At the outbreak of War, the lives of every single person living in Britain changed overnight. Yet this was a very different way of living, a very different society: where women had distinct roles, including what work they were allowed to do, for those who were allowed to work at all. It is hard to imagine that time, let alone imagine leaving all of what you know to go and fight in a war hundreds of miles away.
This tells the story of Trilby McDowall, a young woman from Scotland, who did not accept that she could not do anything to help with the war effort, and left everything she knew to volunteer on the front lines with the then unknown First Aid Nursing Yeomanry: FANY.
Acknowledgements:
This is a project made possible with grateful thanks to the National Lottery Heritage Fund. We worked with children and adults from St Marks School in Hadlow Down, East Sussex, England; and young people and adults from Inverness Royal Academy in Scotland, alongside many volunteers from both countries and many partners including members of Trilby’s family.
The children aged 9, 10 and 11 in Hadlow Down first had to learn about the First World War, in order to understand the context. Volunteers worked alongside staff at the Highland Archive Centre, Newhaven Fort, and Gateways to the First World War plus many community groups to research and understand both the time and the FANY organisation, and the women who joined them.
This project has inspired everyone who has worked with it.
Sound Architect Creative Media would like to thank everyone involved in this project, without which none of this would have been possible. Special mentions go to:
Our Funders: The National Lottery Heritage Fund & National Lottery Players.
Our Partners: Newhaven Fort; The Highland Archive Centre; St Mark’s C of E Primary School in Hadlow Down; Inverness Royal Academy.
Other Organisations: Princess Royal’s Volunteer Corps; Gateways to the First World War; The Imperial War Museum; and all the community groups whose volunteers made this project possible.
The Family of Trilby Bullard (McDowall), especially Jane Elvy and Jerry Yeoman.
Individuals: Dr Juliette Pattinson; Dr Sam Carroll; Dr Chris Kempshall; Lauren Brakes; Phil Nair-Brown; Teresa Carlile; Andy Crosby; Susanne Crosby.
Archive photos published with grateful acknowledgement to the Imperial War Museum and the family of Trilby McDowall
Booklet: Read the Booklet here
Archive of Letters: typed up by the family. See the archive of Trilby McDowall’s letters here
Film: Watch the Film here