Now all roads lead to France and heavy is the tread
Of the living; but the dead returning lightly dance.
Edward Thomas, Roads

Thursday, October 11, 2018

Monument To Wartime British Nurses Unveiled At National Memorial Arboretum




Nurses who served in the two World Wars will be remembered with a new sculpture at the National Memorial Arboretum. The memorial carries the names of nearly 1,300 professional and Voluntary Aid Detachment (VAD) nurses who died during or as a direct result of the conflict.

A service of dedication was held in June for the monument at the National Memorial Arboretum in Alrewas, Staffordshire, attended by the Countess of Wessex. The event is the culmination of more than six years of campaigning by the Nursing Memorial Appeal, who have been fundraising for a permanent monument since 2011.

Barbara Hallows, Chair of the Nursing Memorial Appeal, explained to Forces News the concept behind the memorial:


"We thought we should have the hand of a nurse—and at that time they were women's hands—holding a world, in which we could put in their names around the lands in which they worked, reminding us of how many died in the two World Wars."

Sources: BBC and Forces.net

2 comments:

  1. What a pity this memorial has taken so long to be created, so that the WWI heroines can only view this tribute to them from beyond the grave ...

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  2. Margaret, Sydney, AustraliaOctober 12, 2018 at 12:38 AM

    Better late than never! Fantastic that there were those who cared. I for one appreciate their effort.
    A beautiful, thoughtful and powerful monument.
    I am a nurse and understand what it takes to care......

    ReplyDelete