Miss Susan Louisa Player
Nurse, Voluntary Aid Detachment (VAD), British Red Cross
Date of Birth: 30th May 1892
Place of Birth: Teignmouth, Devon
Date of Death: July - September 1975
Buried: Leicestershire
VAD hat badge
Miss Susan Louisa Mummery (née Player) of Brockley, Teignmouth, Devon.
Susan was baptised on 13th July 1892. Her mother is Louisa Ann (nee Thomas) and her father is George.
The family were living at 15, Wellington Street, Teignmouth, in 1901. Susan has one sister Freda Mary and George's mother in law, Susan Thomas, is living with them.
Freda Mary is also a nurse.
Freda Mary Player
Susan marries Harold H Mummery in 1918.
Susan,Freda and George had moved to 38 Bitton Street, Teignmouth, by 1939. George has been widowed and is a 'Retired Coal Merchant'.
Victoria Hall V.A. Hospital, Dawlish
Germany declared war on France in WW1, and to attack France whilst avoiding French fortifications the German Army crossed Belgium, they did so by force and invaded Belgium on August 4th 1914.
Almost 9,000 Belgian civilians were deliberately killed by the Germans. An estimated 1.5 million Beglian civilians left their country and 150,000 of those people sought refuge Britain.
Many of the soldiers of Belgium's small army were injured or killed and 25,000 wounded men came to Britain to convalesce.
Fugitives from Antwerp following the occupation of the city on 10 October by German forces.© IWM (HU 52449)
The patients and refugees were shipped across the Channel and were allocated housing in towns and villages including Teignmouth, Shaldon and Dawlish.
The Dawlish V.A. Hospital and Belgian Nursing Home was opened in the Dawlish Victoria Hall to help treat the Belgian refugees.
Approximately 35 people from the local area became engaged with the Voluntary Aid Detachment and worked at the hospital as Nurses and in other supportive roles.
In 1915 a new hospital was opened in Dawlish and the Victoria Hall VA Hospital closed.
More about the Belgian refugees in Teignmouth and Shaldon
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"hundreds of thousands of refugees, their goods on barrows and hand-carts and perambulators and wagons, moving with infinite slowness out into the night, two unending lines of them, the old men mostly weeping, the women with hard drawn faces, the children playing or crying or sleeping.
That's what Belgium is now: the country where three civilians have been killed for every one soldier… It's queer to think one has been a witness of one of the greatest crimes of history. Has ever a nation been treated like that? And how can such a stain be wiped out?"
Rupert Brooke, Poet describing the scene in a letter home
(He saw action near Antwerp)
Newton Hall VAD Hospital, Newton Abbot
Newton Hall VA Hospital was opened in 1914 and run by the St John's Ambulance Brigade. It began as a 40 bed hospital but was subsequently enlarged to about 100 beds.
Two Hours' Notice
"The St John Hospital at Newton Abbot received a sudden message that forty cases were coming direct from overseas and would be with them in two hours time. The hospital was not open to patients but the staff turned to, and within two hours forty beds were ready for the men."
The Story of British V.A.D. work in the Great War by Thekla Bowser
Photo taken at the Newton Abbot VA hospital (TBC) From the Teign Heritage Collection
The rail connection between Teignmouth and Newton Abbot in Devon existed during WW1.
As it is only a 10 minute between the two towns so several of the Teignmouth and Shaldon VAD nurses and support workers worked at the Newton Abbot VAD hospital.
“2,560 patients have passed through the hospital, (1914-1919) but although many were very critical cases, only six deaths have occurred during the whole time, which is a remarkable tribute to the zealous care shown by the doctors and trained staff.
It was a first line hospital and received patients direct from overseas.”
Mid Devon Advertiser
The Newton Hall VAD Hospital was located on College Road, Newton Abbot, it closed in 1919 and was later demolished.
Voluntary Aid Detachment (VAD) Records
Date of engagement with VAD: November 1914 to February 1917.
Rank: Nurse.
Service rendered at:
Voluntary Aid Hospital / Belgian Nursing Home, Dawlish, Devon. November 1914 - September 1915.
Voluntary Aid Hospital Newton Abbot, Devon. December 1915 - February 1917.
Number of hours served: 3804 (worked 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)
