Helga Gill facts for kids

Helga Gill was an amazing woman who worked hard to help women get the right to vote. She was born in Norway in 1885 and later became a key leader in the fight for women's suffrage in the UK. She worked for a group called the National Union of Women's Suffrage Societies.

Helga Gill: A Champion for Women's Votes

Helga's Early Years

Helga Gill was born in 1885 in a city called Bergen in Norway. Her parents were Johan Klerk Gill and Karen Marie Ottilia Gill. Helga was the oldest of six children. When she was young, her mother passed away. Helga then helped to look after her younger brothers and sisters.

Working for Women's Rights

Helga first came to the United Kingdom for a holiday. She became friends with the Corbett family, who were very involved in politics. This included Marie Corbett, and her daughters Cicely and Margery.

By 1909, Helga was giving speeches about women's right to vote. She became an organiser for the NUWSS. This group worked peacefully to get women the right to vote. People said she was a "popular and busy campaigner" from 1909 to 1914.

Helga often talked about her Norwegian background in her speeches. This was important because Norway had already given women some voting rights in 1907. Her experience showed that women could vote and be active citizens. By 1912, she was a main organiser for areas like Oxford. She even went to Ireland to promote women's suffrage there.

Helping During World War One

When World War I started in 1914, Helga wanted to help. She joined the Scottish Women's Hospitals for Foreign Service. This project was funded by the NUWSS to provide medical care during the war.

In December 1914, Helga went to France. She worked at Royaumont Abbey, which was used as a hospital. Helga was an ambulance driver, taking injured soldiers to the hospital. This work was very hard and affected her health. Because of this, she left France and worked at HM Factory, Gretna for the rest of the war.

Her Life Outside Work

Helga adopted a young boy named John Gill, who was an orphan from the war. She was the only woman member of the British Legion in her local area of Danehill. She also helped run the Boys' Brigade and was a member of the Women's Institute.

Later Life and Passing

Helga Gill's health was never fully strong after her work during the war. She sadly died suddenly in a car crash on 16 November 1928. Many people in her community and in suffrage newspapers like The Common Cause were very sad to hear the news.

Awards for Her Service

For her brave work during World War One in France, Helga Gill received several important awards:

• The British War Medal
• The British Victory Medal
• The Croix de Guerre (a French award)
• The Médaille des Epidémies (another French award for health service)