Category: Nurse/Medical
Rank: Sister/Nurse
Regiment or Ship: Queen Alexandra's Imperial Military Order of Nurses
Occupation: Qualified Nurse
Date of Birth: 04.03.1885
Place of Birth: St Leonards-on-sea
Date of Death: 1960
Place of Death: Hastings
Place of Burial / Memorials:
Hastings Cemetery 23rd March 1960.
N0002 (1) BRAY Cicely Evelyn (Sister) Transcription of Parish Records . Burials
Address: Buckhurst Road, Bexhill
Photos and newspaper articles
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Family Information
Husband: Air Chief Marshal Sir A. G. R. Garrod, KCB; O.B.E; M.C; D.F.C. (Squadron Leader, then Major in August 1919)
Father: Mr John Bray, born 1844, widower by 1914, Alderman of the Borough. Founder of John Bray and Sons, auctioneers and estate agents. Had a stroke in 1918, died 1921.
(Sources: Bexhill Observer, various dates see below: John Bray & Sons. 1872-1972 A centenary history. Copyright John Bray & Son’s Estate Agents, verbal permission to use given.)
Sisters:
- Nursing Sister Ethel, born 10.05.1878, died 1966, Hastings. See “N0001 BRAY, Ethel (Sister)”
- Nursing Sister Mary Francis married Edward Clayton. February 1918 N0005 BRAY Mary Francis (Sister)
- Margaret Sybil, known as Peggy, died July 1916. Funeral St. Barnabas Church
- Gertrude, married Walter Charles Morgan in 1916
- Isabel, engaged to Major French, RAMC 1919
- Agnes, married Dr. John Shemmonds in 1915
Brothers:
- Commander John Bray, RNVR, FAI, served on destroyers and on Admiral’s staff. W0072 BRAY, John (Brother)
- Charles Reginald Bray, Served in Army Service Corp.
First World War Experience
Nurse training: Poplar Hospital, London 8 April 1909-Dec 1913
- Accepted in to QAIMNS and posted to Royal Herbert Military Hospital, Woolwich 15th April 1914
- Posted to France 18th October 1916, reported to be acting as Assistant Matron to a large military hospital under canvas.
- Treated Bexhill Soldier Alfred Ranson, Royal Sussex Regiment and wrote letter to his parents: See “N0002 (2) BRAY Cicely Evelyn (Sister). Transcription of letter to mother of Private Ranson 9th December 1916 Bexhill Observer”.
- Mention in dispatches 24th May 1918
- Received the Royal Red Cross Medal in the Birthday honours, June 1916. It was reported that she was running the operating theatre at the Royal Herbert Hospital at that time.
- Resigned on marrying Major A.G.R. Garrod 23rd August 1918.
- Bexhill Chronicle 4th September 1915 (N0002 (2) BRAY Cicely Evelyn (Sister). Transcription of letter to mother of Private Ransom. 9th December 1916 Bexhill Observer)
- Military Record of service in QAIMNS . N0002 (3) BRAY Cicely Evelyn. Transcript of report headed Mr. John Bray’s Family’s War Service. 4th August 1917 Bexhill Observer
- N0002 (4) BRAY Cicely Evelyn (Sister) Extract from Military Record of Service National Archives WO.399.879
Medals and awards
- Royal Red Cross medal 1916. See N0002 (5) BRAY Cicely Evelyn(Sister). Report of medal.Transcription of Bexhill Observer 10th June 1916
- Mentioned in dispatches 24th May 1918
She got married in Garrison Church, Rouen.
Air of Authority- A History of RAF Organisation published on the web by the Royal Air Force Organisation gives a biography of Air Chief Marshal Sir Guy Garrod including marriage to Sister Evelyn Bray at this web address. http://www.rafweb.org/Biographies/Garrod.htm.