At the
beginning of the war the British government recruited women to serve
in Volunteer Aid Detachments (VAD). These women worked as assistant
nurses, ambulance drivers and cooks. VAD hospitals were opened in
most towns. In East Grinstead, Naughton House in London Road was turned
into a VAD hospital. VADs could work locally but a large number of
these women volunteered to work in the front-line in France.
Laurenna Simpkin (Sackville School)
(1)
Rifleman Albert Greenaway, a 21 year soldier from 7 View Terrace,
Dormandsland was slightly wounded in France in May, 1918. The matron
of the hospital
wrote a letter to his mother about what happened after he was admitted.
In the early hours of Sunday morning a wounded
soldier was dying from loss of blood. Albert Greeaway gallantly offered
to give his own blood to save his comrade, but in spite of every precaution,
he developed blood poisoning, from which he died. By giving blood
he nobly died a hero's death.
(2)
Miss Dinah Heasman, who lived at Southwick House, London Road, East
Grinstead, joined the VADs in 1914. Dinah volunteered to work in France
and on 20th March 1915, wrote to her parents in East Grinstead.
The thing
that upset me most were the groups of tiny crosses, each marking a
grave and each with the soldier's cap and great coat on it. Oh it
was so sad to see them and to think each meant so much to someone.
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