Oxford in the Great War by Malcolm Graham

Author:Malcolm Graham [Graham, Malcolm]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: History, Military, World War I
ISBN: 9781783462971
Google: Jv5sBQAAQBAJ
Publisher: Pen and Sword
Published: 2014-11-30T00:24:03+00:00

The Young Women’s Christian Association (YWCA) opened an Oxford branch at 3 Magdalen Street in November 1916, providing a club room and hostel for women war workers. A canteen was added in May 1917, but demand soon exceeded capacity and Margaret Gardner announced the opening of larger premises at 72 St Giles’ in April 1918.

Winning the war required money as well as manpower and women did much to raise funds for the war effort and encourage vital savings campaigns. Belgian Day on 7 November 1914 was Oxford’s first major Flag Day. Mrs H.S. Kingerlee came up with the idea and Russell Brain, who had helped with similar events elsewhere, organised the event. Five hundred women made 90,000 bows before the day and many bows were sold from door to door; on the day itself, it was difficult to avoid the ‘600 fair sellers’ of flags and badges on every street corner. A donkey and a decorated steam lorry provided rides, and a barrel organ played. In the evening, there was an open-air film show in Broad Street, the walls of Balliol College serving as the screen.

This event formed the prototype for a series of Flag Days, supporting for example, Britain’s Allies, France, Russia and Italy, and the Red Cross. H.W.B. Joseph disapproved of ‘being asked to buy a favour; it’s not a mode of collecting I like’ on Belgian Day, but this became standard practice. Indeed, an irate correspondent complained in the Oxford Magazine in June 1915:

‘It is absurd, though it may be true, that some people will not subscribe for comforts for our wounded soldiers unless some young woman, clad in scanty white, flaunts into their faces her brazen charms.’

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