This Is Your Life: Mabel Lethbridge

Mabel LETHBRIDGE OBE (1900-1985)

THIS IS YOUR LIFE - Mabel Lethbridge, former street entertainer, was surprised by Eamonn Andrews in the audience at the BBC Television Theatre.

Mabel became the youngest ever person to be awarded an OBE when, at the age of 17, she lost a leg while working in a munitions factory during the First World War. After the war she moved to London where she was nicknamed Peggy due to her artificial leg. She hired a barrel organ, which she played around the West End for queuing theatre crowds - in the days before gallery seats were bookable - and eventually hit upon the idea of carrying chairs around for them – becoming known as Peggy the Chair Girl.

The thriving business dried up when theatres began making all seats bookable, so Mabel changed tact and became the UK’s first female estate agent with a small office in Chelsea, which she ran until the outbreak of the Second World War, when she volunteered for the Ambulance Service. However, ill health caused her to give that up and so she established an Air Raid Shelter Canteen Service with her daughter.

programme details...

Edition No: 204
Subject No: 205
Broadcast date: Tue 27 Nov 1962
Broadcast time: 7.55-8.25pm
Recorded: Tue 30 Oct 1962 8.00pm
Venue: BBC Television Theatre
Series: 8
Edition: 9

on the guest list...

Elizabeth Scott
Ada Parks
Annoe Harvey
Mary Merrall
Henry Savage
Albert Crommelynck
Jack Donovan
Mr & Mrs Jim McClelland
Rebecca & Jacques – grandchildren
Suzanne – daughter
Reggie Lethbridge – brother
Lady Megan Lloyd-George
Yvonne Kunick

production team...

Researcher: Suzanne Twiston-Davies
Director: Vere Lorrimer
Producer: T Leslie Jackson

with thanks to Paul Moran for his contribution to this page

Mabel Lethbridge on This Is Your Life with Eamonn Andrews

In a two part article, originally printed in the St. Ives Times and Echo in May and June 2013, Paul Moran tells the extraordinary life story of Mabel Lethbridge...

Against the Tide - Mabel Lethbridge OBE

Part 1:

Amongst the many memorable people who have lived in St. Ives, none could have led such an extraordinary life as Mabel Lethbridge OBE. She lived in St. Ives with her daughter Sue, from 1944 to 1966, and in that time endeared herself to the town community. It wasn't until 1962 however that many more townspeople learned about her amazing life when she appeared on BBC's This Is Your Life.

With my sister Jacqueline, I remember visiting Mabel often and sharing tea and cakes on her porch. As a boy I knew nothing of her life, but I found her kind and thoughtful and never short of a fascinating tale to tell.

In a life that had run the full gamut of emotions from grief to joy, Mabel epitomised tenacity and courage. Despite horrific injuries incurred in 1917, she resolutely overcame the never-ending series of troubles and setbacks that would have defeated most people.

Mabel was born in Porlock in 1900 but little is known of her early life. What I do know is that Mabel's family had fetched up in Ireland via a short stay in Mombassa, Italy, and Hampshire. There she had developed a wasting disease and the family moved to Ireland in 1909. The doctor’s advice was, 'Let her run wild for three years, no school, no fuss.' Mabel loved Ireland and the doctors unusual prescription worked; she was able to return to school in 1911. When her mother became ill Mabel was sent to a boarding school. For Mabel this was a mixture of good friends, boredom, bad food and teaching that she loathed. In protest against the watery tea that was served, she once drank a bottle of ink, saying she preferred it to the tea! For that, she had detention for three weeks.

Mabel moved to Ealing in 1916 but didn't like the sub urbanism and 'petty restrictions' she experienced. She vowed to leave home as soon as possible. In February, 1917, she took a job as a nurse at Bradford Hospital. However, her mother was horrified to learn her young daughter was looking after troops ravaged by war, and had her sent home after 8 months to join the family in London.

Mabel's life changed permanently in 1917. She had decided to do something for the War effort and applied for work at the Munitions No.7 National Filling Factory in Hayes, Middlesex. At that time girls under 18 were barred from munitions work but, in common with thousands of young people at the time, she lied about her age. She was employee No. 12129, joining 10,000 women and 2,000 men, making and filling shells. The work was arduous, grimy and above all, highly dangerous, as she helped to produce the millions of shells used in the Great War.

One day, a sign caught Mabel's eye: 'Volunteers Urgently Wanted for the Danger Zone'; a strangely ominous imploration perhaps, but typical of the time. Characteristically Mabel stepped forward and was soon in the thick of it; a deadly task of filling shells with Amatol explosive. On the 23rd October, on only her ninth day at Hayes, she was working on the 'monkey', a crude, recently condemned machine that packed the Amatol into the shells. There was a tremendous explosion and Mabel was hurled violently across the workshop. In a pandemonium of noise, fire, screaming and cries of pain, she looked up and saw girls rise and fall, shrieking with terror, their clothes alight, blood pouring from wounds. Around her was billowing smoke, piles of splintered wood, shell cases and wrecked machines. In a scene reminiscent of Dante’s Inferno, confusion reigned. As Mabel recounted later:

“Swiftly, surely, the flames crept nearer.... was something lying across my legs that I could not rise...? I tried desperately to free them, tugging at the left one, which appeared buried in a wet mass of blood and earth. It lifted so easily in my hands, so easily, so light. Can anyone imagine the anguish and terror I experienced when I realised that my left leg had been blown off, and I held in my hands the dripping thigh and knee...?

