V.A.D. nurses

Discussion in 'The Women of WW2' started by ALIBABA, Dec 16, 2016.

  1. ALIBABA

    ALIBABA Member

    I wondered if anyone can provide more information on Miss Gertrude Jane Corsar born 18/02/1900 in Forfar & married Clive G. Tottenham (1891-1980) on 16/08/1969 Newbury, Berkshire and was a commandant & was on board the Strathnaver in August 1944 when it sailed from Gourock to Bombay. The only other information I have is that she was made an Associate of the Red Cross, was educated at Roedean & trained in Studley Gardens. I think she died in East Sussex in 1993 with no issue. I have no information on her parents or any possible sibblings. I would also like to learn more about where she worked. I have read Sister Sahibs but the information is sketchy. I am also looking for more information on the other V.A.D's who travelled with her on Strathnaver as my late mother Isobel Mary Cumming was one of the V.A.D's. The names I have are: Verity Iles, Marian Robertson, Diana Mary Cooper (1922-1945), Greta M. Upchurch (later Underwood), Jill Davison (daughter Penny Crowe). I do have other names but with no surnames. Any information on the above would be useful along with other V.A.D.'s on board the ship.
     
  2. amberdog45

    amberdog45 Senior Member

    You need the website Scotlandspeople to view Gertrudes birth details. Her birth was registered in the district of Arbroath and I think she may have been a twin as there is an entry for a Dorothy Haworth Corsar directly after her reference number for the same year and district. Gertrude's birth also indicates she had another middle initial of "S" after middle name Jane.

    Gertrude has a 1901 Census entry, but doesn't appear to be on the 1911 Census. There was quite a few Corsar births registered in the Arbroath area, but post the birth details here and we can take it from there. Cheers - Maria

    ScotlandsPeople
     
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  3. CL1

    CL1 116th LAA and 92nd (Loyals) LAA,Royal Artillery

    Panel from Hitchin War Memorial for Diana Mary Cooper
    COOPER, DIANA MARY
    Rank:
    Nurse
    Service No:
    W/552169
    Date of Death:
    25/10/1945
    Age:
    23
    Regiment/Service:
    Voluntary Aid Detachment
    Grave Reference:
    7. B. 20.
    Cemetery:
    KRANJI WAR CEMETERY
    Additional Information:
    Daughter of Walter and Dorothy Cooper, of Hitchin, Hertfordshire.
     

    Attached Files:

  4. Tricky Dicky

    Tricky Dicky Don'tre member

    Some basic searching provides details - e.g.

    Recommendation for Award for Corsar, Gertrude Jane Simpson Rank: Liason Officer ... | The National Archives
    Reference: WO 373/157/538
    Description:
    Name Corsar, Gertrude Jane Simpson
    Rank: Liason Officer
    Service No: W/502007
    Regiment: Voluntary Aid Detachment
    Theatre of Combat or Operation: New Year Honours
    Award: Associate Royal Red Cross (Second Class)
    Date: 1947
    Held by: The National Archives, Kew
    Legal status: Public Record(s)
    Closure status: Open Document, Open Description

    from numerous family trees on Ancestry - not all of them accurate or logical
    Gertrude Jane Simpson Corsar
    1900–1993
    BIRTH 18 FEB 1900 • Arbroath, Angus
    DEATH JUN 1993 • West Sussex

    TD
     
  5. Tony56

    Tony56 Member Patron

    1901 census - The Elms, Cairnie Road, Arbroath, St Vigeans, Forfarshire (Angus), Scotland
    David Corsar/Head/age 70/Flaxspinner/Arbroath
    Gertrude Jane Corsar/Wife/?/Flaxspinner’s wife/England
    Dorothy Corsar/Daughter/1/Arbroath
    Gertrude Jane S Corsar/Daughter/1/Arbroath

    Note: I would not necessarily assume this is Gertrude’s father, age 70?

    A David Corsar married Gertrude Jane Simpson 5 Oct 1898 in Wandsworth, London. David was a widower, address S Vigeans, Forfar, his father also David, a Flax spinner. Gertrude was a spinster, address Upper Tooting, London, her father George Simpson. Both of full (over 21) age.

    You also wish to check out if his wife is Gertrude Jane Simpson birth registered Q1 1867, Devizes.

