Millicent Press

Stand To! Journal of the Western Front Association No 92 August/September 2011

Member Laura Probert's book is based on research into local newspapers. The author has recorded a wide variety of activity by local women, many of whom were at work for the first time; some became VAD nurses, others were in munitions and many just collected money and goods for soldiers and refugees. there is a very useful chapter on the Ramsgate air raids which began in May 1915, interesting sections on food and rationing, letters home, the Dover Patrol, munitions and the VAD. I was not aware that the Women's Institutes, so well known in the Second World War and after, were first introduced here from Canada in September 1915. The book concludes with a good bibliography.

Absorbing and attractive

Women of Thanet Rally round the Flag - Reviewed by Helen Allinson for Bygone Kent September/October 2011 This is an absorbing book which will be read with pleasure by anyone interested in Kentish history or the history of the First World War. The layout is attractive with copious illustrations which are worthy of sharper reproduction. The title is a little misleading because the reader learns as much about the experiences of the men of Thanet in the trenches as about the lives of their women at home. This is a bonus. All is set in a national context by the author who knows a great deal about her subject and has immersed herself in the available sources.I was particularly struck by her use of forgotten poetry, much of which was only ever published in the local newspaper at the time. The verses are vivid and make up in feeling what they lack in poetic quality.I found the letters written home which some families shared with the local paper very touching. Captain Dundas of the RAMC, a former Ramsgate Medical Officer of Health was one of those whose letters were published. His wife Grace was also a doctor and took over his job while he was away. A letter to a local paper from a private soldier in 1915 is representative of the resourcefulness and resilience of the men in their ghastly situation. 80 yards from the enemy’s trench we hold a band practice, four sergeants and a rifleman playing a melodeon, three tin whistles, two mouth organs, a triangle and an empty biscuit tin.

Women of Thanet Rally round the Flag

Your enthusiasm shines through the pages.EW

I want to thank you Laura - you got me reading again MM

You've picked up a great deal from your first effort and made this book a lot more gripping, racy and focused. You've captured the real feel of the everyday suffering and sacrifice during the First World War, both at home and the Western Front, really well. The many mundane details about life on the home front at first made for dull reading, but then turned into a really gritty picture of what the daily grind was about.At the end it conveyed a remarkable picture of social history. And the patriotic mood of the times, so strong in the local reports. You certainly did your homework!

And the way you tied the photos so closely to the text was great. And also only a hint of the deep disillusion that set in after the war, but that's another story. I think this book with its short themed chapters was a big improvement to your first book. As I read more it really got

more satisfying. At times I could hardly put it down HS

Just want to tell you that I am very much enjoying your book...more than half way through and am so amazed at all the research you must have done to get it together. Usually I am not keen on books or films on the wars...find it just too sad and depressing, but you have made your book very interesting. Descriptions in some of the "letters written home" of the mud, stench, disease, the endless cold and water- and rat-filled trenches, not to mention the constant gun fire, death and the countless wounded...bring what those boys went through very much alive. Thank you again. JL

This book fills a gap and will contribute generally to a greater awareness of the hugely important part played by women in the Great War, and particularly by the women of Thanet, during that conflict. Consequently, the book is recommended reading and, at £8.00 a copy the price is not unreasonable.

James Brazier

What an interesting subject to write about and I am sure you enjoyed much of the reading up that was done in the old newspapers of those days. Indeed, we forget quickly what some have suffered for us to have had our care-free lives.MR

