Name
Florence Mary Smallpage
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
12/07/1917
44
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Civilian
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
Searched but not found
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
Not yet known
United Kingdom
Headstone Inscription
Not Researched
UK & Other Memorials
Not on the Cheshunt memorials
Pre War
Florence
was the sister-in-law of Lieut-Col. Halse, an officer in the ministry of
munitions.
Wartime Service
Florence was with her sister, Mrs. Halse, at the front of the house watching the enemy aircraft. The aircraft had just passed overhead, anti aircraft guns were firing and apparently aircraft were firing at each other, so presumably there were British aircraft attacking the Germans. Mrs Halse went indoors for a pair of field glasses and said that she was hardly away for a moment, when she heard a sound outside and ran back to her sister, and saw her lying on the path wounded. She got assistance and brought her into the house.
Mrs Halse was unclear as to whether it was the anti-aircraft guns or firing from the aircraft that had wounded Florence
A doctor was called and Florence was unconscious, gasping for breath, and died almost immediately after the arrival of the doctor. She had an abrasion on her left cheek, the index finger and thumb of her left hand had been smashed, and there was a big hole about 3 inches in diameter in her chest. So, it seems she had been struck by a piece of shrapnel from the anti-aircraft guns that were firing and indeed a piece of burst shell was found on the lawn about 10 paces away from where the deceased had been wounded.
Acknowledgments
Jonty Wild
