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Clementina Addison’s name is the last one on the Caton village World War One memorial. She was a nurse who died in 1916, after volunteering to help French soldiers on the Western Front. Clementina was just 26.

After qualifying at Leicester Royal Infirmary, she joined the French Flag Nursing Corps. This was an organisation that had been set up to help provide extra nursing support for the French Army where there was a serious shortage of such care. Clementina went off to France in 1915, but early the next year she became seriously ill.

She returned to Caton where she died in July. Reports from the time in the British Journal of Nursing describe her funeral at St Paul’s Church. Children from the village school sang hymns and a French tricolore was draped over her coffin.

Clementina was awarded two medals by the French Government. Today, there is no obvious headstone to mark where she was laid to rest

Location: Caton, Lancashire LA2 9QT
Image shows Clementina Addison with soldiers, courtesy of Leicestershire Nurses’ League based at Leicester Royal Infirmary
Report presented by Tim Padfield

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