Geraldine was the daughter of a wealthy land agent. She was born in 1894 in Buckland, Berkshire. She had 3 brothers and 2 sisters and lived in a 14-roomed-house with 3 servants and a German-born governess Meta Schonthall. Her father was James Stewart (1860) a Land Agent, her mother was Caroline Emily (1859), they were married in 1887. Geraldine’s three brothers and two sisters were Frank Herbert (1888), Mary Gertrude (1890), Geraldine (1894), Raymond B (1897) and James B (1898).
War Years
Geraldine joined the Kent 76 VAD in August 1917 working as a nurse and an ambulance driver at the Cornwall Hall Auxiliary Hospital in Sevenoaks, Kent, full time.
Cornwall Hall Auxiliary Hospital was run by Kathleen Mansfield (Commandant) and her husband. Cornwall Hall originally looked after Belgian refugees but by 1916 was taking convalescent soldiers.
Her sister Dorothy stayed at home and joined the Shropshire 40 VAD, working at both Ardmillan and Pentre Pant carrying out ward and pantry duties.
Post War Years
Both Geraldine and Dorothy returned home after the war. Geraldine lived at Llanforda Isaf, Oswestry and died on 21 July 1980 in Treflach, Oswestry.
Sources
www.Ancestry.co.uk
www.vad.redcross.org.uk
www.sevenoaksww1.org.uk
www.wikipedia.org (photo of Red Cross Ambulance)