| Description | Work completed by volunteer includes the following information:
Emily was born in Lewisham, Kent in 1882, the eldest of three daughters of Thomas Vaughan Forrest and Emily Ann nee Norman. Thomas was a Mercantile Marine Captain and then appointed Examiner of Masters and Mates at the Mercantile Marine Office in Hull before becoming Superintendent in 1902. The family moved to Beverley where the 1901 Census finds them at 2 Westfield Villas, next door to Octagon House in Norfolk Street and after Thomas died in 1909, his widow and middle daughter, Ethel moved to London.
Emily was educated at the Royal Naval School, Twickenham and completed her nursing training at Poplar Hospital, adjacent to the East India Docks. In 1908 aged 26 she joined the Queen Alexandra’s Imperial Military Nursing Service (QAIMNS). This was no mean feat as entrance qualifications were strict and many applicants rejected. In 1911 Emily was living in the nurses’ home at the Hermitage, Fulford, York.
Less than two months after the declaration of war in Jun 1914, Emily arrived in France, she remained on the Western Front until March 1919 by which time she had earned the rank of Acting Matron. In the New Year’s Honours’ List of 1917 she was awarded the Royal Red Cross Award, 2nd class and a photograph appeared in the Beverley Guardian on 13 Jan 1917. Emily went on to receive the Royal Red Cross Award, 1st class in the New Year’s Honours’ List of 1919, presented to her by the King at Buckingham Palace. Sister in Charge, Miss E V Forrest received glowing praise from the inspecting officer of No 29 Casualty Clearing Station at Gezaincourt in August 1918 for a wonderfully managed Unit.
After the war Emily remained with QAIMNS for nearly 20 years. She spent time in Hong Kong and Poona, where she was promoted to Matron, and then Peshawar and Rawalpindi, where she was promoted to Chief Principal Matron, and finally Simla before retiring in Jun 1938. The 1939 Register records her living on private means at Newton Abbot in Devon
Emily died in a nursing home at Mollifont Abbey, Wookey, Somerset in Jan 1964, aged 81 years.
Includes photograph, information taken from census, military records, Commonwealth War Graves, newspapers |