WOMEN DECORATED FOR VALOUR.

Woodville Examiner, Volume XXVIII, Issue 4627, 7 May 1915, Page 3 (Supplement)

WOMEN DECORATED FOR VALOUR.

WHY DO BRITISH HEROINES NOT GET THE V.C.? Seldom in the woild’s history docs one find instances of women being decorated for valour on the for the simple reason that opportunities for deeds which would earn for them the Victoria Cross are very few. Nevertheless, instances- can be four!, and nowhere more than in Fran;?, where the heroic woman has little to complain of as regards public recognition of her services Since Napoleon founded the Cross of the Legion of Honour on May i9th, 1802, probably a score or more women have been decorated for personal ; rarery in warfare, but unfortunately, only ono or two of their names have been preserved, as the Palace of the Legion d’Honneur was burnt down during the Commune and all the records destroyed. Napoleon himself decorated at least seven women for valour. The chief of these was Anne Biget (Soeur Mar the), who was a Sister of Mercy, and earned the Cross of the Legion of Honour for her devotion to the sick and wounded, in the care of whom she risked her life constantly. The other women on whom Napoleon bestowed the Cross were disciples of Joan of Arc, who shared the perils and hardships of their menfolk, enlisting and fighting gallantly. Another woman earned the decoration for valour when France was fighting Germany in 1870. Mile. Dodu, a postmistress at Pithviers, a village which had fallen into the hands of the invaders, destroyed a message which she had been ordered to transmit. For this l she was court-martialled by the German? and condemned to death. On the arrival of Prince Frederick, however, she was released, the Prince himself complimenting her on her superb courage. Mine. Carlier, who, during the massacre of the Armenians in 1879, stood, with revolver in hand, beside her husband, and valiantly defended the French Consulate at Siwas. where many refugees had flown for shelter, received tlie French “V.C.” for her heroism, ay did Mine, do Rosthorn, an Austrian lady, who took part in the war in China in 1900, fighting gallantly in defence of the French Legation, and only retiring when seriously wounded.