Mary Elmes

{{short description|Irish aid worker, Righteous Among the Nations}}

{{Infobox person

| name = Mary Elmes

| image = Mary_Elmes.jpg

| image_size =

| caption =

| birth_name = Marie Elisabeth Jean Elmes{{cite web|last1=Finn|first1=Clodagh|title=Meet Mary Elmes: The Irish woman who saved children from the horror of WWII concentration camps|url=http://www.irishexaminer.com/lifestyle/features/meet-mary-elmes-the-irish-woman-who-saved-children-from-the-horror-of-wwii-concentration-camps-421417.html|website=Irish Examiner|accessdate=22 April 2017|language=en-IE|date=17 September 2016}}{{cite web|last1=Wilson|first1=Bernard|title=Mary Elmes 1908 – 2002|url=https://toulousequakers.wordpress.com/2012/04/28/mary-elmes-1908-2002/|website=Toulouse Quakers|accessdate=22 April 2017|language=en-IE|date=28 April 2012}}

| birth_date = 5 May 1908

| birth_place = Cork, Ireland

| death_date = {{death date and age|2002|3|9|1908|5|5|df=y}}

| death_place = Perpignan, Pyrénées-Orientales France{{cite web|last1=Forsythe|first1=David|title=The incredible life of Mary Elmes, Ireland's "Righteous Among the Nations"|url=http://westcorktimes.com/the-incredible-life-of-mary-elmes-irelands-righteous-among-the-nations/|website=westcorktimes.com|accessdate=22 April 2017|language=en-IE}}

| death_cause =

| spouse = Roger Danjou

| children = 2

| known for = Saving Jewish children from the Nazis, and being the only Irish person to receive the Righteous Among the Nations award

| signature = Signature de Mary Elmes - Archives nationales (France).png

}}

Marie Elisabeth Jean Elmes (5 May 1908 – 9 March 2002) was an Irish aid worker credited with saving the lives of at least 200 Jewish children at various times during the Holocaust, by hiding them in the back of her car. In 2015, she became the first, and to date only, Irish person honoured as Righteous Among the Nations by the State of Israel, in recognition of her work in the Spanish Civil War and World War II.{{cite news |date=15 May 2013 |title=Cork woman receives first Irish honour for saving Jewish victims of the Holocaust |url=https://www.irishtimes.com/news/politics/cork-woman-receives-first-irish-honour-for-saving-jewish-victims-of-the-holocaust-1.1393486 |accessdate=22 April 2017 |newspaper=The Irish Times |language=en-IE}}{{cite web |last1=Sheridan |first1=Colette |date=14 September 2016 |title=New play tells of the Cork woman who helped Jewish children escape the Nazis |url=http://www.irishexaminer.com/lifestyle/artsfilmtv/new-play-tells-of-the-cork-woman-who-helped-jewish-children-escape-the-nazis-420834.html |accessdate=23 April 2017 |website=Irish Examiner |location=Dublin}}

Biography

Elmes was born on 5 May 1908 in Cork, Ireland to chemist Edward Elmes and his wife Elizabeth (née Waters). Edward Elmes was originally from Waterford, and moved to Cork after qualifying as a pharmacist, to run a pharmacy on Winthrop Street, while Waters grew up in Cork.{{cite news |last1=Butler |first1=Paddy |date=31 January 2012 |title=Corkwoman helped Jewish brothers and many others avoid Auschwitz |url=https://www.irishtimes.com/opinion/corkwoman-helped-jewish-brothers-and-many-others-avoid-auschwitz-1.454767 |accessdate=22 April 2017 |newspaper=The Irish Times |language=en-IE}}{{cite news |title='Irish Schindler' to be honoured in Cork |url=https://www.irishtimes.com/news/social-affairs/religion-and-beliefs/irish-schindler-to-be-honoured-in-cork-1.2797242 |accessdate=22 April 2017 |newspaper=The Irish Times |language=en-IE}} Elizabeth Elmes was involved in the Irish Suffragette movement and campaigned for the vote for women as treasurer of the Munster Women's Franchise League.{{Cite web |title=Mary Elmes |url=https://www.holocausteducationireland.org/mary-elmes |access-date=2024-11-26 |website=Holocaust Education Ireland |language=en-GB}}{{Cite web |last=Goodall |first=Jackie |date=2022-05-05 |title=A bridge over intolerance: The Mary Elmes story |url=https://www.irelandisrael.ie/blog/mary-elmes-010/ |access-date=2024-11-26 |website=Ireland Israel Alliance |language=en-US}} Mary had one brother, John, who later took over the family business.{{cite web |date=19 September 2016 |title=Irish woman who was dedicated to saving lives during the Holocaust to be honoured for the first time in Ireland |url=http://business.corkchamber.ie/news/details/irish-woman-who-was-dedicated-to-saving-lives-during-the-holocaust-to-be-honoured-for-the-first-time-in-ireland-09-19-2016 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180612184746/https://business.corkchamber.ie/news/details/irish-woman-who-was-dedicated-to-saving-lives-during-the-holocaust-to-be-honoured-for-the-first-time-in-ireland-09-19-2016 |archive-date=12 June 2018 |accessdate=23 April 2017 |website=Cork Chamber of Commerce |language=en-IE}} The family belonged to the Church of Ireland.{{cite web |last1=O'Riordan |first1=Turlough |title=Elmes, Mary |url=https://www.dib.ie/biography/elmes-mary-a10160 |access-date=13 February 2023 |website=DICTIONARY OF IRISH BIOGRAPHY}}

