ARMY SERVICE

Evening Post, Volume CXVIII, Issue 90, 13 October 1934, Page 18

ARMY SERVICE

WOMEN WHO FOUGHT

Nearly 400 French women managed to preserve their disguise long enough to light in the trenches during the Great War. Some were not discovered until they reached the hospital or came to be buried. One, it is said, was awarded the Crois de Guerre, and was. allowed to keep it owing to the conspicuous nature of her bravery. "There are four cases I know of women1 serving the British armies (comments the Marquess of Donegall, in the "Sunday Dispatch"). The first is the historic case of Dr. James Barry, army surgeon and inspector-general of hospitals. She joined up in 1813 as a hospital assistant, gained promotion rapidly, and died in 1865. Her secret was discovered by a colonel and his friend in Trinidad, but they did not give her away, and her sex was never established ■ until •her death. The other three were in tho last war. The first was with the Australians on the Somme, and was woundeS in • tho- war. Then there was Sapper Dorothy Lawrence who served as a regular Tommy at Albert before the battle of Loos. She was discovered, given away by her sergeant, and arrested just as she was going off to do the job of lighting, a mine fuse. Yet another was Minnie Drewett, who, according to her own statement, was wounded in the head, and on discharge was given a job as officers' cook. She had two war medals, and the Prince of "Wales asked the British' Legion to look after hen She was eventually drowned in the Thames at Richmond."

For the purpose of augmenting the funds of the Rongotai College Gymnasium Mrs. B. H. Young, Belvedere Road, gave a very enjoyable bridge afternoon recently for friends and members of the Kilbirnio committee of the Ladies' Auxiliary. The rooms were gayly decorated with massive bowls of arum lilies, lilac, and calendulas, and a.delicious afternoon tea was served. Mrs. Young donated the prizes, the lucky vinners being Mrs. Hawken and Miss Elliott. Among tho guests were Mesdames Dean, Houston, Leith, Usher, Elliott, Ferguson, Spear, Miller, Godfrey, Ellison, Ponder, Brown, Hawkens, Rutherford, Mildenhall, Dunnett, Lock, Mitchell Soutlrwick and Miss Elliott.