Margaret Walker Bevan was born in Swansea on 22 October 1883, trained as a nurse at Coventry and then worked at a hospital in Barnsley. In July 1915 she joined the Welsh Military Hospital, Netley (near Southampton), volunteering for overseas service. She served in India and Mesopotamia before finally returning to Britain at Christmas 1919. After working briefly at an Isolation Hospital in Hornsey, Margaret was offered the job of Matron at the Farnborough and Cove Memorial Hospital, then being set up to honour the local residents who had laid down their lives in the Great War. The hospital was opened by Earl and Lady Haig on 12 July 1921. In this photograph of the opening ceremony Margaret is standing behind and between Earl and Lady Haig in the centre of the picture.