Speaker: Luke Mouland
Founded in 1909 by the British Red Cross Society, Voluntary Aid Detachments (VADs) were set up to assist territorial medical services in times of conflict. By the end of the First World War, an estimated 90,000 volunteers had enrolled with the scheme, with many helping to staff the Red Cross hospitals which had been established in towns and villages the length and breadth of the country. Using the North Dorset market town of Sherborne as an example, this talk explores the pivotal role played by the VADs in nursing wounded servicemen during the First World War and highlights how this remarkable contribution was largely sustained through the efforts of female voluntary labour.
Please note: the speaker Ian James who was to have spoken to the Society on Metal Detecting is now unable to attend so Luke Mouland has kindly agreed, at short notice , to step in with the above talk.