File:Long Room Interior, Trinity College Dublin, Ireland - Diliff.jpg

Elmes and her brother attended Rochelle School in Blackrock, Cork, a modern and well-equipped establishment. The school tried to keep any political turmoil out, with strict censorship - they did not, however, succeed, and Elmes, along with her peers, was exposed to the violence of the early 20th century from a young age.{{Cite web |title=Elmes, Mary |url=https://www.dib.ie/biography/elmes-mary-a10160 |access-date=2024-11-26 |website=www.dib.ie}}{{Cite web |date=2018-07-12 |title=MARY ELMES / 'The Irish Oskar Schindler' — |url=https://www.herstory.ie/news/2018/7/12/mary-elmes-the-irish-oskar-schindler |access-date=2024-11-26 |website=www.herstory.ie |language=en-GB}} Elmes experienced the war first hand in May 1915 when the Cunard ocean liner 'The Lusitania' was torpedoed by a German u-boat off the coast of Cork. She and her family, along with thousands of others, rushed to Cobh to help the survivors.{{Cite web |title=Mary Elmes: 'I got things done' |url=https://www.corkcitylibraries.ie/en/online/exhibitions-online/mary-elmes-i-got-things-done.pdf}}Elmes was also exposed to the violence of the War of Independence when the family business was burned out by British forces in 1920. Despite the turmoil, Elmes was encouraged by her family to travel and study. After her time in Rochelle, Elmes relocated to Meudon, Paris from December 1925 until January 1927. It was here she became fluent in French. When she returned to Cork, Elmes helped to raise funds for the Cork Child Welfare League with the Rochelle Old Girls' Association.

In 1928, Elmes enrolled at Trinity College Dublin, where she was elected a Scholar, and gained a First in Modern Literature (French and Spanish).{{cite news |last1=Butler |first1=Patrick |date=15 May 2013 |title=Cork woman receives first Irish honour for saving Jewish victims of the Holocaust |url=https://www.irishtimes.com/news/politics/cork-woman-receives-first-irish-honour-for-saving-jewish-victims-of-the-holocaust-1.1393486 |accessdate=22 April 2017 |newspaper=The Irish Times}} In 1935, as a result of her academic achievements, Elmes was awarded a scholarship in International Studies to study at the London School of Economics. She received a certificate in International Studies, as well as a further scholarship to continue her education in Geneva, Switzerland.{{cite web |title=Justes et persécutés durant la période nazie - Mary-Elmes |url=http://www.ajpn.org/juste-Mary-Elmes-3736.html |accessdate=22 April 2017 |website=www.ajpn.org |language=French}}{{cite news |date=15 May 2013 |title=Cork woman receives first Irish honour for saving Jewish victims of the Holocaust |url=https://www.irishtimes.com/news/politics/cork-woman-receives-first-irish-honour-for-saving-jewish-victims-of-the-holocaust-1.1393486 |accessdate=22 April 2017 |newspaper=The Irish Times |language=en-IE}}{{cite web |last1=Sheridan |first1=Colette |date=14 September 2016 |title=New play tells of the Cork woman who helped Jewish children escape the Nazis |url=http://www.irishexaminer.com/lifestyle/artsfilmtv/new-play-tells-of-the-cork-woman-who-helped-jewish-children-escape-the-nazis-420834.html |accessdate=23 April 2017 |website=Irish Examiner |location=Dublin}} File:Winthrop Street, Cork (geograph 4180376).jpg|page=193|url=http://www.corkpastandpresent.ie/places/streetandtradedirectories/1907guyscitycountyalmanacanddirectory/1907pages160to241/GuysCorkAlmanac1907Pages192%20to%20199.pdf|accessdate=22 April 2017|format=Business Directory}}{{cite web|last1=Berker|first1=Tommy|title=They're lovin' it|url=http://www.irishexaminer.com/property/commercial/theyre-lovin-it-274079.html|website=Irish Examiner|accessdate=22 April 2017|language=en-IE|date=3 July 2014}}]]

