Scottish Women's Hospitals for Foreign Service

The Scottish Women's Hospitals for Foreign Service (SWH) was founded in 1914 by Dr. Elsie Inglis. It was a voluntary organization that provided medical support during World War I. The SWH sent 14 medical units to serve in various locations including Corsica, France, Malta, Romania, Russia, Salonika, and Serbia.

Dr. Elsie Inglis, who was also involved in the suffrage movement, led the SWH. The organization was funded by the National Union of Women's Suffrage Societies, the Red Cross, and private donations. Initial fundraising efforts were successful, and by August 1914, they had raised over £5,000.

The SWH provided nurses, doctors, ambulance drivers, cooks, and orderlies. It offered opportunities for medical women who were not allowed to join the Royal Army Medical Corps. While not all volunteers supported the suffrage movement, the SWH received financial support from the National Union of Women's Suffrage Societies.

The name of the organization was chosen to avoid controversy, as "suffrage" had political connotations. However, the letters "NUWSS" appeared on SWH letterhead and vehicles, and the French press often referred to their facilities as the "Hospital of the Scottish Suffragists.

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The Scottish Women's Hospitals for Foreign Service operated until 1919, providing crucial medical support during the war.