Description
British War & Victory Medal, Staff Nurse Estelle Furmage Palmer, Queen Alexandra’s Army Nursing Reserve, Served in Egypt at Ismailia, Estella Avenue in New Malden is named after her.
Also with good original QAIMNSR Silver hallmarked Cape aka Tippet Badge by Elkington mounted for wear and 2 associated badges,
WW1 Pair officially impressed: “S. Nurse E.F. Palmer.”
Confirmed on the medal roll.
With copy service papers and copy photograph of her.
Estelle or Estella “Stella” Furmage Palmer was born circa October 1885 in Wandsworth, Surrey.
The daughter of William Furmage Palmer and Emily Amelia nee Little.
Most of the family carried the “Furmage” middle name.
The residential road named “Estella Avenue” located in New Malden was named after her.
The Merton Historical Society writes:
“However, most of the area, apart from the many sport grounds, is covered by houses from the first four decades of the 20th Century.
Adela and Estella Avenues were named after the daughters of the Land Owner and Developer William Furmage Palmer, of Blagdons Farm, around 1900.”
Once she left school, Estelle began training as a Nurse, being recorded as a Probationer on the 1911 Census, the Nursing Register recalls that from the year 1908-1911 she gained her Nursing Certificate from Kingston Infirmary in Kingston upon Thames.
During World War 1, Estelle, now an experienced London nurse aged 36, signed on for service with the Q.A.I.M.N.S.R. on 1st September 1917.
During her service, she was active deployment to Egypt, with the Egyptian Expeditionary Force.
She was service in Egypt from about mid October 1917, until 6th March 1922, through the end of the war and onwards.
Her papers recall she served at the No 71 General Hospital, and also the 26th Stationary Hospital in Ismailia.
“Confidential Report
Staff Nurse E.F. Palmer Q.A. Res has served at this Hospital since 21st July 1920 during her tour of duty she has worked in medical and surgical wards and night duty.
Her professional ability is good. She knows her work and is attentive to her patients.
Administrative capacity is good.
She is good tempered, willing and a good worker generally.
General conduct is very good.”
Signed on 31st Jan 1922 by her Matron and “I concur” by Major George Henry Brown, RAMC, Officer Commanding Palestine General Hospital.
She returned home after the end of her service during 1922, she writes in a letter to the QAIMNSR:
March 2nd 1922, Madam, I have the honour to report my arrival in the UK on February 27th. on board the M.T. Balina Castle (Hard to read?) from the Egyptian Expeditionary Force (E.E.F.).”
Estelle continued on as a Nurse after the war, like some independent working women of her time, she seems to have refused to marry, later died unmarried at Newland, Hayling Island in Hampshire on 12th March 1953.