    Marriage Q2 1910 Brighton
    Frederick William Lucas/Gertrude Jane Corsair


    1911 Census for 117 Marine Parade, Brighton
    Frederick William Lucas/Head/68/Solicitor/Battersea
    Gertrude Jane Lucas/Wife/44/Married under 1 yr/Devizes, Wiltshire
    Dorothy Haworth Brown Corsar/stepdaughter/11/Arbroath
    Gertrude Jane Simpson Corsar/stepdaughter/11/Arbroath

    Passenger list for the Victorian leaving Liverpool for Montreal 29 Sep 1922
    Corsar Dorothy, age 22
    Corsar Gertrude, age 22
    Country of intended residence Canada

    1939 Register for Haworth House, Hungerford
    Lucas Gertrude J/female/dob 9/1/1867/widow
    Foster Clarence H/male/dob 16/2 or 9/1891/married
    Foster Dorothy HM/female/dob 18/2/1900/married
    + closed records

    Register of the Royal Red Cross, 1883-1994
    First name(s) Gertrude Jane Simpson
    Last name Corsar
    Initials G J S
    Position Liaison Officer
    Class of 1st award Second
    Volume 1st award 145/3
    Page 1st award 207
    London Gazette date 1st award Jan 01 1947
    Notes 1st award By registered post with The King's Letter, 3 April 1948
    Country Great Britain
    Record set Register of the Royal Red Cross, 1883-1994
    Category Military, armed forces & conflict
    Subcategory Regimental & service records
    Collections from Great Britain

    1939 Register Cambridge Hospital Aldershot
    Corsar Gertrude J/female/dob 18/2/1900/single/nurse VAD

    Death Q2 1993 Worthing
    Gertrude Jane Tottenham age 93 dob 18/2/1900

    Probate 25 Jan 1994
    Tottenham Gertrude Jane Simpson of Martyn Lodge Church Street Henfield West Sussex died 16 June 1993

    Passenger list Strathnaver departing London on 7 Oct 1932 for Brisbane
    Gertrude Tottenham/45/alighting Bombay
    [Interesting but ? age]

    The National Archives hold a great deal of information on the Strathnaver, including many passenger lists.

    http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/results/r/2?_q=strathnaver&_st=adv&_dss=range&_ro=any&_p=1925&_hb=tna&_rv=simple&_srt=3
     
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  6. ALIBABA

    ALIBABA Member

    Thank you for your information. Gertrude Jane Simpson Corsar was born 1802/1900 Arbroath and she had a twin sister Dorothy Haworth Brown Corsar who married Clarence H. M Foster in Marylebone, Middlesex in 1927. She died Mar. 1995 Chiltern & South Bucks, England. I haven't as yet found out if there were any other siblings or whether Dorothy had any issue. At the moment I have David Corsar B: 1829 Arbroath & Gertrude Jane Lucas B: 1867 England as their parents, but am no sure that is correct. Both Dorothy & Gertrude were in the 1911 census in East Brighton, Sussex aged 11 years. There is further information been posted below but I as yet haven't had time to study it? I assumed when a reply was posted I would get an email but I never did.
     
    Last edited: Dec 19, 2016
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  7. ALIBABA

    ALIBABA Member

    Thank you for the information, however there will be no passenger list for the Strathnaver from Gourock to Bombay as all on board were troops which includes the V.A.D's.
     
  8. ALIBABA

    ALIBABA Member


    I have found the following

    Davidson and Jean Corsar nee Low.


    17. David3 Corsar (David2, David1) was born Abt. 1831 in Arbroath, Forfarshire, Scotland, and died 18 Dec 1904 in The Elms, Arbroath, Forfarshire, Scotland. He married (1) Martha Brown 16 Jul 1862 in Manse, East U.P Church, Dalkeith,Edinburgh, Midlothian, Scotland, daughter of Joseph Brown and Isabella Johnston. She was born Abt. 1841, and died 07 Aug 1897 in The Elms, Arbroath, Forfarshire, Scotland. He married (2) Gertrude Jane Simpson 05 Oct 1898 in St Mary Magdalene Church, Upper Tooting, London, England.

    Children of David Corsar and Gertrude Simpson are:
    40 i. Gertrude Jane Simpson4 Corsar, born 18 Feb 1900 in The Elms, Arbroath, Forfarshire, Scotland.
    41 ii. Dorothy Hayworth Brown Corsar, born 18 Feb 1900 in The Elms, Arbroath, Forfarshire, Scotland.

    http://janelucas.ca/wordpress/lucas...42-1932/the-case-of-the-intertwined-families/

    I still can't do a hyperlink but the information is interesting but very confusing. Happy Xmas.
     
