INTERNATIONAL NURSES DAY 12th May 2020

Today we celebrate International Nurses Day, a day which is even more poignant as we live through the current Covid 19 pandemic.  This date was chosen to mark the 200 year anniversary of the birth of Florence Nightingale, the "mother" of nursing as we know it today.

Nurses, doctors and all healthcare workers are receiving the recognition they deserve for their dedication to the cause, especially during the dangerous situation we are in right now.  Each Thursday we all go out onto our front doorsteps, balconies or simply open a window to clap a round of applause for our country’s carers. 

The National Health Service is in the spotlight, our doctors and nurses are being hailed heroes for their selfless work caring for Covid 19 patients.  Not a night goes by now without the news on television running a story on how the N.H.S is coping, individuals are being picked out to showcase their particular story in regard to carrying out their jobs during the pandemic. 

Roll back to the war years and life was different........but the same....... Individuals both male and female were undertaking their duties with a potential cost to their own lives.  The public would read the newspapers and listen avidly to the radio announcements to hear about the lives of these soldiers, nurses, doctors, munition workers..... the list goes on. 

The nurses during World War 2 (WW2) would find life was a far cry from the daily duties our modern day nurses undertake, but their dedication, care and compassion continues to this day.  The nurses during WW2 were all females, the medical profession by contrast was mainly males at this time, with few pioneering female doctors.  Some nurses would be sent overseas to tend for the ill and wounded in far flung places such as Singapore, Africa, Egypt, Italy and France, others would tenderly care for the thousands of wounded soldiers who were sent home to the British hospitals.  Not forgetting that nurses were still required on the home front to care for the non-military sick.  

Chesterfield was no exception, there were many local ladies who responded to the challenge, the recruitment posters luring them to do their duty.  Some were already experienced nurses, others took a leap of faith to receive training which would enable them to the care for the sick and wounded.

Sister Dorothy Groom

One such lady is Dorothy Groom, the daughter of coal miner John Groom and Fanny Groom.  She originated from Alfreton and was educated at Swanwick School before undertaking her nurse training at Northampton General Hospital and the Queen Mary Nursing Home at Derby.  Dorothy enlisted for the Queen Alexandra’s Imperial Nursing Reserve (Q.A.I.N.R) in February 1941.  She went on to serve in Persia, India, Africa, Malta, Sicily and Italy and was awarded the Africa Star medal for her service.

Dorothy sadly lost her life on 27th April 1945, she was aged just 27 years.  Dorothy had served as a Sister; her regimental number was 225443.  She is buried at Naples War Cemetery; her headstone reads the words….

“TIS SWEET TO REMEMBER ONE SO DEAR THOUGH ABSENT FROM US ALL SHE IS ALWAYS NEAR”


We will learn more about the lives of many nurses throughout this blog, please remember them all today.


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