Mary F. Starr - WW1 Ambulance Driver - Biography-3
Mary F. Starr - WW1 Ambulance Driver - Biography-3
Mary Joins the Red Cross Overseas Motor Corps
​In December 2017 Mary traveled to Washington DC to personally convince Sectary of War Newton Baker to let her be an ambulance driver with the AEF. Baker refused, stating “I regret, but I would not be guilty of sending a woman to France as an ambulance driver in the front lines as you seek." (see article below....).
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But Baker did arrange for Mary to begin eight months of rigorous training to drive ambulances in the ARC Overseas Motor Corps; Mary sailed on a transport ship to England in October 1918 - and then to Paris. ​​​
​Prior to leaving, she purchased her Waltham trench watch, carefully engraved "Mary F. Starr ~ 4772 ~ A.R.C. ~ A.E.F. 18", with the explanation:
"I have my [A.R.C.] disk with my number on it and attached to a silver chain around my neck. I have this engraved on the back of my wrist watch, “Mary F. Starr No. 4772 A.R.C.”. The same number appears on the disk. If my head is blown off the number will be on my wrist, and if my arm is torn off the number will be on my neck. I am going into a dangerous sector…..”.
