Beschreibung:

World War One. A First World War Nurse's souvenir album belonging to Mary J. Dening, compiled at the British Red Cross Hospital at Tournan (Seine et Marne), and at Windlestone Hall, County Durham, Christmas 1914-December 1915, 92 pages (47 leaves) signed at front 'Mary G Dening, Tournan Christmas 1914', with numerous wounded British and French soldiers' signatures with their regiment's name, many with additional expressions of warm thanks and appreciation to Sister Dening for her kindness and care, also short poems and ditties, cartoons ridiculing the Germans, several mounted photographs and printed postcards, and drawings in colour and monochrome (mostly in coloured pencils, or pen and brown or black ink), including a sketched plan in coloured pencils of the front line, leaves now somewhat loose, original reversed calf, stamped in gilt to upper cover 'Autographs', some marks and some wear to spine and edges, oblong 8vo (16 x 20cm, 6 1/4 x 8ins), together with Dening (Douglas, 1877-1922). Album of photographs compiled by Douglas Dening, circa 1910-1920, 30 leaves (60 pages), with numerous photographs of military life, family, holidays, etc., including 12 aerial reconnaissance photographs, 528 Battery RFA July 1917, a visit to see King George V at Buckingham Palace in July 1918 (presumably to receive his MC), Lieutenant Davy MC, the RAF King's Balloon Service (as no. 42 Commander) dark green half morocco, rubbed and some wear, oblong 4to, plus A Miscellany of the Great War and Notabilities, compiled by Selina Maud Maberly, 1914-1923, an album of contemporary newscuttings, with occasional manuscript comments providing an general account of the war, and presented to her nephew Patrick Dening in May 1925, titled to upper corner 'Letters from the Front, A Miscellany of the Great War and Notabilities', bound in contemporary boards, rubbed and some marks, 4to The first album offers a fascinating insight into the life of a first world war nurse, Mary Dening, working at a Red Cross hospital at Tournan en Brie, east of Paris. Numerous wounded soldiers offer testimonials of sister Dening's care and compassion as well as many examples of humour in the face of adversity, morale-boosting verse, photographs and postcards. The album is signed by other nurses working at the hospital (on the first leaf: Olwig Elizabette de Lastey, Florence C. Pisa, Peggy T. Montgomery, Evelyn Eburah, Eleanor Faulkner, Beatrice Wise, Maud Hamilton, Jacq. de Perthuis), a group of French Zouaves (with African names), and French soldiers (writing in French), various British soldiers from the Durham Light infantry, Corporal David Hall (1st Royal Fusiliers), Private E. Morrow (3rd Northumberland Fusiliers), Captain W. Ellis (West Yorks Regiment), O. Mosely Leigh (Lieutenant Colonel, Royal East Kent (Duke of Connaught's) Regiment), Sergeant J. D. Curry (1/7 Durham Light Infantry), Lieutenant Colonel Nightingale (2nd South Staffs), Private A. Lee (1st Battalion, ROYLI), Private Eames (Sherwood Foresters), Private J. Williams (1st/7th D.L.I.), etc. The second album was complied by Douglas Montgomery Dening (1877-1922), 2nd Lieutenant in the King Edward's Horse, who fought in the First World War. He gained the rank of Lieutenant in the Royal Flying Corps, in the air balloon arm, and was awarded the Military Cross in 1918. He was also a shipping agent with the Anglo South American Insurance Company, and Vice-Consul, British Consulate, Manáos in 1910. The album includes photographs of Major Carbery DSO MC and Douglas Dening at Neuve-Chapelle in 1915, 12 aerial photographs (including railways blown up by retreating huns in November 1918, East of Ypres, March 1918, etc.), and other scenes in Manaos (Brazil), France, Belgium and England.