When you think of First World War British Red Cross volunteers (the Voluntary Aid Detachment or VADs), ‘nursing’ may come to mind. In fact you may be surprised at the variety of posts VADs carried out.
It is clear in letters to her mother, and from a book of poems and sketches autographed by her patients, that Florence Baker was a comfort to the wounded at Bethnal Green Military Hospital. One patient referred to her as ‘Angel of Mercy.’ Another VAD wrote of her experiences in The Red Cross magazine, January 1919:
While the raids were on, we were at first stunned with amazement and later with fear and anger, but throughout we were able to keep cool and do our work. It was the men in bed who suffered.
It is amazing that some volunteers, such as the artist Olive Mudie-Cooke (1890–1925) had the time to carry out official war artist duties as well as those of a VAD ambulance driver. She also acted as an interpreter in French, Italian and German. Her sketches depict both the activities of the ambulance convoys alongside the hospitals and the destruction she witnessed. A piece of her work can be seen in the Consumed by war display at the Royal College of Physicians, while the British Red Cross museum and archives has examples of art by other VADs.
During the war, women took on work traditionally seen as the preserve of men. Conversely, it could be seen as surprising for the period that so many beautiful and delicate works of embroidery and tapestries were created by convalescing servicemen. Some depicted military iconography, such as the badge of their regiment, but others stitched floral images and designs from nature, as example of which is in the display at the RCP.
Also on display at the RCP is a pattern for a surgeon or male assistant's coat or overall. The Joint War Committee distributed over 41,000 paper patterns for the making of bandages, hospital garments and warm clothing on the home front. So successful was this initiative that a new source for wool had to be found. Ultimately, the soft wool of long-haired dogs, such as Pekinese, Chows and Pomeranians was spun to make yarn for cardigans, gloves, socks and mufflers. Great interest was taken in this new industry by the National Salvage Council and the Textile Department of the Victoria and Albert Museum where, after the war, these dogs’ wool garments were exhibited.
Emily Oldfield, curator British Red Cross museum and archives
The display ‘Consumed by war’: physicians and the First World War closed on 28 July 2014.
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