Vera Laughton Mathews
Encyclopedia
Dame Elvira Sibyl Marie Laughton Mathews, DBE
(born 1888, Hammersmith, London — died 1959, Ashley Gardens, London), born Elvira Sibyl Marie Laughton, was one of the first officers of the Women's Royal Naval Service
(WRNS) and served from just after the inception of the WRNS in 1918 until it was disbanded in late 1919. She held the rank of Principal Officer (equivalent to a Royal Navy Lieutenant-Commander) and was initially the Unit Officer of the WRNS Training Depot at Crystal Palace
in south London
; the Depot was wound up immediately after the Armistice was signed in November 1918 as recruitment had ceased and she went on to serve in various posts on the east coast of Britain until demobilisation. She later served as Director of the re-founded Women's Royal Naval Service
from April 11, 1939 until November 1946. Her deputy was Edith Mary ('Angela') Goodenough.
(1830–1915), Royal Navy
, and María Josefa de Alberti of Cadiz, Spain. She had three brothers and one sister.
and Belgium
. Later, she attended King's College London
.
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
(born 1888, Hammersmith, London — died 1959, Ashley Gardens, London), born Elvira Sibyl Marie Laughton, was one of the first officers of the Women's Royal Naval Service
Women's Royal Naval Service
The Women's Royal Naval Service was the women's branch of the Royal Navy.Members included cooks, clerks, wireless telegraphists, radar plotters, weapons analysts, range assessors, electricians and air mechanics...
(WRNS) and served from just after the inception of the WRNS in 1918 until it was disbanded in late 1919. She held the rank of Principal Officer (equivalent to a Royal Navy Lieutenant-Commander) and was initially the Unit Officer of the WRNS Training Depot at Crystal Palace
Crystal Palace
- United Kingdom :* The Crystal Palace, an 1851 building in south London destroyed by fire in 1936** The Great Exhibition, the event the building was built for, sometimes also known as Crystal Palace...
in south London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
; the Depot was wound up immediately after the Armistice was signed in November 1918 as recruitment had ceased and she went on to serve in various posts on the east coast of Britain until demobilisation. She later served as Director of the re-founded Women's Royal Naval Service
Women's Royal Naval Service
The Women's Royal Naval Service was the women's branch of the Royal Navy.Members included cooks, clerks, wireless telegraphists, radar plotters, weapons analysts, range assessors, electricians and air mechanics...
from April 11, 1939 until November 1946. Her deputy was Edith Mary ('Angela') Goodenough.
Family
She was the elder daughter of Sir John Knox LaughtonJohn Knox Laughton
Sir John Knox Laughton Kt was a British naval historian and arguably the first to argue for the importance of the subject as an independent field of study...
(1830–1915), Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
, and María Josefa de Alberti of Cadiz, Spain. She had three brothers and one sister.
Husband/Children
Vera Laughton was married to Gordon Mathews from 10 June 1924 until his death in 1943; they had two sons and one daughter.Education
Mathews attended convent schools in the United KingdomUnited Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
. Later, she attended King's College London
King's College London
King's College London is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom and a constituent college of the federal University of London. King's has a claim to being the third oldest university in England, having been founded by King George IV and the Duke of Wellington in 1829, and...
.
Affiliations
- Girl Guide Commissioner
- Skipper of Sea Rangers
- Chairman, St. Joan's Social and Political Alliance
- Chairman, Domestic Coal Consumers' Council (1947–1950)
- President, National Smoke Abatement Society (1949–1951)
- Member of the South-Eastern Gas Board (SEGAS) (1949–1959)
- Adviser on Women's Affairs to the Gas Council
- Life President, Association of Wrens
- President, St. Joan's International Social and Political Alliance
- Chair of the Status of Women Committee, St. Joan's Social and Political Alliance
- President, Mermaid Swimming Club
- Member, Council Girl Guides Association