Miss Dorothy Andrew Holman
Nurse, Voluntary Aid Detachment (VAD), British Red Cross
Date of Birth: 14th July 1888
Place of Birth: Streatham, London.
Date of Death: 1983
Awarded the 1914 Star, the British War Medal and the Victory Medal
Miss Dorothy Andrew Holman of Holcombe Down, Teignmouth, Devon.
Daughter of Herbert and Sophia Hawkes Holman nee Andrew, of 4, Whitehall Court, London, S.W.
Dorothy's early life was spent between London and Devon. Dorothy's Andrew grandparents lived in Exeter at 18 Southernhay for many years, while her Holman grandparents home was at Grove House, Topsham, but she herself was born in Streatham, London and did not live permanently in Topsham until 1939.
Dorothy had three brothers, Alwyn Haswell, Paul, and Herbert Leigh (known as Leigh), and two sisters Eileen Joyce (known as Joyce) and Hester Mary.
Dorothy's brother Private Paul Holman (Service Number 1625) was serving with the Honourable Artillery Company when he was killed in February 1915 in Belgium aged 22.
In 1932, Leigh married an actress called Vivian Mary Hartley (who, having taken her stage name, Vivian Leigh, from his, was to go on and star as Scarlet O'Hara in the 1929 film Gone with the Wind with Clark Gable (Rhett Butler).
1891, Dorothy is living at Wetherby, Thrale Road, Streatham, Wandsworth, London, with parents Herbert, a Barrister at law, and Sophia Hawkes Holman. Dorothy has a brother, Alwyn Harwell. They have three servants.
1901, Dorothy is living at Brooklands, Tooting Common, Streatham, Wandsworth, London, with her parents and sister Hester M and brother Herbert B. Also, her aunt Helen Andrews.
In 1939, Dorothy is living at 25 Strand, St Thomas, Exeter.
Dorothy eventually bought 25 Strand, Topsham from her brother Alwyn and lived there until her death and left the property to the Topsham Museum which she had supported.
Dorothy Holman - A Life by Lily Neal, is a book available from Topsham Museum.
VAD hat badge
Voluntary Aid Detachment (VAD) Records
Date of engagement with VAD: October 1914 to 1916.
Rank: Nurse.
Service rendered at:
Guys Hospital, London. October 1914 - November 1914.
Lady Lytton's Hospital. 2 weeks in 1915.
Hospital Auxiliare, Paris. 3 months in 1915.
21st General Hospital, Alexandria, Egypt. October 1915 - March 1916.
1st London General Hospital. July 1916 - Jan1917.
Chelsea VA Hospital, London. 3 months in 1917.
Hospital Auxiliare, Marseilles, France. 5 months in 1918.
Number of hours served: 20 months full-time and 896 hours part-time.
Paid: £0.
Voluntary Aid Detachment (VAD) Cards
Voluntary Aid Detachment (VAD) Card. ©2018 British Red Cross (CC BY-NC 2.0 UK)
Voluntary Aid Detachment (VAD) Card. ©2018 British Red Cross (CC BY-NC 2.0 UK)
