Kathleen's Story.
The eldest of five siblings, Kathleen was born in Oxton in 1894 and lived with her parents, brothers and sisters. Her father, Harold, is described on the 1901 census as ‘Merchant dealing in exports and imports’ and living in Kingsmead Road North, Oxton.
By 1911 the family had moved to 66 Bidston Road, Oxton
Kathleen died in 1940, but although she is remembered as having died during WW2, her life story remarkably spans two world wars as she actually began to serve her country during WW1.
At the age of 22 Miss Kathleen Ackerley volunteered and became a Voluntary Aid Detachment worker or V.A.D. She went over to France and served in a theatre of war. She was stationed in Etaples and worked there as an ambulance driver from March 1917 until August 1918. The V.A.D.s often worked in very demanding, busy and difficult circumstances – Kathleen’s record is noted that at one time during the spring of 1918 she worked 44 hours continuously. Although some distance from the front line, in 1918 the town of Etaples suffered bombing by the Germans. (Kathleen would have still been stationed there at the time of the bombings).
From August 1918 until February 1919 Kathleen moved from Etaples to Treport to continue working and volunteering. From March 1919 up to the end of April 1919 she worked at Boulogne. Both Treport and Boulogne were also military base depots and hospitals.
Kathleen then left the V.A.D.’s to join The Women’s Legion – a British charitable organisation which was founded in 1915. The volunteers wore military style uniforms and carried out various duties ranging from agriculture, cookery and motor transport.
At the outbreak of the Second World War. Kathleen had joined the Women’s Royal Naval Service and she was appointed as First Officer in September and then based at HMS Eaglet which is a Royal Naval shore base sited at Brunswick Dock, Liverpool. In July 1940 she was promoted to Chief Officer – the equivalent male rank in the Royal Navy would be a Commander.
On 31st August 1940 while on duty in Cumbria she was travelling in a motor vehicle being driven by a Women's Voluntary Service driver when they were involved in a collision with another vehicle causing the death of three members of the R.A.F. in the other vehicle and sadly Miss Kathleen Ackerley was also killed, aged 46. Another aircraftman, the owner of the car containing the other R.A.F. men was seriously injured but both he and Miss Ackerley’s driver survived. The inquest returned a verdict of accidental death.
Her funeral took place in Flaybrick Cemetery, Birkenhead.
Kathleen Ackerley is remembered on the Trinity with Palm Grove Church World War 2 memorial.
Research, grave photograph and Trinity with Palm Grove ww2 memorial by Chris Booth.