Spurred on by the statement in Nicholas Murray's book about the soldier poets of WW1 that 'women did not fight', I began to look for women who indeed did fight during the First World War because I knew of at least one - Flora Sandes from Suffolk. Alas Flora did not (to my knowledge) write poetry, which is why I started a sub-section of this project "Inspirational Women of World War One".
As I was researching yesterday for some of the women who fought, I found reference to the fact that at least two of them - from Russia - were poets:
"Mrs Koudasheva, a woman of culture and refinement, a poet, a writer, a musician and, above all, a lover of sport, who enlisted as a volunteer when the war broke out". That report was written by some American women journalists who interviewed the 'women who went to fight for the Czar' and is to be found in the archives of the Reading Eagle, an American newspaper, published on 13th January 1916.
The report goes on to describe Mrs Koudasheva's bravery and rise through the ranks.
Now 'all' I have to do is find poetry by Mrs Koudasheva!
The second Russian woman poet/soldier is called Skridlova and I have yet to find out anything about her.
Onwards!
