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Elizabeth Webber Harris

Elizabeth Webber Harris
Born
Elizabeth Matthews

1834
Kent, England
Died1917 (aged 82–83)
London, England
NationalityEnglish
OccupationNurse
Known forOnly 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

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

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

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

Footnotes

  1. ^ In 1869 Webber Desborough Harris, now a colonel, was the commanding officer of the 104th Bengal Fusiliers.[5]
  2. ^ A London Times article refers to her being the last surviving female nurse.[5] This is not mentioned elsewhere.
  3. ^ Michael Ashcroft currently owns Harris' VC.[6]

References

  1. ^ Bruxelles, Simon de (11 March 2015). "Cholera nurse who won VC is honoured". The Times. ISSN 0140-0460. Retrieved 5 March 2019.
  2. ^ 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.
  3. ^ a b "The Victoria Cross". Imperial War Museum. Archived from the original on 15 June 2011. Retrieved 22 April 2015.
  4. ^ "Harris Family The MAN & Other Families". Retrieved 6 March 2019.
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h Webber Harris, Elizabeth. "How I won the 'Victoria Cross'" (PDF). www.manfamily.org.
  6. ^ Ford, Steve (10 March 2015). "Museum honours nurse who is only woman to have 'won VC'". Nursing Times. Retrieved 8 March 2019.
  7. ^ Humphrey, Barbara (1965). "Geography and the Churchyard: With special reference to Hampshire". Geography. 50 (2): 145–147. ISSN 0016-7487. JSTOR 40565927.
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