Emily Lord Part 2

Newton Heroine’s Reward

Mentioned in Field Marshalls Dispatch

When bombs and shrapnel fell around,

This woman stayed beside her post of duty.

Amid War’s terrors, deep, profound,

Which showed her character in all its beauty!

During the long sad days of the war nothing in our national character showed up to greater advantage or purer perfection than the courage of our glorious womanhood, and so it has ever been in the history of our splendid island race. It shone through the darkness of the Indian Mutiny, it illuminated the wreak of the Elbe, it give us a Florence Nightingale, a Nurse Gavell, a Grace Darling, and many another heroine known or unknown. We were proud of our women in the war, proud of those who stayed at home, and proud of those who fared forth to one or other of the arenas of conflict.

Women's Legion

And Newton has every reason to be proud of Miss Emily Lord (she is not Miss Lord now), the very brave daughter of Mr J W Lord, the popular licensee and mine host of the Flowery Field Hotel, who, as a member of the Women’s Legion was one of the first of the plucky girls of Hyde to go out to the Expeditionary Forces in 1915, upon the formation of the Corps, and who underwent the hardships and vicissitudes of war in all its blatant horrors with a cheerfulness and courage that stood her in good stead.

Now in 1918 she was at Etaples during the memorable German bombing raids upon the big Base Hospitals, when so many of our gallant wounded were either killed, or maimed anew, some 2000 men in all, to recall the ghastly list, whilst many of the brave women tending them fell martyrs at their posts of duty. The memory of their noble deeds is slowly fading from the public mind as the hand of time moves on, but those deeds, nevertheless, will be found recorded at the last muster rol upon imperishable tablets of the Angels.

Among the fortunate and gallant survivors of these scenes of churlish carnage was Miss Lord, who calmly assisted the wounded through many a trying hour and harrowing scene, until she fell a victim in the end to her intrepid courage, and sustaining severe shell-shock was finally invalided home and discharged “medically unfit.”

Some of this is thrice-told story now, for is it not to be found recorded in glowing terms in the columns of the “North Cheshire Herald” under the date of October 27^th, 1917?

Then, to follow her varying fortunes still further, we find her under happier auspices becoming Mrs Waller at St. George’s Church. Hyde on October 9^th, 1919, her bridegroom being Lieut. Frank Waller, of the 4^th Hussars, thus proving the truth of the old adage that  “none but the brave deserve the fair.”

But Mrs Waller’s splendid conduct as has now received the final seal of official recognition, for lo and behold, the other day there arrived at her proud and happy father’s hostelry a portentous-looking official envelope of goodly size, which when opened revealed the following:-

 “The War of 1914-15: Queen Mary’s Army Auxiliary Corps. 21 workers, Miss E. Lord, was mentioned in a Despatch from

 

Field Marshal Sir Douglas Haigh, K.T., G.C.B., O.M., G.C.V.O., K.C.I.E., dated 16^th March, 1919, for gallant and distinguished services in the field.

I have it in command from the King to record His Majesty’s high appreciation of the services rendered."

WINSTON S. CHURCHILL

Secretary of State for War.

War Office, Whitehall, S.W.

1^st July, 1919

There are two very proud and happy men in existence to-day, be it added, the father of our Newton heroine, and the husband of the same, and may we add our fitting meed of congratulation! 

Extracts From The Reporter

To be continued