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The Divisional Director

Photo of Helen Beale, 1918 (RNM)

Many women who later went on to serve in the Women's Royal Naval Service during World War One had first served as Voluntary Aid Detachments (VADs). Helen Beale served as a VAD at Number 26 General Hospital for the British Expeditionary Force in France from August 1915 to September 1916.

Lord Kitchener established the VADs in 1909. VAD recruits tended to be middle or upper class women who had little experience of either war or the world. They filled the urgent need for medical help during World War One by working as volunteers supported by the British Red Cross. Thousands of women served as auxiliary nurses, ambulance drivers and cooks in home front hospitals. Others, who had never been abroad before, were posted to units in France, Italy, Serbia, Greece, Malta, and the Middle East.

Katherine Furse, the VADs Commander in Chief, resigned from the service in 1917 and then set about helping with the formation of the WRNS. This decision inspired many former VAD nurses to also join this new women's service, including Helen Beale.

Beale received an appointment as Assistant Principal at the Dover repair base in February 1918. She lived at a WRNS hostel in Dover, as was typically the case of women employed in the service.

Helen Beale's diary entry for 19th February 1918 (RNM)

She received a promotion to WRNS Principal at Dover in July 1918.

She then became Director of the WRNS South Western Division, based at Devonport, in November 1918. Her staff at Dover were clearly sad to see her go, many of them writing her letters to say so.

Letter to Helen Beale about her appointment at Devonport, wishing her luck, from E Durman, 1918 (RNM)

Letter to Helen Beale about her appointment at Devonport, wishing her luck, from E Durman, 1918 (RNM)

However, Beale went on to do an excellent job in her position, helping to recruit women and establish the service. Katherine Furse visited the WRNS Division at Devonport. She produced a report on various parts of the service and its officers. She said of Helen Beale:

'Miss Beale has done splendidly as Divisional Director, and has in every way shewn [sic] herself competent for the trust placed in her. The general discipline and behaviour of the WRNS under her command did her great credit and she seemed to be intensely interested in the welfare of the Service from every point of view. Miss Beale should be recommended very highly for civilian work supposing she wishes for it in the future.'

Beale's position in the WRNS allowed her the right to vote as a 'naval voter' in the 1918 general election. Helen's mother, Margaret Beale, could also vote. This was the first general election held in Britain after the Representation of the People Act of 1918. The Act granted women over 30 who met minimum property qualifications the right to vote.

Letter to H Beale from town hall Kensington, regarding her right to vote (RNM)