American Women's War Relief Fund was an
expatriate
An expatriate (often shortened to expat) is a person who resides outside their native country. In common usage, the term often refers to educated professionals, skilled workers, or artists taking positions outside their home country, either ...
organization in the
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the European mainland, continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...
started by
American women to fund and aid
World War I
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
support efforts. The group was made up of wealthy
socialites, politicians' wives and
humanitarians
Humanitarianism is an active belief in the value of human life, whereby humans practice benevolent treatment and provide assistance to other humans to reduce suffering and improve the conditions of humanity for moral, altruistic, and emotional ...
. Many famous and well-connected women were involved, including
Lou Hoover
Lou Hoover (née Henry; March 29, 1874 – January 7, 1944) was an American philanthropist, geologist, and First Lady of the United States from 1929 to 1933 as the wife of President Herbert Hoover. She was active in numerous community organizatio ...
,
Consuelo Vanderbilt
Consuelo Vanderbilt-Balsan (formerly Consuelo Spencer-Churchill, Duchess of Marlborough; born Consuelo Vanderbilt; March 2, 1877 – December 6, 1964) was a socialite and a member of the prominent American Vanderbilt family. Her first marriage ...
and
Lady Randolph Churchill
Jennie Spencer-Churchill (; 9 January 1854 – 29 June 1921), known as Lady Randolph Churchill, was an American-born British socialite, the wife of Lord Randolph Churchill, and the mother of British prime minister Sir Winston Churchill.
Early ...
.
Leila Paget
Dame Louise Margaret Leila Wemyss, Lady Paget, GBE (born 9 October 1881 – died 24 September 1958) was a British humanitarian, active in the cause of Serbian relief, beginning in World War I.
Family
The daughter of General Sir Arthur Henry Fit ...
served as president and
Ava Lowle Willing was the fund's vice-president. The group, started almost immediately after the declaration of war, funded a fleet of
ambulance
An ambulance is a medically equipped vehicle which transports patients to treatment facilities, such as hospitals. Typically, out-of-hospital medical care is provided to the patient during the transport.
Ambulances are used to respond to medi ...
s, two
hospitals, one
field hospital
A field hospital is a temporary hospital or mobile medical unit that takes care of casualties on-site before they can be safely transported to more permanent facilities. This term was initially used in military medicine (such as the Mobile A ...
and several employment opportunities for unemployed women in Britain.
History
American Women's War Relief Fund was founded on August 5, 1914.
Members of the organization were women from the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...
who were married to
Englishmen and who wanted to help in the effort to support soldiers fighting in
World War I
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
. The president of the group was
Leila Paget
Dame Louise Margaret Leila Wemyss, Lady Paget, GBE (born 9 October 1881 – died 24 September 1958) was a British humanitarian, active in the cause of Serbian relief, beginning in World War I.
Family
The daughter of General Sir Arthur Henry Fit ...
and
Ava Lowle Willing served as vice-president.
Many of the members of the group had husbands who were commanding troops during the war.
Paget told journalist Hayden Church that she had thought up the idea for the Relief Fund merely three days after the start of the war.
Winnaretta Singer and the Countess of Starfford were major donors of money to the fund.
Paget also raised money in both America and England for wounded soldiers of several different countries fighting in the war.
In 1917, there was an official request to have all American-led efforts to support the war in Europe be turned over to the
American Red Cross for coordination purposes. In January 1918, the Relief Fund hospitals were fully turned over to be run by the Red Cross.
The fund originally was going to sponsor an
ambulance
An ambulance is a medically equipped vehicle which transports patients to treatment facilities, such as hospitals. Typically, out-of-hospital medical care is provided to the patient during the transport.
Ambulances are used to respond to medi ...
ship, but were persuaded to purchase 6 motor ambulances with a seventh added later by Grace Nichols and bearing the words, "From Friends in Boston". The ambulances had room enough for four
stretcher
A stretcher, gurney, litter, or pram is an apparatus used for moving patients who require medical care. A basic type (cot or litter) must be carried by two or more people. A wheeled stretcher (known as a gurney, trolley, bed or cart) is often ...
s and two medics.
Hospitals
In August 1914, the American Women's War Relief Fund received the donation from
Paris Eugene Singer of his Oldway House in
Paignton
Paignton ( ) is a seaside town on the coast of Tor Bay in Devon, England. Together with Torquay and Brixham it forms the borough of Torbay which was created in 1998. The Torbay area is a holiday destination known as the English Riviera. Paignt ...
to be used as a
military hospital
A military hospital is a hospital owned and operated by a military. They are often reserved for the use of military personnel and their dependents, but in some countries are made available to civilians as well. They may or may not be located on a ...
.
Lady Randolph Churchill
Jennie Spencer-Churchill (; 9 January 1854 – 29 June 1921), known as Lady Randolph Churchill, was an American-born British socialite, the wife of Lord Randolph Churchill, and the mother of British prime minister Sir Winston Churchill.
Early ...
was involved in persuading Singer to donate the house to use as a hospital. The building, known as the American Women's War Hospital, was initially equipped with 200 beds, an
operating theatre
An operating theater (also known as an operating room (OR), operating suite, or operation suite) is a facility within a hospital where surgical operations are carried out in an aseptic environment.
Historically, the term "operating theater" refe ...
