The Flanders Fields Poppy
Moina Michael
|
The Flanders Fields Poppy
Moina Michael
|
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The Flanders Fields PoppyMoina MichaelInspiration First Sale Memorial Emblem Raising Funds Official Recogniton Tributes Moina's Biography Remembering Poppy Umbrella Hear Last Post 'In Flanders Fields' Armistice Day in Ypres Flanders Memorial Poppy Gardens of Remembrance 1914-1918 ReferenceThe Western FrontThe Ypres Salient Second Battle of Ypres The Somme War Graves Tracing relatives Resources & Links Bibliography PoemsA Soldier's CemeteryIn Flanders Fields In Memoriam We Shall Keep the Faith About the siteWho we areRembrella  |
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This is the story of how the Flanders Fields Red Poppy was first introduced as a symbol of Remembrance by an American teacher, Miss Moina Michael. Miss Moina Michael
After completing her training course Moina's hopes of being sent abroad were dashed when she was barred from overseas service due to her age - she was 49. However, Dr J W Gaines, president of the Overseas YMCA Secretaries, helped Moina stay with the organization by giving her a job at the training headquarters where she worked until January 1919. Moina worked in the "Gemot", a room in the basement of Hamilton Hall. It was a large, gloomy room well-equipped with tables, chairs and other comforts. It was used as a reading room and a general 'get-together' place. Soldiers, sailors and marines also used this room as a place to say farewells to mothers, sisters, wives and girlfriends before embarking for service overseas. Next page: Inspiration for the Memorial Poppy Acknowledgements The Miracle Flower, The Story of the Flanders Fields Memorial Poppy, by Moina Michael Copyright Joanna Legg & Graham Parker © 1999 Updated July 2007. All rights reserved |
In
1918 Miss Moina Michael was teaching at the University of Georgia, in
the town of Athens, USA. Having volunteered for war work with the YMCA
she was called up for service with the Overseas YMCA War Workers.
In September 1918 she took leave of absence from her post at the university
and arrived at the YMCA training headquarters at Columbia University,
New York City, where she had originally been a student in 1912-1913.