Emily Lord Part 3

A PIONEER OF THE KHAKI GIRLS

Marriage of Miss E. L. Lord, of Flowery Field.

The marriage at St George’s Church on Thurday of Miss Emily Louise Lord, youngest daughter of Mr. and Mrs. John Lord, of the Flowery Field Hotel, Hyde, to Mr. Frank Waller son of Mrs. Waller and the late Mr. W. Waller. of Derby. The bride was the first young lady of Hyde to respond to the appeal made by the Government fot English girls to go to France and preform work on behalf of the military authorities. The first batch of such girls, known as the “Pioneers of the Khaki Girls” crossed the English Channel and arrived in France in March, 1917. They numbered but 12 strong, and amongst them Miss Lord. In France she remained until January of the present year, when she came home on leave. She had the misfortune to break down in health, and appearing before a medical board, she did not return to France. Miss Lord was discharged from the service in March, as a result of shell shock, sustained whilst in France. We are, however, pleased to state that she is now quite well again.

Miss Lord joined the Women’s Legion in November 1915, being one of the first recruits. She was sent to a military centre at Grantham to act as cook, and whilst in France she held the position of Sergeant in the Expeditionary Force Canteens. For the first two months after arriving in France Miss Lord was regularly working 19 hours a day. Up to joining the Women’s Legion she was teacher at St. George’s Sunday School Hyde. It was whilst in France that she met Mr. Waller, who was in hospital there. She attended him during his recovery, as on two occasions he was given up by the doctors.

Mr. Waller himself has seen between 3 and 4 years’ active service in Salonika and France. Enlisting as a private in the Hussars, he later obtained a commission in the Border Regiment, and was demobilised in June.

At St. Georges a large number of people assembled to witness the ceremony, which was performed by the vicar, the Rev. H. J. Graham. The bride looked charming in a cream costume, with hat to correspond, and carried a beautiful bouquet. She was attended as bridesmaid by her sister, Miss Mabel Lord, who looked equally becoming in an old rose coloured dress, with black and old rose coloured hat. She also carried a bouquet. The bride’s mother looked smart in a dark grey dress, with hat of dark velvet, underlined with white, whilst Mrs. Waller wore a black crape de chine dress and black silk hat. Both carried bouquets. Others present  included Mrs. Cowburn, Nurse Waller and Miss Nellie Waller, sisters of the bridegroom. Mr.  J. H. Ward discharged the duties of best man.

 After the ceremony a reception was held at the Flowery Field Hotel, where a large number of guests were entertained. Mr. and Mrs. Waller are spending the honeymoon at Bournemouth, and will afterwards take up residance in London, where the bridegroom is employed in charge of Brent Gas Works, Hendon.

Amongst the many costly and handsome presents they have received is a beautiful piece of table silver from the Mayor and Mayoress of Hyde .. Alderman and Mrs. J. Mirfin

Emily Lord Part 2

Newton Heroine’s Reward

Mentioned in Field Marshalls Dispatch

When bombs and shrapnel fell around,

This woman stayed beside her post of duty.

Amid War’s terrors, deep, profound,

Which showed her character in all its beauty!

During the long sad days of the war nothing in our national character showed up to greater advantage or purer perfection than the courage of our glorious womanhood, and so it has ever been in the history of our splendid island race. It shone through the darkness of the Indian Mutiny, it illuminated the wreak of the Elbe, it give us a Florence Nightingale, a Nurse Gavell, a Grace Darling, and many another heroine known or unknown. We were proud of our women in the war, proud of those who stayed at home, and proud of those who fared forth to one or other of the arenas of conflict.

Women's Legion

And Newton has every reason to be proud of Miss Emily Lord (she is not Miss Lord now), the very brave daughter of Mr J W Lord, the popular licensee and mine host of the Flowery Field Hotel, who, as a member of the Women’s Legion was one of the first of the plucky girls of Hyde to go out to the Expeditionary Forces in 1915, upon the formation of the Corps, and who underwent the hardships and vicissitudes of war in all its blatant horrors with a cheerfulness and courage that stood her in good stead.

Now in 1918 she was at Etaples during the memorable German bombing raids upon the big Base Hospitals, when so many of our gallant wounded were either killed, or maimed anew, some 2000 men in all, to recall the ghastly list, whilst many of the brave women tending them fell martyrs at their posts of duty. The memory of their noble deeds is slowly fading from the public mind as the hand of time moves on, but those deeds, nevertheless, will be found recorded at the last muster rol upon imperishable tablets of the Angels.

Among the fortunate and gallant survivors of these scenes of churlish carnage was Miss Lord, who calmly assisted the wounded through many a trying hour and harrowing scene, until she fell a victim in the end to her intrepid courage, and sustaining severe shell-shock was finally invalided home and discharged “medically unfit.”

Some of this is thrice-told story now, for is it not to be found recorded in glowing terms in the columns of the “North Cheshire Herald” under the date of October 27^th, 1917?