  9. Tony56

    Tony56 Member Patron

    The Evening Telegraph, Monday, December 13, 1904

    Death of an Arbroath Manufacturer
    Tragic end of Mr David Corsar
    Mr David Corsar, the Elms, Arbroath, died very suddenly yesterday morning. On Saturday he was at his office attending to the business of his firm, the well-known Corsar Brothers. At night he appeared in good health, but he was taken suddenly ill in the early hours of yesterday morning, and about 7 o’clock. Death was due to failure of the heart’s action.
    Mr Corsar belonged to a family who have for generations been engaged in a staple trade in Arbroath. His grandfather founded the firm of David Corsar & Sons, and was the pioneer of the power loom canvas weaving industry in Arbroath. Mr Corsar’s father was junior partner, and died in 1843. Mr Corsar was born in 1830, and in 1846 entered the British Linen Company’s Bank, where he served five and a half years. He then chose to adopt the business of his family, and he and his younger brother in 1852 went into partnership, the designation of the firm being Corsar Brothers. Mr Allen died in 1855, and Mr Corsar then carried on the business until his death. In the early fifties he took an interest in volunteering and was for a time an officer in the Arbroath Rifle Corps. In 1857 he entered the Town Council, and rapidly rose, being Junior Magistrate, and later Chief Magistrate of the Burgh. In educational affairs he also interested himself, and held many posts. He was a member of the School Board of Arbroath in 1876, and three years later he became Chairman. So valued were his services that he occupied the Chairmanship for three terms of three years each, and part of a fourth. In 1891 he retired. While thus displaying an interest in local affairs, Mr Corsar extended his activity to wider fields. An ardent supporter and generous friend of the United Presbyterian Church, he was in 1880 sent to Philadelphia as one of the delegates from that body to the Pan-Presbyterian Council held in that city. Three years later he, along with Rev George L Carstairs, of Berkeley Street UP Church, Glasgow, was requested by the Mission Board of the Church to undertake the work of visiting the mission stations of the denomination in South Africa. While thus actively engaged in public work, Mr Corsar was equally attentive and energetic in the fields of charity and benevolence, and during his lengthened and honourable career he had the honour and privilege of being a member of many Societies having for their object the amelioration of the condition of the less fortunate members of the country and of the community in particular. He took a prominent part in promoting the welfare of the Arbroath Infirmary, and was President of such Bodies as the local branches of the Scottish Coast Mission, the National Bible Society for Scotland, and the Tract Society. He was also for a good many years President of the Choral Union, and was one of the Managers of the old Public Library, which has now been handed over to the Free Library. When it is added that Mr Corsar was a Justice of the Peace for the county it will be admitted that he bore an honourable share in public work.
    Deceased was 74 years of age, and leaves a widow and two of a family. Only so recently as August last the municipal authorities showed their high appreciation of his public services to the community by conferring upon him the honorary freedom of the Burgh.

    The Courier and Advertiser, Friday, April 27, 1928

    Arbroath VAD Inspection
    The annual inspection of the Arbroath Voluntary Aid Detachment Red Cross was carried out in the Spink Street Hall last night.
    The detachment, under Commandant Mrs TW Watson, was inspected by Lieut.-Col. HW Russell OBE RAMC, deputising for the Deputy Director of Medical Services, who examined the members of the detachment in first-aid work and sick nursing.
    At the conclusion of the inspection Col. Russell congratulated the detachment on its showing, and expressed his satisfaction with the work carried out.
    Certificates for VAD work were presented to members of the detachment by Col. Russell.
    Proficiency badges were presented to Miss Hendry, Miss Rennie, Miss Colville, Miss Ross, Miss Jean Manzie, and Mrs Mary Hendry; and certificates to Miss Morrison, Miss Betsey Cargill, Miss Mary Wannan, Miss Hovell, Miss Jane Smith, Miss Annie Florence, Miss Gertrude Corsar, and Miss Maureen R Anderson.

    The Arbroath Herald, Friday, February 23, 1945
    Miss Gertrude Corsar senior liaison officer VAD unit, India, had the honour of being received by the Queen at Buckingham Palace, on Tuesday. Miss Corsar is the daughter of the late Mr Davis Corsar, manufacturer, Arbroath, and the late Mrs Lucas, formerly of The Elms, Arbroath. She has been in India for some time, and only quite recently returned on Government business. Mrs Lucas died very shortly after her daughter’s arrival in this country.
     
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  10. CL1

    CL1 116th LAA and 92nd (Loyals) LAA,Royal Artillery

  11. harkness

    harkness Well-Known Member

    1939 REGISTER TRANSCRIPTION
    67 Bancroft Nightingale Road, Hitchin Hertfordshire
    NAME DOB OCCUPATION
    Walter Cooper 16 Aug 1888 Master Butcher
    Dorothy L Cooper 06 Jun 1890 Unpaid Domestic Duties
    Sorry, this record is officially closed.
    Sorry, this record is officially closed.
    Dorothy Clark 04 Sep 1870 Librarian
     

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