disabilities’ #ww1nursing #whn
— WomensHistNetworkWM (@WHN_WM) November 21, 2015
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The range of mental health diagnoses listed under ‘shell shock’ in the Lord Derby Hospital
Many terms for mental illness in #ww1 #ww1nursing pic.twitter.com/xvGUkFlRjC — WomensHistNetworkWM (@WHN_WM) November 21, 2015
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Very difficult to find records for #ww1nursing in mental health as so much has been destroyed. #whn
— WomensHistNetworkWM (@WHN_WM) November 21, 2015
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Dr Alice Adams spoke about the burden of memorialisation carried by WW1 nurses
Fascinating paper by Alice Kelly of #oxuni on how Nurses wrote about death in #ww1 #whn #ww1nursing quotes from 4 Years Out of Life — WomensHistNetworkWM (@WHN_WM) November 21, 2015
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Sources referred to by Alice Kelly during her paper
Alice Kelly: #ww1nurses shown as saints, healers & grievers. Carried heavy burden as witness to ‘bad death’ #whn pic.twitter.com/Xtd9Lx6oCR
— WomensHistNetworkWM (@WHN_WM) November 21, 2015
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Question? Was grief in #ww1 an explicitly female activity? Did nurses always wrote of deaths with mothers in mind? #ww1nursing #whn — WomensHistNetworkWM (@WHN_WM) November 21, 2015
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Dr Jane Adams talked about the development of spa centres and massage therapy as a valuable part of WW1 convalescence.
Today’s new word: balneology. The study of bathing cures. #whoknew #ww1nursing #whn
— WomensHistNetworkWM (@WHN_WM) November 21, 2015
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Jane Adams of #warwickuni: spas & physical therapy during #ww1 #ww1nursing #whn pic.twitter.com/EeuGqZuNiV — WomensHistNetworkWM (@WHN_WM) November 21, 2015
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7 designated #medical spas in GB by 1918. Massage as rehabilitation therapy to wounded at Droitwich Bath Buxton etc. #ww1nursing #whn
— WomensHistNetworkWM (@WHN_WM) November 21, 2015
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