Women of Thanet Rally Round the Flag 1914 – 1918 Laura Probert’s book spans elements of English social history during the First World War through a collection of archive records and newspaper reports. It includes memories from ordinary individuals, illuminated by letters, diaries, poems and independent observations (and humour!) Laura illustrates the way the conflict affected the daily life of every man, woman and child, rich or poor, and the importance of the individual as well as national effort, with reference to experiences here in Thanet. There is fascinating description of Thanet just before the War, when its resorts were destinations of relaxation, beauty and health for visitors, prospering above all from the summer tourist trade. The writer then shows how an area known for enjoyment and leisure transformed into one of extreme danger, placed as it was near to Belgium and directly under the flight path for enemy aircraft to London, with almost constant threat of bombardment. The War wasn’t ‘over by Christmas’ as at first predicted, the tourists deserted and places previously for fun and entertainment were given over to rallies and rousing speeches for recruitment, while at the Winter Gardens in Margate Vesta Tilley sang the call-up cry. We read of the social pressure for men to join the forces, (the idea of women as soldiers, or as doctors for that matter, was at first rejected by the government) and hear of the rallies and fundraising, false hopes and bravado and the very real determination, endurance and bravery. At first the book belies its name in that it does not concentrate solely on the role of women, vital and dangerous though it was, but gives as much space and emphasis to every kind of involvement and especially to those in the trenches. Even if you have seen documentaries or read about this before, the selection here of detailed reports and quotations remains shocking and profoundly moving; you wonder how any of them managed to keep going, but they did. The book shows with poignancy how camaraderie (often selfless), discipline, hope and some sort of belief, though often tried, were great determiners, with humour a support and staple. Useful gifts, often home-made (there is also detail about what NOT to send!) and above all news from home, brought comfort to the heart. Compulsory male conscription was introduced in 1916 so more and more women were required to take their place in work outside the home, often in areas of trades, skills and professions hitherto barred to them. In chapters 12 to 14 we can read about their progress in fields such as engineering, munitions and transport with Ramsgate’s first postwoman and first female press photographer mentioned too. The need for reform in these areas is mentioned, the bad conditions and poor pay, often worse for women even when doing a man’s job, and even though income might have ceased from male members of the family. New training, knowledge and experience were being made available to women and in general attitudes and expectations were forced to adapt, if only temporarily for some. As the War progressed, more women took their place in unexpected situations including the armed forces for example, perhaps with the WAACs or the WRENs. Although 60% of women had left the workplace by 1920-21 to return to the home or domestic employment, it can be seen not only how these issues re-surfaced during WW2 and other conflicts, but also changed 20^th and 21^st Century society and outlook. The book does not forget the many women, and some men too, who were struggling to hold home and family together against the odds. Many organisations were developed to give support, for example Mothercraft Clubs and bereavement support groups, while the Women’s Institute was introduced from

Canada

in 1915. Rationing was introduced as a result of increasing food shortages, soup kitchens were opened up, and the Land Service Corps developed into the famed Women’s Land Army. The book highlights developments in nursing and how many voluntary organisations such as the British Red Cross increasingly offered training in nursing for the home, First Aid and hospital nursing. It is interesting to discover which local buildings were converted to provide additional hospitals for war casualties, such as the very grand Granville Hotel in Ramsgate or Quex Park in Birchington. Many women gained experience locally then went to work in field hospitals overseas. If like myself you do not know the meaning of the many abbreviations scattered through wartime history, you can discover in this book what they symbolised and contributed. Many of these organisations were the spring board for further development and the book contains details about the origins of these, for example the wonderfully named WELS or the FANYs, also nicknamed the Aristocratic Amazons – nurses on horses who later worked with horse-drawn ambulances. And horses taken for the war are not forgotten, their valiant and tragic details included. All in all this is a book full of enlightening information, if at times for me a little loosely constructed, sometimes uncertain whether it is to develop on lines according to topic or consecutive history. This can create a disconnection in the writing, for example regarding the Dover Patrol, the final celebrations or the unwarranted advent of Spanish Flu. I would also have liked more about the immediate social aftermath of the war. Although the phrase “We had won the fight and lost the prize”(1922) is quoted there is little illustration or discussion of this. It is a worthwhile reference book, however, to return to and dip into; there’s a good bibliography and reference to other sources, though I long for a good detailed index at the back, as of old, and so often missing from books now. The book’s conclusion provides a moving and sweeping backdrop to this period, its near universal cataclysm and the far reaching changes that signalled the end of one era and seeds of another. If, like myself, you have never understood how such a conflagration ensued, and how and why

