Historical Information (Source: CWGC)

Etaples Military Cemetery is the largest CWGC cemetery in France. It is located near Boulogne on the former site of a large military hospital complex used by the Allies during the First World War.  The cemetery is the final resting place of 20 women, including nurses, army auxiliaries and civilian volunteers of the YMCA and Scottish Church Huts organisations. They were killed in air raids or by disease.  By the latter part of the war, more than 2,500 women were serving at the Étaples base. Hailing from many parts of the British Empire as well as France and America, they included ambulance drivers, nurses, members of the Voluntary Aid Detachment and those employed by the Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps as bakers, clerks, telephonists and gardeners.

In its early years, the cemetery was visible as the train from Boulogne to Paris passed close by. Sir Fabian Ware, the founder of the Imperial War Graves Commission, ensured that trains would linger for a minute or so to allow passengers a glimpse.  Hospitals were stationed again at Etaples during the Second World War. The cemetery was used for burials from January 1940 until the evacuation at the end of May 1940. After the war, a number of graves were brought into the cemetery from other French burial grounds. Of the 119 Second World War burials, 38 are unidentified.  Number of casualties: 11554. Etaples Military Cemetery also contains 662 Non Commonwealth burials, mainly German, including six unidentifed. There are also now five Non World War service burials here.  The cemetery was unveiled on 14 May 1922, by King George V and General Douglas Haig.

Citation

An extract from the "London Gazette," Number 28976, dated 16th Nov., 1914, recording the award of V.C., reads:-"At Le Cateau, on 26th Aug., he took up two teams and limbered up two guns under heavy Artillery and Infantry fire, and though the enemy was within 100 yards, he got one gun away safely. At Pisseloup, on 9th Sept., he reconnoitred at close range, discovered a battery which was holding up the advance and silenced it. He was severely wounded 15th Sept., 1914."

Grave Reference: I. A. 20.

(Source: Wikipedia)

Twenty women are buried there, more than in any other CWGC cemetery on the Western Front.

A bombing raid on May 19, 1918 killed three Canadian nursing sisters serving at No.1 Canadian General Hospital – Margaret Lowe, Katherine M MacDonald and Gladys MM Wake – the first Canadian nurses killed in action.

Two other female victims of bombing raids were YMCA motor driver Betty (Bertha Gavin) Stevenson on 31 May and Nursing Sister Annie Watson Bain at the St John Ambulance Brigade Hospital on 1 June.

Matron Eveline Maud Dawson of the Queen Alexandra’s Imperial Military Nursing Service was killed when HM Hospital Ship Salta hit a mine on 10 April 1917. Her body washed ashore several days later

Dorothea Mary Lynette Crewdson, MM, ARRC, Nursing Sister, VAD member, British Red Cross, died 12 Mar 1919, age 32. “Daughter of Mr and Mrs Henry Crewdson Nottingham. Sursum Corda”. Crewdson was injured when the Étaples hospitals were bombed in June 1918. She was awarded the Military Medal for her courage, a rare honour for a woman. She also held an Associate Royal Red Cross medal.    

Marjorie Croysdale, Nursing Sister, Queen Alexandra’s Imperial Military Nursing Service, died 2 Mar 1919, age 26.

Matilda Ethel Green, Nursing Sister, Canadian Army Nursing Service, 7th Canadian General Hospital, died 9 Oct 1918, age 32. “Duties Faithfully Fulfilled”  Died of pneumonia, following an attack of Influenza, at Villa Tino Hospital (No.24 General Hospital) 9 October 1918 – total service at the front amounted to 45 days.

Alice Violet Hallam, Nursing Member, Voluntary Aid Detachment, died 18 Dec 1916, age 45. “Requiescat in Pace”  Nursing Sister with a service number of 541 serving in the Voluntary Aid Detachment at No.18 General Hospital that was located in Camiers, France. A member of the St John Ambulance Brigade. She entered France on 2 June 1915 and remained there until 3 July 1916. She returned to France on 18 October 1916 and died, aged 45 years, as a result of an illness contracted on service. She was posthumously awarded the 1914-1915 Star, the British War Medal 1914-1918 and the Victory Medal, together with the Memorial Plaque and these were auctioned on 2 July 2003 and were sold for £4,500.

Doris Mary Luker, Worker, Queen Mary’s Army Auxiliary Corps, died 13 Feb 1919, age 21. “She Nobly Answered Her Country’s Call”

Mary Maria Matthews, Worker, Queen Mary’s Army Auxiliary Corps, died 17 Feb 1919, age 28. “Our Dear One Gone But Is Not Forgotten By Us All”                

Marguerite Maude McArthur, Civilian, YMCA, died 13 Feb 1919, age 26. “We Asked Life For Her and Thou Gavest Her Life For Evermore”

Eliza Margaret Nisbet, Civilian, Scottish Churches Huts, died 16 Aug 1916, age 51. Nisbet and her sister Amy volunteered, arriving in France in June 1916. Margaret died shortly after. Amy served until Sep 1919.

Blanche Amelia Page, Worker, Queen Mary’s Army Auxiliary Corps, died 7 Dec 1918, age 30. “To Live In Hearts We Leave Behind Is Not To Die”

Edith H. Routledge, Assistant Forewoman, Queen Mary’s Army Auxiliary Corps, died 5 Mar 1919, age 29. Mentioned In Despatches. “In Ever Loving Memory of Our Dear Nora”

Jeanie Barclay Smith, Nursing Sister, Queen Alexandra’s Imperial Military Nursing Service, died 28 Apr 1916, age 42. “Thy Will Be Done”        

Jessie Emily Wakefield, Nursing Sister, Territorial Force Nursing Service, died 07 Feb 1919, age 39.           

Emma Whittaker, Worker, Queen Mary’s Army Auxiliary Corps, died 15 Feb 1919.

Florence Victoria (Flossie) Grover, civilian, died of pneumonia after contracting influenza while visiting her husband, Private Albert Grover in hospital. She died 26 Nov 1918, age 21. “In loving memory. Until the day break and the shadows flee away” Bert died of pneumonia three weeks later, 17 Dec 1918, age 23. “Sleep on dear son”

3 Belgians