Then, to follow her varying fortunes still further, we find her under happier auspices becoming Mrs Waller at St. George’s Church. Hyde on October 9^th, 1919, her bridegroom being Lieut. Frank Waller, of the 4^th Hussars, thus proving the truth of the old adage that  “none but the brave deserve the fair.”

But Mrs Waller’s splendid conduct as has now received the final seal of official recognition, for lo and behold, the other day there arrived at her proud and happy father’s hostelry a portentous-looking official envelope of goodly size, which when opened revealed the following:-

 “The War of 1914-15: Queen Mary’s Army Auxiliary Corps. 21 workers, Miss E. Lord, was mentioned in a Despatch from

 

Field Marshal Sir Douglas Haigh, K.T., G.C.B., O.M., G.C.V.O., K.C.I.E., dated 16^th March, 1919, for gallant and distinguished services in the field.

I have it in command from the King to record His Majesty’s high appreciation of the services rendered."

WINSTON S. CHURCHILL

Secretary of State for War.

War Office, Whitehall, S.W.

1^st July, 1919

There are two very proud and happy men in existence to-day, be it added, the father of our Newton heroine, and the husband of the same, and may we add our fitting meed of congratulation! 

Extracts From The Reporter

To be continued

Emily Lord Part 1

I was contacted a while back by Martin Waller concerning the story of Emily Lord and her bravery and much more. What I have done is to write this story how it was wrote in the 'Reporter' I will add one or two pictures as well.  

 PIONEER OF THE KHAKI GIRLS

FLOWERY FIELD YOUNG LADY’S GOOD WORK IN FRANCE

An appeal throughout England for English girls to go to France and perform work on behalf of the military authorities, such as cooking, so as to relieve able-bodied men for other duties, such as service in the ranks. The first batch of such girls, known as the Pioneers of the Khaki Girls, crossed the English Channel and arrived in France. They numbered 12 strong, and the Borough of Hyde has the honour of having furnished one of the 12…. Namely, Miss Emily Lord, the younger daughter of Mr and Mrs J. W. Lord, of the Flowery Field Hotel. Miss Lord, an esteemed and most estimable young lady, has been wearing khaki nearly two years. She joined the Women’s Legion so long ago a Nov. 1915, being one of the first to join. She was sent to a military centre at Grantham, to act as cook. She now holds the rank of Sergeant in what is known as the Expeditionary Force Canteens. Last Saturday morning she arrived home on a fortnights leave, not having been home since last Christmas, so she is certainly doing what she can to help win the war. On Tuesday, Miss Lord very kindly and courteously gave a representative of the “Herald” a few particulars of the work she and others English girls have been doing in France. Since arriving last March, she has been cooking and waiting and waiting on a British officers club at Boulogne. Sometimes when soldiers come down the line they have nothing to eat for a couple of days or more.  They are provided with food, and have a wash before coming over to England. Frequently many of them go, or are taken, down to Boulogne after  “Going over the top” and taking part in hard fighting, and are most grateful for the kind attention they receive. In Miss Lord’s unit there are 46 girls in France, all of whom previously acted as cooks in military camps in England. Miss Lord told our representative that for the first two months after arriving in France she was – REGULARLY WORKING 19 HOURS A DAY- and she herself had worked 48 hours off the reel. It was extremely trying, and after a few weeks there were only 3 girls on duty, all the others being in hospital. Since then the conditions have improved by the arrival of fresh drafts of girls from England, and the work is now generally done in relays; - three relays each day, night included of course. The girls if not on night duty, sleep at a beautiful hostel about 15 minutes walk from the officers club. The hostel has been provided with furniture and various articles made by the girls themselves assisted by some of the soldier boys, and it is now very cosy. Contributions are made by the girls every week to buy cakes for socials and parties. These events afford a most pleasurable relief from what at times are still very arduous duties. Every week the girls entertain at the hostel about 12 of the “blue boys” those who are convalescent from wounds or sickness. They have a gramophone, and soon a piano is expected. When the girls went last March the officers club was in a very neglected condition, but it is now clean and comfortable. In the present club about fifty officers can be attended to, but next month another club is to be opened, which will provide accommodation for 250. There are now large numbers of English girls in France, cooking and performing other useful work for the benefit of British soldiers. Some are acting as clerks. Though very tiring at times, Miss Lord likes the work, feeling that she is doing her duty to good old England. On many occasions she as only had a ‘Army Biscuit’ to eat before starting her shift. Miss Lord speaks very highly of the conduct of British soldiers in France.

A new club has been opened at Poperinghe, in Belgium, only 6 miles west-south-west of Ypres, and within a few miles of resent terrific fighting: and Miss Lord thinks she may be going there when she returns on November 3^rd. Up to joining the Women’s Legion she was a teacher at Hyde St. Georges Sunday School.

Her father has been the licence of the Flowery Field Hotel for a few years now and as made many friends. He is a trained electrical engineer, and formerly was engaged at the Denton Tramways depot. 

To be continued