Britain

was drawn into it, no matter how often you have heard about the assassination of a foreign Archduke, then the early part of this book does help to shed light on the international and national concerns of the time. Nearer to home, as its title implies, the book concentrates principally on the important role and experiences of Thanet itself, its strategic and geographic importance, the people’s battering and their bravery. And at long last I discovered why, at times of impending family dissension and discord, my father would say “Steady the Buffs!” Read on! Reviewed by Linda Goddard – Ramsgate Society

Reviews about "Women of Kent rally to the Cause”

I've been lucky enough to get the Eastcliff mits on a much more rigorous work on the subject recently penned by Ramsgate author Laura Probert. Entitled Women of Kent Rally to the Cause, it's a study of women's suffrage in East Kent between 1909 and 1918. Contrary to popular belief, the suffrage movement was extremely active in this part of the world, and the book gives an invaluable insight, using extensive photographs and press cuttings from the period. Along the way we get to soak up the atmosphere of early 20th Century Thanet.

One of the most shocking aspects to emerge from the book is the way these votes-for-women types were treated by the male populace, and the arguments used against giving them the franchise, such as it might 'damage their nervous dispositions' or even be a danger to national security! My how times have, thankfully, changed!

East Cliff Richard's Thanet Blog 26th May 2008

The books arrived yesterday, in good time, and they look great. It's so pleasing to see a local suffragette history based on original, close-to-the-ground research and I'll be delighted to sell this to my customers"
Naomi Symes Books

"I loved this book; the insight into life just before the first world war,
the opinions of Mr Thornton Bobby (and his cello playing), the by-law about
chalking the promenades and of course the women behaving badly! Thanks,
Laura!"
This was from an anonymous Thanet blogger 6th May 2008

"I must congratulate you on your book - its wonderful!!!! I just thought I'd sit down for 10 minutes with it when I got home Sunday night, but before I knew it 2 hours had passed!!!"
Gwenda Culkin, Librarian July 2008

Well-researched book about right to vote

Laura Probert has written a well-researched book about the changing lives of women in the late 19th and early 20th century, with an emphasis on south-east Kent. There are many black and white photographs and illustartions from contemporary newspapers.

Descriptions about the social life and costume alternate with details of the development and ultimate decline of the struggle for women suffrage. There were three organisations for the emancipation of women, the Women's Social and Political Union, led by Emmeline and Christabel pankhurst, being the most militant - the membership of this body are most remembered for their physical struggle and imprisonment. They were in a minority but got all the public attention.

The National Union of Women's Suffrage concentrated on non-violent rallies and enrolled the majority, while the Women's Freedom league was the smallest of the three. Some of the arguments against women having the vote seem extraordinary today.

Dr Forbes Winslow, an eminent brain specialist claimed that women risked their sanity by indulging in politics. "It is impossible to over-estimate the injurious and pernicious effect of politics upon a women's brain. What mother, what wife, wishes to lose her reason, to wreck her life, for the sake of a fortnight's hystericla effort for the cause." One might say that he was the hysterical one.

Some men supported the cause, but the Dean of Canterbury expressed the view that since women were excluded from the church. the Army and the Navy, they should be excluded from political action as well. The Government received petition after petition , and bills were prepared to be put before the House, but on each occasion they fell.

It was the 1914-18 war that decide the issue. Women took the place of men in so many hitherto male occupations that, in 1918, women over 30 who were property owners got the vote. In 1928 all women were able to vote. It is interestingthat the first country to give women the vote was New Zealand in 1893, and the last Switzerland in 1971.

Reviewed by John Mercer in Bygone Kent August/September 2008

Radio Kent

Jo Burn from Radio Kent interviewed Laura in early July and used a couple of extracts from the book to act out scenes in commemoration of the 90th anniversary of women over 30 getting the vote in 1918. The short four minute programme was broadcast on 7th July 2008 during the Dominic King show.