Author Topic: The Voluntary Aid Detachment (VAD)  (Read 2278 times)

Offline chr1st1an

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The Voluntary Aid Detachment (VAD)
« on: Saturday 12 December 15 18:50 GMT (UK) »
Hi everyone!  :)

Searching through old photographs, I have found one of my great grandmother, I think serving as a V.A.D. nurse during World War I.

I would like some more information about these nurses, because it's a topic I have very little knowledge about, but I think it is most fascinating!

As soon as possible I will upload the picture.

All I can add now is that her name was Mrs. Mary Alice Lawton, and that she had her first two sons in Audenshaw (near Ashton, Lancashire) in 1910 and 1912 respectively, and three more sons (from 1916 to 1922) at Brierley (near Barnsley, Yorkshire). So I suppose she could have worked as a nurse in either town, during WWI.

Many thanks (in advance)!!!
 

Offline chr1st1an

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Re: The Voluntary Aid Detachment (VAD)
« Reply #1 on: Saturday 12 December 15 19:17 GMT (UK) »
The picture in question...

Online KGarrad

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Garrad (Suffolk, Essex, Somerset), Crocker (Somerset), Vanstone (Devon, Jersey), Sims (Wiltshire), Bridger (Kent)

Offline groom

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Re: The Voluntary Aid Detachment (VAD)
« Reply #3 on: Saturday 12 December 15 20:42 GMT (UK) »
Are you sure it's in WW1, she doesn't seem to be dressed as most images of VADs show - they all have long sleeves?  It looks later to me, especially as she is wearing a watch and showing so much ankle!
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Offline chr1st1an

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Re: The Voluntary Aid Detachment (VAD)
« Reply #4 on: Saturday 12 December 15 22:43 GMT (UK) »
No, I am not sure it was WWI. There is no date on the back of the picture. Could it be WWII?  :-\
How could we know?

[Thanks KGarrad for the links... I will study them carefully]

Offline Billyblue

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Re: The Voluntary Aid Detachment (VAD)
« Reply #5 on: Saturday 12 December 15 23:08 GMT (UK) »
If her sons were born in 1910 & 1912, it could have been WW1.  She wouldn't look so young for WW2  ;)  ;)   ;)
The uniform doesn't look like any VAD uniform I've ever seen, especially the cap.
VADs usually wore a sort of veil, bunched at the back and sticking out a bit. The headgear your gm has on is a hospital nurses' uniform type.

If you Google voluntary aid detachment you will get lots of sites about it.
Remember is was VOLUNTARY i.e. volunteer, they didn't get paid.  My OH's wife was a VAD in WW2.  They were like the enrolled nurse / nurse's aid that we know today.

Dawn M
Denys (France); Rossier/Rousseau (Switzerland); Montgomery (Antrim, IRL & North Sydney NSW);  Finn (Co.Carlow, IRL & NSW); Wilson (Leicestershire & NSW); Blue (Sydney NSW); Fisher & Barrago & Harrington(all Tipperary, IRL)

Offline groom

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Re: The Voluntary Aid Detachment (VAD)
« Reply #6 on: Saturday 12 December 15 23:26 GMT (UK) »
Quote
she had her first two sons in Audenshaw (near Ashton, Lancashire) in 1910 and 1912 respectively, and three more sons (from 1916 to 1922)

Would she have worked as a nurse with such young children? Do you know for certain that she was a VAD or is it just the photo that makes you think that? I'm wondering if it is actually a nurse's unifom or could it be some sort of maid? The short sleeves don't look right to me for that period.
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Offline Scarletwoman

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Re: The Voluntary Aid Detachment (VAD)
« Reply #7 on: Sunday 13 December 15 11:43 GMT (UK) »
I would say that the photo could have been taken as late as the 1950s and positively not First World War.  Assuming (dangerous) that your great-grandmother was born around 1890 at the earliest, there seems little possibility that it could be her. So a nurse, but in my opinion of a much later period. Family-wise, a generation out.

Sue

Scarletfinders - Researching British Military Nurses from 1880, mainly Great War period

Offline chr1st1an

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Re: The Voluntary Aid Detachment (VAD)
« Reply #8 on: Sunday 13 December 15 13:04 GMT (UK) »
Would she have worked as a nurse with such young children? Do you know for certain that she was a VAD or is it just the photo that makes you think that? I'm wondering if it is actually a nurse's unifom or could it be some sort of maid? The short sleeves don't look right to me for that period.

As I said, I found that photograph (among the ones of my great grandmother), and I supposed it was her serving as a V.A.D. nurse during World War I.

Now I have doubts that: 1. It was my great-grandmother (at all); 2. that this person was serving as a V.A.D; and 3. it was WW1.  :-[

I did not know that wristwatches became popular for women after WW1.
I now see that uniforms of V.A.D.(s) usually had a red cross on them.
I hadn't thought either that if a woman had small children she would not volunteer as a V.A.D. (specially if there was no pay). And this has also puzzled me: if soldiers and officers were paid (as this link explains: http://www.1914-1918.net/pay_1914.html ) why didn't V.A.D.(s) receive payment for their help???