Dorothy Vlieland

[Scarletwoman]

Each county had similar numbering and if a '2' is given, then that probably refers to Devon/2 VAD which was Streatham Hall Hospital, Exeter.  It seems more likely than Sussex/2 which was in Eastbourne.

At a time where there were no antibiotics, influenza, pneumonia and other chest infections caused many deaths throughout the UK every year.  The majority of women whose names are on UK war memorials died during the war of illness or disease and are included as giving their services during wartime.

Sue

[sleepybarb]

Sue, you are amazing, Streatham Hall , renamed Reed Hall in  the 1920's would seem to be the right one .It is within walking distance of St. Davids, strangely enough I had lunch there with my husband the other week. I am looking forward to writing the piece now, my next step will be to see what the family know.
   Barb

[IMBER]

The term military medal does not necessarily mean THE "Military Medal", although if she did not serve overseas it's difficult to see how she might have qualified for the any of the usual medals. Perhaps there was some sort of unofficial decoration involved here?

Imber

[whiteout7]

A quick google of Streatham Hall Hospital shows the nurses were looking after patients with shell shock, appendicitus,  Tuberculosis of spine, Pueral Sepsis. I'd imagine it was quite a task for a nurse.

This book has some photographs of the No.2 Ward Exeter
Great War Britain Exeter: Remembering 1914-18
By David Parker
https://books.google.co.nz/books?id=ilyfBAAAQBAJ&pg=PT57&lpg=PT57&dq=%22Streatham+Hall+Hospital%22&source=bl&ots=SnYOKTDNez&sig=g-wT2d0WbDI0GSJqIepBeLQ0v-s&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjSnpiS7d3KAhVKHZQKHYFjC4kQ6AEIGjAA#v=onepage&q=%22Streatham%20Hall%20Hospital%22&f=false

This book would certainly give you an idea of what Dorothy was doing, could have been 12 hour shifts

[Scarletwoman]

The term military medal does not necessarily mean THE "Military Medal", although if she did not serve overseas it's difficult to see how she might have qualified for the any of the usual medals. Perhaps there was some sort of unofficial decoration involved here?

It's very easy to get things confused and re-hashed though, particularly on the web.  It could well be the British Red Cross Society War Medal though whether these were issued for members who had died, I don't know

http://www.redcross.org.uk/About-us/Who-we-are/Museum-and-archives/Collections/Medals-and-badges

Sue

[Julia Neville]

Hi, everyone, I am joining this thread a bit late, but I am interested in Dorothy Vlieland.
I am co-ordinating the research group looking at the history of Exeter's First World War Hospitals and Dorothy is one of the nurses whom we have listed as having died during the war. She was a nurse at No 2 Hospital which (for you Exonians) was Bishop Blackall School. She was a qualified nurse, not a Red Cross (VAD) nurse and had worked in hospitals before the war. Her mother was the wonderful woman Alice Vlieland who started the Infant Welfare Clinics in the city.
For more information or to find out about our project (and exhibition in September) see https://www.exeterlocalhistorysociety.co.uk/world-war-1-hospitals-exhibition/ I would be delighted to help in any way I can.