Elizabeth Webber Harris
Elizabeth Webber Harris | |
|---|---|
.jpg) | |
| Born | Elizabeth Matthews 1834 Kent, England |
| Died | 1917 (aged 82–83) London, England |
| Nationality | English |
| Occupation | Nurse |
| Known for | Only woman to be awarded a Victoria Cross (a replica given with permission of Queen Victoria). |
Elizabeth Webber Harris (1834–1917) was an English nurse who was awarded a replica Victoria Cross (VC) in 1869, with the permission of Queen Victoria, for her bravery during a cholera outbreak in India.[1][2] She remains the only woman to be awarded a VC of any description.[3]
Early life
[edit]Harris was born Elizabeth Matthews in Kent, England in 1834.[4] She was the second child of James Matthews and Mary Ann Bailey. On 22 February 1859 she married Webber Desborough Harris (born 1823) then a captain in the 2nd Bengal Fusiliers (later renamed the 104th).[5]
India and the Victoria Cross
[edit]The details of Harris' time in India is highly reliant on her own account. In 1869 Harris was the only woman with her husband's regiment, near Peshawar (modern Pakistan), during a cholera outbreak.[5][a][b] The regiment was split in two in order to control the infection. Three months later about one-third of the soldiers in Harris's half of the regiment had died of cholera. Harris describes nursing the sick, a confrontation with local tribesmen, and the organization of extensive morale-boosting activities.[5][2]
At the time, a Victoria Cross could be awarded for bravery behind the lines. However, women were not eligible. The officers of the regiment awarded her a gold replica VC with the permission of the Queen; its inscription read:
Presented to Mrs Webber Harris by the officers of the 104th Bengal Fusiliers, for her indomitable pluck, during the cholera epidemic of 1869.[5]
The award was presented by General Sir Sam Browne, then the commander of the Peshawar garrison.[2] No formal citation was given with the award, as is customary for a VC.[5][c]
Later life
[edit]Harris died in 1917 in London and her ashes were interred at St Mark, Ampfield, Hampshire.[5][7]
In 1920 a Royal Warrant allowed for women serving in the Armed Forces to be formally awarded the VC. However, as of December 2021, no woman has been awarded an official VC.[3]
See also
[edit]Footnotes
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ Bruxelles, Simon de (11 March 2015). "Cholera nurse who won VC is honoured". The Times. ISSN 0140-0460. Retrieved 5 March 2019.
- ^ a b c Ashcroft, Lord (18 March 2015). "Only woman to win a Victoria Cross: Elizabeth Webber Harris saved soldiers with cholera". Express.co.uk. Retrieved 6 March 2019.
- ^ a b "The Victoria Cross". Imperial War Museum. Archived from the original on 15 June 2011. Retrieved 22 April 2015.
- ^ "Harris Family The MAN & Other Families". Retrieved 6 March 2019.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Webber Harris, Elizabeth. "How I won the 'Victoria Cross'" (PDF). www.manfamily.org.
- ^ Ford, Steve (10 March 2015). "Museum honours nurse who is only woman to have 'won VC'". Nursing Times. Retrieved 8 March 2019.
- ^ Humphrey, Barbara (1965). "Geography and the Churchyard: With special reference to Hampshire". Geography. 50 (2): 145–147. ISSN 0016-7487. JSTOR 40565927.