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Elizabeth Woodhead Stewart, V.A.D., M.B.E.
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In January 1940 Colonel Bowerbank and Colonial MacCormick discussed, with result, of a New Zealand General Hospital in Egypt. It was decided that New Zealand troops should be cared for by New Zealand medical services. The Minister of Defence announced on March 2, 1940, a fully equipped general hospital and convalescent depot, staffed by New Zealanders, would be sent overseas.
In Egypt it was difficult obtaining a 600-bed hospital facility. A second 1200-bed hospital was almost impossible. With talks between General Freyberg and General H. M. Wilson of the GOC British Troops in Egypt, it was decided in the meantime, New Zealand sick would be allocated wards at 2/10 British General Hospital at Helmieh. Three 600-bed hospitals were preferable than two. Medical equipment and supplies for four medical inspection rooms were drawn from the British Depot of Medical Stores in Helmieh.
The only building available was the Grand Hotel at Helwan, closed on March 13, 1940. Buildings were found nearby for medical staff accommodation, with contracts let for renovations. It became urgent when numbers of New Zealanders were admitted to 2/10 British General Hospital and the Maadi Camp Hospital during February, March and April. By the end of June the building was nearly ready, however the medical staff of No. 1 NZ General Hospital had been diverted to Brockenhurst in the U.K. with the Second Echelon.
No. 4 NZ General Hospital eventually opened at the Grand Hotel, Helwan on July 24th. Miss D. I. Brown was the Matron with thirteen New Zealand sisters who had been working at the 2/10 British General Hospital. Four more sisters joined them later when patients were transferred. Twenty men from the 4 Field Ambulance, 2/10 British General Hospital; seven men from 4 Field Ambulance Maadi, and twenty-four men from base and divisional units were sent to Helwan initially. Another twenty-four men arrived from 4 Field Ambulance at 2/10 General Hospital; unpacked and prepared the staff living quarters, equipped the reception of medical, minor surgery and convalescent patient areas. The first direct patient admission occurred on August 2nd. Sixty-one patients were admitted from Camp Hospital Maadi the following day. Eighty-two had been transferred by 4 Field Ambulance from 2/10 General Hospital.
As the number of patients increased twelve sisters, five medical officers and thirty men from the Second Echelon in England, New Zealand medical units, arrived on September 17th. Twelve New Zealand nurses were attached to QAIMNS; Queen Alexandra's Imperial Military Nursing Service. There were four major hospitals overseas during WWI; No. 1 in Brockenhurst, No.2 at Walton on Thames, No.3 at Codford and a Stationary Hospital at Wisques in France. More importantly, No. 1 General Hospital was the largest and handled thousands of young New Zealand troops who were sick or wounded in France. Starting out in New Zealand, as 2 NZ Stationary Hospital, it sailed for Egypt from New Zealand on June 12th, 1915. It arrived on 24 July and took over an Egyptian Army Hospital of 612 beds at Pont de Koubbeh, Cairo. Later the unit was renamed No. 1 NZ General Hospital and moved from Egypt to the U. K. where it was located at Brockenhurst and remained until the end of the War.
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Elizabeth Woodhead Stewart (1879 - 1967), married Captain (later Lieutenant-colonial) George Hepburn Stewart, farmer, of the Kelso Mounted Rifles on January 21st, 1913. She was the daughter of John Francis Herbert and Agnes née Dewe, of Ardmore, Heriot. Born at Ardmore in 1879 she attended St. Dominics Convent School in Dunedin. Elizabeth's mother Agnes was the daughter of Rev. John Dewe who came to New Zealand, with his wife, Eliza Matilda née Woodhead, on the Blundell in 1848. As an interest her great-grandmother Elizabeth Woodhead, née Wightman aged 50, mother of Eliza, also arrived on the Blundell. An Episcopalian family, Agnes was a staunch churchwoman. |
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Elizabeth's father, born at Rothsay, Isle-of-Bute in 1829, spent about nine years on the Ballarat Goldfields in Victoria, arriving in New Zealand in 1861. He was a well-known businessman in Lawrence and West Otago becoming a large landowner, involved on many committees and in organisations. With others, he was responsible for establishing much in the community. Siblings were: John Fletcher Herbert (1865-1947) (from a first marriage), William Edward (1872-1933), Francis Dewe (1874-1918), Agnes Mary (1875-1954), Alfred Squires (1877-1955), John Francis (1878-1878), James Laidlaw (1884-1916) and Arthur Beaumont (1888-1905).
