1. Background

2. War record

3. Marriage

4. Death

5. Commemoration

6. References

Annie Elizabeth Brewer, also known as Nancy, served as a nurse on the front line in France throughout World War One, despite being injured in a shellfire attack. She was awarded the Legion d'Honneur and the Croix de Guerre, which makes her one of the most highly decorated nurses of any country in WW1.^[1] She also received war and victory medals from the British Government, but was never recognised by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission.

Background

Annie Brewer was born in Newport, South Wales, on 21 November 1874. At the age of 24 she qualified as a nurse of ‘insane persons’ and worked in hospitals around Britain including in London and Chester, before travelling around Europe as a personal nurse and companion.^[2]

War record

While in Paris in 1914, WWI broke out and she joined up with French nursing and ambulance services, the Fondation Baye, seeing action in war zones including the Marne, the Somme and Verdun.^[3] She helped with 229 operations in 7 days at the battle of Verdun.^[4] On one occasion the ambulance in which she was travelling was shelled and she was wounded in the head and leg. She also came under shellfire while working in a French hospital. The strain led to a period of serious illness, but she insisted on returning to duty once she recovered.

Marriage

Her work fed over into her personal life when she met French ambulance driver, Daniel Mistrick, marrying him on the Verdun battlefield according to French genealogy sources. She remained in Europe, working at a feeding station in Germany after the war ended with the French army of occupation.^[5]

Death

In 1921, she returned to Newport to nurse her ailing mother at 23 West Street, but was herself seriously ill and died of kidney disease, Bright’s disease, on 30 January 1921 aged 46. Although she’s buried at St. Woolos cemetery, she currently doesn’t have a war grave. Gwent Western Front Association are campaigning for the Commonwealth War Graves Commission to put her on their register.^[6]

Commemoration

Ian Brewer, Annie's great nephew, has researched the life of Annie Brewer and published on BBC Cymru.^[7] She was also featured in BBC Wales television documentary Annie's War: A Welsh Nurse on the Western Front.^[8] The Western Front Association unveiled a blue plaque on West Street with guests including members of Mrs. Mistrick's family, Health Minister Vaughan Gething and pupils from St. Woolos primary school, on 30 January 2018.^[9]

References

• List of Latin American soap operas
• List of Latin American subnational entities by HDI
• List of Latin American telenovelas
• List of Latin American writers
• List of Latin and funk jazz standards
• List of latinised names
• List of Latinised names
• List of Latin medical roots
• List of Latin mottos
• List of Latino superheroes
• List of Latin phrases (A)
• List of Latin phrases (A-E)
• List of Latin phrases (F)
• List of Latin phrases (full)
• List of Latin phrases (f–o)
• List of Latin phrases (P)
• List of Latin phrases (P-Z)
• List of Latin phrsaes
• List of Latin place names in Africa
• List of Latin place names in Asia
• List of Latin place names in Hispania
• List of Latin place names in Iberia
• List of Latin place names in Ireland
• List of Latin place names in Italy
• List of Latin place names in Italy and Malta