, radiographic studio,
pathology
Pathology is the study of the causes and effects of disease or injury. The word ''pathology'' also refers to the study of disease in general, incorporating a wide range of biology research fields and medical practices. However, when used in ...
lab and also with
anesthetizing and
sterilization rooms. Later, an additional 20 beds were added, and an "Isolation Hut" for
quarantine
A quarantine is a restriction on the movement of people, animals and goods which is intended to prevent the spread of disease or pests. It is often used in connection to disease and illness, preventing the movement of those who may have been ...
s was built which could accommodate around 30 people. The
American Red Cross helped staff the hospital, providing two units. The hospital began treating wounded soldiers as soon as September 1914. On November of that year,
Queen Mary brought three hundred articles of clothes for the hospital and visited the wards. Anita Strawbridge solicited donations such as socks and underwear from the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...
. By 1916, the American Women's War Hospital had treated 3,203 soldiers, according to the ''
New York Herald''.
By March 1919, when the hospital closed, it had served over 7,000 soldiers.
The relief fund also provided partial funding for a
field hospital
A field hospital is a temporary hospital or mobile medical unit that takes care of casualties on-site before they can be safely transported to more permanent facilities. This term was initially used in military medicine (such as the Mobile A ...
in
Belgium
Belgium, ; french: Belgique ; german: Belgien officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. The country is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeast, France to th ...
run by the wife of an officer, Mrs. O'Gorman. Another hospital, known as the American Women's Hospital, was located at
Lancaster Gate
Lancaster Gate is a mid-19th century development in the Bayswater district of central London, immediately to the north of Kensington Gardens. It consists of two long terraces of houses overlooking the park, with a wide gap between them openi ...
and had been opened in 1917 by
Walter Hines Page
Walter Hines Page (August 15, 1855 – December 21, 1918) was an American journalist, publisher, and diplomat. He was the United States ambassador to the United Kingdom during World War I.
He founded the ''State Chronicle'', a newspaper in Rale ...
and
Willa Alice Wilson Page.
The Lancaster hospital had 41 beds and was mainly staffed with American nurses.
It was inspected by King George and the Queen in 1917. It closed in 1919.
Economic relief
In addition to setting up the hospital, the fund also created workrooms to teach young women new skills as part of the Economic Relief Committee of the American Women's War Relief Fund. The committee was headed by
Consuelo Vanderbilt
Consuelo Vanderbilt-Balsan (formerly Consuelo Spencer-Churchill, Duchess of Marlborough; born Consuelo Vanderbilt; March 2, 1877 – December 6, 1964) was a socialite and a member of the prominent American Vanderbilt family. Her first marriage ...
, who had been recruited by
Lou Hoover
Lou Hoover (née Henry; March 29, 1874 – January 7, 1944) was an American philanthropist, geologist, and First Lady of the United States from 1929 to 1933 as the wife of President Herbert Hoover. She was active in numerous community organizatio ...
in 1915. This committee provided funds to pay the women's
wage
A wage is payment made by an employer to an employee for work done in a specific period of time. Some examples of wage payments include compensatory payments such as ''minimum wage'', '' prevailing wage'', and ''yearly bonuses,'' and remune ...
s and articles of clothing, such as socks, were sent to the hospital or "given to soldiers and sailors in special need."
A workroom was set up in a
factory
A factory, manufacturing plant or a production plant is an industrial facility, often a complex consisting of several buildings filled with machinery, where workers manufacture items or operate machines which process each item into another. ...
building near
St. Pancras between August 1914 and August 1915. A
knitting factory in
Islington was opened in September 1914, followed by other workrooms in October at
Woolwich
Woolwich () is a district in southeast London, England, within the Royal Borough of Greenwich.
The district's location on the River Thames led to its status as an important naval, military and industrial area; a role that was maintained thr ...
and one at
Greenwich
Greenwich ( , ,) is a town in south-east London, England, within the ceremonial county of Greater London. It is situated east-southeast of Charing Cross.
Greenwich is notable for its maritime history and for giving its name to the Greenwich ...
. The Woolwich factory was given to a charity to run in 1915. The women employed at the workrooms were not given quotas, but instead did what they were able to do.
The working women were also given free
tea
Tea is an aromatic beverage prepared by pouring hot or boiling water over cured or fresh leaves of ''Camellia sinensis'', an evergreen shrub native to East Asia which probably originated in the borderlands of southwestern China and north ...
and low cost meals in the evening.
Notable members
*
Lady Randolph Churchill
Jennie Spencer-Churchill (; 9 January 1854 – 29 June 1921), known as Lady Randolph Churchill, was an American-born British socialite, the wife of Lord Randolph Churchill, and the mother of British prime minister Sir Winston Churchill.
Early ...
, chair of the hospital committee.
*
Mary Ethel Harcourt (Mrs. Lewis Harcourt)
*
Lou Hoover
Lou Hoover (née Henry; March 29, 1874 – January 7, 1944) was an American philanthropist, geologist, and First Lady of the United States from 1929 to 1933 as the wife of President Herbert Hoover. She was active in numerous community organizatio ...
.
*
Ruth Bryan Owen, secretary.
*
Leila Paget
Dame Louise Margaret Leila Wemyss, Lady Paget, GBE (born 9 October 1881 – died 24 September 1958) was a British humanitarian, active in the cause of Serbian relief, beginning in World War I.
Family
The daughter of General Sir Arthur Henry Fit ...
, president.
*
Consuelo Vanderbilt
Consuelo Vanderbilt-Balsan (formerly Consuelo Spencer-Churchill, Duchess of Marlborough; born Consuelo Vanderbilt; March 2, 1877 – December 6, 1964) was a socialite and a member of the prominent American Vanderbilt family. Her first marriage ...
(the Duchess of Marlborough), chair of the Economic Relief Committee.
*
Ava Lowle Willing, vice-president.
*
Willa Alice Wilson Page.
References
Citations
Sources
*
*
*
*
External links
Paignton, Devon: The Singer Palace Becomes a Hospital(2014
BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC
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