Nurse Grace Banwell (Broadbery)

Grace was a Red Cross Nurse. who survived WWI and died in February 1930 age 42.

The inscription reads:
GRACE BANWELL / LOVING WIFE OF HAROLD BANWELL / DIED FEB. 24TH 1930 / AGED 42 YEARS / REST IN PEACE

Nurse Grace Banwell (Broadbery) wrote a series of letters about her service during the war, which was published in the Gainsborough News.

Grace arrived in Ostend in August 1914, by the end of August she was at the Belgian town of Charleroi. While she was there. the town was occupied by the Germans.

She, and others escaped and her account was published in the local paper.

Grace left England for Cherbourg in  January 1915 and in 1917 returned to England. Her bravery and dedication to her patients earned her several awards – the Mons Star, British War  Medal, Victory Medal, Belgian Decoration from the Queen of the Belgians, Legion d’Honneur of France.

She also received a decoration from the Guild of St. Boniface and a decoration from the Order of St. John and Jerusalem.

Grace survived the war and married Harold Banwell, who also served during the War, in 1923.

She was held in such high esteem that she received a semi-military funeral.

You can read more about Nurse Broadbery in Peter Bradshaw’s book – Gainsborough’s War Story. And also in ‘Brave Hearts – The Great War 1914-18’ written by Grace’s son-in-law, David Cairns.