 A nurse who was burnt to death during the First World War is buried in Little Shelford churchyard – but no one knows her local links Beris Burton-Fanning died in October 1916. According to a death notice held by the Imperial War Museum: As the sad result of an, accident, the death occurred last week at Cambridge of Miss Beris Selina Frances Burton-Fanning, a member of the voluntary Aid Detachment working at the 1st Eastern General Hospital, Cambridge, and quartered at Selwyn College. Whilst talking to a colleague over her fire before going to bed Miss Burton-Fanning discovered that she was in flames. It: is believed that a spark from the fire set her dressing gown alight.” Beris also served at hospitals in Norwich. In 1919, her family gave £750 to create the Nurses Aid Fund at the Norfolk and Norwich Hospital to support other nurses in Beris’ memory. |