TEIGNMOUTH & SHALDON

Awarded a Voluntary Aid Detachment Badge and a Certificate

VAD badge

Anne Yeames née Winfield was born in Islington, London c. 1840.

Anne's mother was Sophia Mary Winfield who was born in 1808 in India and her father was Major James Stainbank Winfield of the Indian Army, he was also of the East India Company.

Anne's family home before her marriage 2 Park Place Villas London. Image Capture © 2018 Google (Modified, cropped and changed to black and white)

The 1861 census shows Anne, her widowed mother Sophia Winfield, her sister Aming Winfield and brother David W. Winfield living at 2 Park Place Villas, Paddington, London.

David's occupation is listed as Artist '(Painting)'.

On 18 August 1865 Anne married William Frederick Yeames who was born on 18^th December 1835 in Taganrog, Russia where his father was the British consul.

  And When Did You Last See Your Father? William Frederick Yeames, 1878 WAG 2679. Currently on display in Room 07, Walker Art Gallery

William Frederick Yeames RA was a British painter best known for his oil-on-canvas problem picture "And When Did You Last See Your Father?", which depicts the son of a Royalist being questioned by Parliamentarians during the English Civil War.

The 1911 census shows 'Annie' and William living at 8 Cambell Road, Hanwell, Middlesex. Also present are two live-in servants  (a cook and a housemaid). William's occupation is 'Artist Painter', and includes 'Curator, Painted Hall, Greenwich . Hospital'.

Anne and William moved to Brimley House in Higher Brimley Road, Teignmouth, Devon for the benefit of his health and celebrated their Golden Wedding Anniversary in 1915.

From 1914 to 1919 Anne was with the Voluntary Aid Detachment (VAD) at the Teignmouth Women's Work Depot. She  assisted with the making of garments such as pyjamas, pants, vests and socks for soldiers at home and at the front.

When Anne became engaged with VAD in 1914 she was 74 years old gave her permanent address as Landscore Road, Teignmouth.

William died on 3^rd May 1918, he is buried in Teignmouth Old Cemetery.

Anne Yeames died 26 November 1934, her home address at that time was 11 The Stand, Shaldon.

Anne is buried with her William, in section MM (#77) – of the Teignmouth Old Cemetery. The inscription on their grave reads:

Emigravit

William F Yeames RA
Born Taganrog 1835 Died 3rd May 1918
And of his beloved wife ANNE
Daughter of Major J Winfield Indian Army
Born 1839 Died Shaldon 26th Nov 1934

Voluntary Aid Detachment (VAD) Cards

Voluntary Aid Detachment (VAD) Card. ©2018 British Red Cross (CC BY-NC 2.0 UK)

Voluntary Aid Detachment (VAD) Card. ©2018 British Red Cross (CC BY-NC 2.0 UK)

War Work Depots

Work depots were established to collate and despatch clothing. From the depots items were sent to the Red Cross headquarters or directly to soldiers in auxiliary hospitals at home or abroad.

Head Mrs Louise Sassoon CBE, Officers Families Fund. © IWM (WWC D8-4-971)

In Teignmouth, women were called upon to play their part in the war effort. The Mayoress of Exeter called for them to form themselves into a Working Party making shirts and cholera belts for men called up to war.

Extreme Knitting

As the war developed  so did a nation-wide mass knitting frenzy, soon colourful, unusual garments reached soldiers at the front.

A War Office warning was put out (to women in particular) to narrow the range of garments, and to use only khaki wools.

Patterns were made available from the British Red Cross and also printed in the local papers - including the Teignmouth Post. They included "bed jackets, helpless case shirts (shirts for amputees), sleeping suits, nurses' aprons and surgeons' overalls", to name but a few.

46 women in Shaldon and Ringmore were recorded as members of Womens War Work Depot.

Shaldon was led by Mrs Ethel Hudson of 33, The Green, Shaldon. Ethel is recorded as having served for 221 days out of a possible 225 days and was awarded a certificate, a WW badge and a special badge from the Central Work Rooms.
42 women in Teignmouth were recorded as members of Womens War Work Depot number.

The Ladies Working party organised gifts of money and clothes for the Belgian refugees and collected items to put into packages for the soldiers, e.g. mittens, mufflers, cigarettes, chocolate and toiletries.

The Teignmouth Post, February 9th 1917, carries an article describing the women's work at the Women's War Work Depot in Brunswick Street. It also invites women to supply their details so Red Cross certificates can be applied for. However, Red Cross records suggest not all of the women received a certificate in recognition of their work.

The Teignmouth Post, March 9th 1917 gives an extensive account of a concert held at the Assembly Rooms on the Den in aid of funds for the Women's War Work Depot raised £31- 9 shillings.

Many fund raising events were organised for the War Relief Fund with concerts and musical performances.

Even the children became involved as 2 letters in The Children's Corner Union (Teignmouth Post) to Uncle Ralph show us.

The first from Estelle Williams says "We are all very busy just now and I am going to knit socks for the Red Cross Society."

The second from Nora M. Golightly, " I have been very busy making clothes for the soldiers. I made 2 helmets for them and a shirt and 2 little petticoats for the soldiers' and sailors' orphans."