Elizabeth Webber Harris | |
|---|---|
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| Born | Elizabeth Matthews 1834 Kent, England |
| Died | 1917 (aged 82–83) London, England |
| Occupation | Nurse |
| Known for | Awarded a replicaVictoria Cross (with permission ofQueen Victoria) |
Elizabeth Webber Harris (1834–1917) was an English nurse who was awarded a replicaVictoria Cross (VC) in 1869, with the permission ofQueen Victoria, for her bravery during acholera outbreak in India.[1][2] She remains the only woman to be awarded a VC of any description.[3]
Harris was born Elizabeth Matthews inKent, England in 1834.[4] She was the second child of James Matthews and Mary Ann Bailey. On 22 February 1859 she married Webber Desborough Harris (born 1823) then a captain in the2nd Bengal Fusiliers (later renamed the 104th).[5]
The details of Harris' time inIndia is highly reliant on her own account. In 1869 Harris was the only woman with her husband's regiment, nearPeshawar (modernPakistan), during acholera outbreak.[5][a][b] The regiment was split in two in order to control the infection. Three months later about one-third of the soldiers in Harris's half of the regiment had died of cholera. Harris describes nursing the sick, a confrontation with local tribesmen, and the organisation of extensive morale-boosting activities.[5][2]
At the time, a Victoria Cross could be awarded for bravery behind the lines. However, women were not eligible. The officers of the regiment awarded her a gold replica of the VC with the permission of the Queen; its inscription read:
Presented to Mrs Webber Harris by the officers of the 104th Bengal Fusiliers, for her indomitable pluck, during the cholera epidemic of 1869.[5]
The award was presented by General SirSam Browne, then the commander of the Peshawar garrison.[2]
For many years Harris's cross was displayed at theRoyal United Services Institute inWhitehall, London. In 2013 it was acquired byMichael Ashcroft and has been shown at theImperial War Museum.[6]
Harris died in 1917 in London and her ashes were interred at St Mark, Ampfield, Hampshire.[5][7]
In 1920 a Royal Warrant allowed for women serving in the Armed Forces to be formally awarded the VC. However to date no woman has received the VC.[3]