Margaret Aldridge

Sister Margaret Aldridge crossed the English Channel just days after D-Day to set up a field hospital in Normandy. She was one of the first nurses to arrive on French soil, treating severe casualties in tented wards under frequent air attack. She followed the advancing armies through France and into Germany, treating soldiers and liberated prisoners of war. When her unit reached Bergen-Belsen concentration camp, Margaret helped care for the survivors. The experience haunted her for the rest of her life. She was awarded the Royal Red Cross for her exceptional devotion to duty.