Pioneering doctor Elsie Inglis to be honoured with memorial plaque
A memorial honouring pioneering doctor and suffragist Elsie Inglis is to be unveiled in Edinburgh 100 years after her death.
The commemorative plaque has been arranged by Scotland’s War Project and Edinburgh Libraries service.
It will be unveiled at the Central Library at a ceremony today attended by her descendants.
On the outbreak of the the First World War Dr Inglis was told by the War Office to ‘go home and sit still’ as women doctors and surgeons were not permitted to serve in frontline hospitals. Instead she offered her services to Britain’s allies and on their acceptance formed the Scottish Women’s Hospitals to treat soldiers.
Together with colleagues and associates from the suf- fragist movement, Dr Inglis helped raise the equivalent of £53 million in today’s money to buy equipment and get their stations to the front line.
Suffering from cancer, she died on 26 November 1917, the day after she arrived back in Britain.
The plaque is inscribed with a quote from Winston Churchill saying “she will shine forever in history” along with the names of 15 women who died during their service in the Scottish Women’s Hospital.
The event will be attended by Dr Inglis’ two great, great nephews Tony and Robin Waterston and great, great, great niece Clea Thomson.