Elizabeth and her sister Agnes both served as nursing staff during World War One. They were together in Egypt at Pont de Koubbeh, Cairo; later named No. 1 NZ General Hospital, and from there went to the U. K. at Brockenhurst. Both sisters received an M.B.E (Member of the Order of the British Empire) Military Section. Of her brothers, Alfred was one of the first men to join the Kelso Mounted Rifles and became the Lieutenant of the Kelso Troop. He went to Trentham Military Camp with his brother-in-law, Captain George Stewart in January 1915. Fighting at Egypt and Gallipoli with the Fifth Reinforcements, later fighting in France, he received the Military Cross. Elizabeth's younger brother James Laidlaw "Jim", donated five Arab bred horses to the Otago Mounted Rifles in August 1914 and as a Lieutenant went to Trentham in October 1914. A month later he qualified as Captain and left with the 11th Reinforcements briefly fighting in Egypt and then in France where he was killed on September 26th, 1916. (The first Arab stallion imported by John Francis Herbert, came south to Otago on the Gothic with a pair of Lord Rothschild's, purchased in England by Mr Gilruth on behalf of Herbert, June 1901.)
Her older brother William Edward became a doctor, gazetted as a surgeon in October 1903 to become a Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons. He established the Bowen Hospital in Wellington, the largest New Zealand private hospital in 1912. Built at a cost of £10,000, on land purchased from Alexander Turnbull, he went into a partnership with Dr Henry Hardwick-Smith. In June 1918, as a Major, he went abroad on the Athenic with the New Zealand forces as part of the 38th Reinforcements Medical Corps. Hardwick-Smith, rank of Major, became a Surgical Specialist with the NZMC on Hospital Ship No. 2 Maheno (Third Charter). He served twice on No. 2 Maheno; 22 September 1917 and (Second Sailing of Third Charter) departing 31 January 1918.
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James Laidlaw Herbert, WWI
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When Elizabeth was in England her husband fought at Gallipoli. A manager was appointed to run "Westwood", their sheep property at Crookston. George Stewart was appointed Lieutenant-colonel of the Canterbury Mounted Rifles, and from the trenches returned to Lemnos with his regiment. There he contracted dysentery and Elizabeth arrived from Egypt to nurse him, however he passed away on November 20th, 1915. She returned home to New Zealand aboard the S. S. Femulaka in June 1919 and lived on Westwood until about 1924. She unveiled the war memorial monument in Heriot and donated to many charities including the bell for the St Nicholas Anglican Church in Heriot, opened December 6, 1954. For almost thirty years until 1953, while Elizabeth lived in Dunedin, managers looked after the farm until she sold to her favourite niece's sons Murray Herbert Rodger and Robert "Bob" Melling Rodger. Elizabeth adopted a daughter, Virginia, about 1922. Her twin Judith, was adopted by Elizabeth's brother Alfred and his wife. When Elizabeth remarried in 1926, Frank Cecil Taylor also adopted Virginia and they lived in "Khutsu", Highgate, Dunedin, the house Elizabeth had built. Alfred, his wife Constance Florence née Wood, with Judith lived only two doors down, on Highgate. Elizabeth passed away in Dunedin, 1967.
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry, established on 4 June 1917 by George V. The Order includes five classes in civil and military divisions, in order of seniority:
Knight or Dame Grand Cross (GBE),
Knight or Dame Commander (KBE or DBE),
Commander (CBE),
Officer (OBE), and
Member (MBE).
Originally, the Order included only one division; soon after its foundation, in 1918, it was formally divided into Military and Civil Divisions. The Order has been used to honour not only British citizens, but also citizens of other Commonwealth nations. During the Second World War, the Order of the British Empire was also awarded to senior military officers of allied nations. At the foundation of the Order, the "Medal of the Order of the British Empire" was instituted. In 1922, it was renamed the "British Empire Medal". Recipients, who are not members of the Order itself, are grouped into the Civil and Military Divisions.
The British Empire Medal is made of silver. On the obverse is an image of Britannia surrounded by the motto, with the words "For Merituous Service" at the bottom; on the reverse is George V's Imperial and Royal Cypher, with the words "Instituted by King George V" at the bottom. The name of the recipient is engraved on the rim.
Member Order of the British Empire MBE: Obverse: Until 1936, the badge contained a representation of Britannia with the motto "For God and the Empire" in a circle around her. The post 1936 (current) badge contains the conjoint bust of King George V and Queen Mary facing left with the motto "For God and the Empire", in a circle around them. The badge is a cross patonce (four arms with three points at each end of a broad arm), with a crown on the top arm. The first three classes are of silver gilt, with the arms enamelled pearl grey; the MBE is made of silver.
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