=Spanish Civil War=

In February 1937, Elmes gave up her aspiring career in academia to volunteer and help refugees escaping the Spanish Civil War and after the completion of her studies, she joined the University of London Ambulance Unit and was sent to a children's hospital in Almeria, Spain, where she was assigned to a feeding station.{{cite web|last1=Crossey|first1=Ciaran|title=Irish non-combatants in Spain during the SCW|url=http://irelandscw.com/docs-NonCom.htm|website=irelandscw.com|accessdate=23 April 2017|language=en-IE}} Mary's father, Edward Elmes passed away at the end of 1937, however Mary missed the funeral as she refused to abandon her post when no replacement could be found. Although she was not medically qualified, with her ability to speak Spanish and her drive and determination, she quickly proved her capabilities. She was appointed in January 1939 by the American Friends Service Committee (AFSC) (a Quaker humanitarian organisation) to run a hospital they were establishing in Alicante. Elmes was evacuated in May 1939 to the AFSC regional HQ in Perpignan, France.{{cite web |last1=O'Riordan |first1=Turlough |title=Elmes, Mary |url=https://www.dib.ie/biography/elmes-mary-a10160 |access-date=13 February 2023 |website=DICTIONARY OF IRISH BIOGRAPHY}} Here, Elmes helped set up workshops, canteens, schools and hospitals. It is estimated that Elmes along with her Quaker colleagues provided food to over 84,000 children in schools facing famine conditions in Southern France.{{Cite web |title=Mary Elmes |url=https://smashingtimes.ie/human-rights-stories/human-rights-activists/mary-elmes/ |access-date=2024-11-26 |website=Smashing Times |language=en-GB}}

=Saving Jewish children=

The Nazis invaded France in 1940 and subsequently, Jews were targeted by the Gestapo and the Vichy regime's police. During this time, many Jews fled to the south of France. Elmes joined them and volunteered with the American Friends Service Committee, which cared for refugee children.{{Cite web |last=Meade |first=Amy |date=2023-05-02 |title=The Irish Schindler: Mary Elmes |url=https://www.accidentaltalmudist.org/heroes/2023/05/02/the-irish-schindler-mary-elmes/ |access-date=2024-11-26 |website=Accidental Talmudist |language=en-US}} In 1942, the Vichy authorities made it clear that Jewish children were not legally allowed to be exempt from being sent to the concentration camps, as they had been. Elmes, with help from some colleagues, rescued dozens of children, taking them to safe houses or helping them flee the country altogether. Jews in southwest France were rounded up to be deported from Rivesaltes camp, where Elmes spent most of her time. Rivesates was a permanent camp that was relatively new, and many Jews were taken from their homes by the Vichy government and sent there. The living conditions were inhumane; there were lice and rat infestations, and the camp consisted of huts and toilets. Malnutrition was a huge problem. The Quakers, along with other aid organisations, set up canteens and workshops in hopes of relieving some of the issues arising.{{Cite web |title=Mary Elmes: A Quiet Heroine |url=https://aish.com/mary-elmes-a-quiet-heroine/}} Well aware that she was putting herself at risk, Elmes hid many children in the boot of her car and drove them to safe destinations, such as safe houses she had organised earlier in the war which were located in the foothills of the Pyrenees and along the coast. She aided many others by securing documents which allowed them to escape through the undercover network in Vichy France. She was not a Quaker herself, despite sometimes being described as the "head of the Quaker delegation at Perpignan," but worked with local Quaker organisations.{{Cite news|url=https://www.irishtimes.com/opinion/righteous-among-the-nations-an-irishman-s-diary-on-mary-elmes-who-saved-jewish-children-in-wartime-france-1.3225492|title=Righteous Among the Nations – An Irishman's Diary on Mary Elmes, who saved Jewish children in wartime France|last=Butler|first=Paddy|newspaper=The Irish Times|language=en|access-date=6 December 2018}}{{Cite web|url=http://www.herstory.ie/news/2018/7/12/mary-elmes-the-irish-oskar-schindler|title=MARY ELMES / 'The Irish Oskar Schindler'|website=www.herstory.ie|date=12 July 2018 |language=en-GB|access-date=6 December 2018}}

In January{{cite news |last1=Butler |first1=Patrick |date=15 May 2013 |title=Cork woman receives first Irish honour for saving Jewish victims of the Holocaust |url=https://www.irishtimes.com/news/politics/cork-woman-receives-first-irish-honour-for-saving-jewish-victims-of-the-holocaust-1.1393486 |accessdate=22 April 2017 |newspaper=The Irish Times}} (or February) 1943, Elmes was arrested on suspicion of aiding the escape of Jews and was imprisoned in Toulouse, later being moved to Fresnes Prison run by the Gestapo near Paris, where she spent six months. Many years after her arrest, Elmes commented on her time in prison by saying "Oh, we all had to suffer some inconveniences in those days!". Mary's family hoped that after her ordeal she would leave France but she was determined not to abandon the refugees who still needed her help. Mary worked from her office in Perpignan until the war ended.

