Miss Serena Mary Grout
Nursing Sister, Voluntary Aid Detachment (VAD), British Red Cross, Joint War Committee Leinster Munster & Connaught
Date of Birth: 11th February 1882
Place of Birth: Poplar, London
Date of Death: Quarter 2, 1970 aged 88
Buried: Died in Chichester, Sussex
VAD hat badge
Miss Serena Mary Grout of Hermosa, Landscore Road, Teignmouth, Devon.
In 1891, Serena was living at Stourbridge Road, The Lye, Stourbridge, Worcestershire with her parents Mary Julia Grout (née Court) and John Grout.1
At that time, her father, John was a Registered General Practioner Physician. Two of Serena's sisters, Edith and Elise Grout, and a brother, John L A Grout were present. They had one servant living with them.
By 1901, the family had moved to 41, Waterloo Road, Wolverhampton, Staffordshire and Serena had an additional two sisters, Audrey Violet Grout and Elaine J. Grout.2
Serena's VAD record card stamped "British Red Cross Joint War Committee, Leinster Munster & Connaught."
©2018 British Red Cross (CC BY-NC 2.0 UK)
Serena was engaged with VAD from 1st July, 1917 to August 1918. Her rank was listed on her V.A.D record card as "Nursing Sister" so she had already trained before the war began.
She served with the hospitals of the British Red Cross Joint War Committee, Leinster Munster & Connaught.
When she became engaged with V.A.D. in 1917 she was living at Hermosa, Landscore Road, Teignmouth, Devon .
Bourton On The Water-Moore Cottage Hospital. Serena was Matron after the war. © Copyright Ian Rob. (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Serena's father John was working as a surgeon at Wolverhampton Hospital in 1911, he would have been 55 at the start of the war. John died in 1935.3
In 1939, Serena is shown at Moore Cottage Hospital, Gloucestershire, North Cotswold R.D., where she is a Matron, State Registered Nurse.4
Serena's brother John Lewis Anderton Grout CBE, MC, MD (Hon.), FRCS (Ed.) served in the Royal Army Medical Corps, in WW1, rising to the rank of major, and during his time with the 13th Field Ambulance in the Italian Campaign he was awarded the Military Cross for attention to the wounded under heavy shell fire. He survived the war and was later awarded a C.B.E. in recognition of his service in the successful launching of the National Health Service. He died in 1963.5
Serena Mary Grout died a spinster in Chichester, Sussex, in the 2nd quarter of 1970 aged 88.6
British Red Cross Joint War Committee, Leinster Munster & Connaught
Serena served with V.A.D with the British Red Cross Joint War Committee
The hospital ship HMHS Oxfordshire docked in Cork in October 1914 with 726 wounded. A week later it arrived with another 650.
44 more hospital ships were to arrive during WW1 carrying massive numbers of war casualties to Ireland, the demand for hospitals grew, and with it the need for medical staff.
HMHS Oxfordshire. Transported 50,000 wounded during WW1 and 22,321 during WW2. © IWM (FL 17221)
In England, Wales and Scotland there were Territorial Force Reserves of Army Medical Corps to provide trained core staff for the Military Hospitals.
This was not the case in Ireland.
Within two months of the outbreak of WW1, the British Red Cross society (Co. Dublin branch) and the Irish district of the St John's Ambulance Brigade had formed a joint executive committee.
The committe coordinated and recruited civilian volunteers for the provinces of Leinster, Munster and Connacht to support the Irish troops at home and at the front.
It was called the British Red Cross Joint War Committee, Leinster Munster & Connaught and was based at 51 Dawson Street, Dublin.
Local committees raised money through voluntary contributions to equip and maintain 23 auxiliary hospitals and nursing homes in the three provinces.
Tudenham Park House, Co. Westmeath. An Auxilary hospital during WW1.
© Copyright Mike Searle. (CC BY-SA 2.0). Modified, to black and white.
As much as possible of the routine hospital work and preparation and organisation of supplies was carried out by recruited VADs (Voluntary Aid Detachments) to support the few already trained nurses.
WW1 Ambulance services were offered by the Irish Automobile Club members using private vehicles and later ambulances.
Before the war, a network of voluntary aid units had been set up in Ulster in expectation of civil war if Home Rule was imposed. Ulster's voluntary commitee took their instructions from the Belfast branch of the British Red Cross society.
Voluntary Aid Detachment (VAD) Records
Date of engagement with VAD: 1st July, 1917 to August 1918.
Rank: Nursing Sister
Service rendered at:
British Red Cross Joint War Committee, Leinster Munster & Connaught.
Paid: £60 pa.
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)
