Norah Green

Norah Green was born on 8 April 1901, the daughter of William and Elizabeth Green who lived on Chapel Lane, Totley. She was the youngest of their four children; she also had three half siblings from her father's first marriage.

During the early part of 1914 Norah was ill with diphtheria and she was sent to the isolation hospital on Holmley Lane, Dronfield. She recovered from her illness fortunately - in the early 1900s diphtheria was a very serious and often fatal disease.

Norah wrote a letter of thanks to a member of the hospital staff and this is the reply that she received.

The Hospital
Dronfield
Nov 2nd 1914

My dear Nora,

Very many thanks for your kind letter. Also the photograph. How well you look. You have the place of honour on my dressing table.

Is it not sad about the poor Belgians but we must hope that the worst of the war is over now.

Yes, I was sorry I was away when you sent the flowers. It was very kind of you.

Do you ever see anything of Reggie and Lottie Osborne? 

We are still rather busy here but all Scarlet Fever.

I often think of you and the happy times we had together. I don't think there is anyone here now that you know. The nurses are all new.

I have promised to come to Dore one day to see some wonderful soldiers. So I'll let you know, then perhaps I could see you at the same time.

We have twelve Belgian Refugees in Dronfield at present.

And dear Nora I am sure you will think this quite a long letter from me.

With my kind regards to your mother, and love to yourself.

Believe me.

Yours very sincerely

H. M. Mitchell

We have not yet discovered who H. M. Mitchell was - possibly the ward sister or one of the nurses who cared for Norah.

Norah Green married Maurice Ward on 22 January 1923. We are grateful to their son, Roy Ward, for the loan of this letter.