Personal life

Elmes married Frenchman Roger Danjou in Perpignan, and had two children, Caroline and Patrick. After the war, she continued living in Pyrénées-Orientales (Northern Catalonia) where she had been active, first in Perpignan and then in Canet-en-Roussillon and Sainte-Marie-la-Mer.{{in lang|fr}} [https://cultureetpatrimoinevillelonguet.blogspot.com/2019/01/telethon-la-villa-saint-christophe.html La villa Saint Christophe à Canet Plage : le secours aux enfants du camp de Rivesaltes (1941-1943)] on cultureetpatrimoinevillelonguet.blogspot.com She died in a nursing home there at the age of 93.

Elmes did not speak much of the war or what she had done, and declined every award and distinction she was offered.

Honours and legacy

After the war, Elmes was awarded the Legion of Honour (French:Légion d'honneur), the highest civilian award in France at the time, which she refused to accept on the grounds of unwanted attention for what she did.{{cite news |last1=Butler |first1=Paddy |date=31 January 2012 |title=Corkwoman helped Jewish brothers and many others avoid Auschwitz |url=https://www.irishtimes.com/opinion/corkwoman-helped-jewish-brothers-and-many-others-avoid-auschwitz-1.454767 |accessdate=22 April 2017 |newspaper=The Irish Times |language=en-IE}} On 23 January 2013, 11 years after her death, having been nominated by one of the children she rescued, she was posthumously recognised by Yad Vashem as Righteous Among the Nations, her children and grandchildren receiving the award on her behalf, and on 30 September 2016, she was posthumously awarded the Trish Murphy Award at the Network Ireland Business Woman of the Year awards in Cork, which was accepted by her nephew, Mark Elmes, on behalf of her family.{{cite news|title='Irish Schindler' to be honoured in Cork|url=https://www.irishtimes.com/news/social-affairs/religion-and-beliefs/irish-schindler-to-be-honoured-in-cork-1.2797242|newspaper=The Irish Times|accessdate=22 April 2017|language=en-IE}}{{cite web|title=Irish woman who was dedicated to saving lives during the Holocaust to be honoured for the first time in Ireland|url=http://business.corkchamber.ie/news/details/irish-woman-who-was-dedicated-to-saving-lives-during-the-holocaust-to-be-honoured-for-the-first-time-in-ireland-09-19-2016|website=Cork Chamber of Commerce|accessdate=23 April 2017|language=en-IE|date=19 September 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180612184746/https://business.corkchamber.ie/news/details/irish-woman-who-was-dedicated-to-saving-lives-during-the-holocaust-to-be-honoured-for-the-first-time-in-ireland-09-19-2016|archive-date=12 June 2018|url-status=dead}} On 25 February 2019, it was announced by Cork City Council{{cite tweet|number=1100099096017281026|user=corkcitycouncil|title=And it’s agreed that Corks newest bridge is to named after Mary Elmes - The Irish Oskar Schindler |date=25 February 2019}} that a new pedestrian bridge linking Patrick's Quay to Merchant's Quay would be named after Mary Elmes. It was opened to the public on 9 July 2019.

The Mary Elmes Prize in Holocaust Studies is distributed by the Holocaust Educational Trust Ireland.{{Cite web|url=https://hetireland.org/the-mary-elmes-prize-in-holocaust-studies/|title = The Mary Elmes Prize in Holocaust Studies|date = 19 August 2019}}

References

External links

[http://db.yadvashem.org/righteous/family.html?language=en&itemId=9945355 The Righteous Among the Nations Database - Mary Elmes]
[https://www.tg4.ie/en/information/press/press-releases/2017-2/song-granite/ TG4 film Song of Granite to open Galway Film Fleadh 2017]
[http://www.tg4.ie/en/programmes/mary-elmes-gairm-chun-gnimh/ TG4 Programmes - Mary Elmes - Gairm chun Gnímh (video)]
Righteous Among The Irish : Mary Elmes, by Bairbre Flood, first broadcast on UCC98.3FM at 10:54 am 22 January 2020 (46'32") [https://www.broadsheet.ie/2020/01/22/righteous-among-the-irish/ Broadsheet], [https://yearningcurve.com/mary-elmes/ Podcast]

Category:1908 births

Category:2002 deaths

Category:Alumni of the London School of Economics

Category:Alumni of Trinity College Dublin

Category:Christian Righteous Among the Nations

Category:Irish Anglicans

Category:Irish diaspora in Europe

Category:Irish expatriates in Spain

Category:Irish emigrants to France

Category:Irish people of the Spanish Civil War

Category:Irish people of World War II

Category:20th-century Irish businesswomen