It was now that Mabel was to show the courage that would guide her through her life; within minutes of realising her leg had been severed, she pulled the string from her 'magazine' cap and applied a tourniquet to her thigh. Soon, the horror of her situation would set in, but this one single act probably saved her life.

The Great War had spread its malevolency to the Home Front. Mabel was the only survivor of the blast. Later in hospital, the full extent of Mabel's injuries became known: left leg severed, double fracture of the skull, right leg and thigh fractured, both arms fractured, right foot badly broken, her left ear drum destroyed which left her stone deaf in that ear, one lung damaged beyond repair, temporarily blinded by flame, hands badly burned, countless small wounds and injuries, and huge emotional shock; a catalogue of injuries that defy description... and she was just 17. There would be lasting effects of most of these injuries.

Later, for her extraordinary courage, she was awarded the OBE; her citation read: “For courage and high example shown on the occasion of an explosion during which she lost a leg and sustained severe injuries”.

In later years Mabel would say,'With only one leg, one lung and one ear, I think I do pretty well.'

However, Mabel's problems had only just begun and in future years, despite all the privations she was to experience, her indomitable will and perseverance would shine through. The name Mabel Lethbridge would become synonymous with courage, determination, compassion and triumph over adversity.

Part 2:

Mabel Lethbridge had survived a major explosion in a munitions factory in 1917, with a litany of injuries that defied belief. With the horror of her brush with death behind her, Mabel now exhibited a courage and determination common in young people at war. Sadly, the stump on her left leg hadn't healed and her knee had to be amputated. A crushing blow to Mabel especially as she had to wait a year for a wooden 'peg leg' to arrive, which had a right foot on it instead of a left. Once that arrived she was off. She was determined to run her own life, be independent and earn her own living. From 1918, she involved herself in an extraordinary series of life experiences, to pursue that aim.

She became a house maid in London, living in an ex-toilet, working for a £1 a week. Then she brought herself a bucket and dishcloth and hawked around offering to clean front door steps. At one time she simply sold matches to make her meagre ends meet, sleeping out on the Embankment. She hired a barrel organ for 2/- a day, (10p), and entertained the crowds in London on Armistice Day 1918. Then, in 1923, she spotted an opportunity with the long queues that used to form outside London theatres and cinemas; she hired out chairs and stools for the waiting patrons to sit on. She became known as Peggy the Chair Girl, (after her peg leg, a common term for lower-limb amputees at the time). This was relatively lucrative for Mabel and soon others tried to muscle in, the so-called Soho Gang. They didn't get very far with Mabel Lethbridge. She put up spirited resistance to the attempted takeover and, through her determination and in this case, diplomacy, finally formed a pact with the Gang. Later when one of them fell seriously ill she was there for him.

However, once theatres and cinemas allowed people to book their seats in advance, the chair business dwindled. Characteristically, Mabel immediately spotted another opportunity. People wanted living accommodation all over Chelsea, so Mabel opened the first female estate agency in the country. Not content with that, she also went into the boarding house business.

When war started up again in 1939, Mabel volunteered for the ambulance service. Then followed a harrowing time in the blitz of London where Mabel and her daughter Sue helped out in the ruins and air raid shelters by supplying drinks and good cheer to the Londoners. Many times she took people into her home, a gesture that was common to her.

When the war ended, Mabel decided on a complete change and came to St. Ives to live. She immediately became well-known and soon cries of, 'Alright Mabel!' echoed around the town.

She became friendly with my sister Jacqueline and Sven Berlin, and as a lad of 8/10, I remember visiting her often at 3 Albert Terrace for tea and buns on the porch. At that age I had no realisation of Mabel's life journey but I do remember her as a kind, voluble lady with endless stories to tell. It is only recently that I've realised how significant these stories were, especially the concern she showed for others.

In 1948 Mabel suddenly became a devout Roman Catholic, with help from Rev. Father A.W. Delaney, a well-known figure in St. Ives. She said at the time, '...becoming a Catholic was the best thing I ever did. I believe myself to be stronger and a more stable person, one able to face life in a state of humility and to accept its many problems.' ...and this from a person who had in her life shown great strength, emotionally and physically, and bravely overcame the myriad of problems that came her way.

One cause close to Mabel's heart was the maintenance and care of St. Leonard's Chapel at Smeaton's Pier. In 1951 she vigorously objected to chapel being used as a latrine. She wrote, ' Our visitors will be astounded and even horrified to look inside this Chapel and see its filthy and neglected condition!'

Her willingness to help people was exemplified in 1953. In July of that year, a Scottish couple, Jim and Mary McClelland with their young daughter were on a camping holiday on the Island. Within days their daughter had been sadly drowned at Porthgwidden Beach. Mabel immediately offered her help and was a great comfort to them at the time.

In 1962, Mabel was surprised by Eamonn Andrews in London and starred in BBC's This Is Your Life. Amongst other guests, the McClelland's were there, and a glowing tribute by Lady Megan Lloyd George who reminded the viewers that her father had included Mabel's horrifying accident at Hayes munitions factory in his memoirs. This was an opportunity for the St. Ives townspeople to hear details of Mabel's eventful life. There were St. Ives people in the studio audience including Gascoigne Paynter, Jack Wedge and Francis A. Francis. Were you there that day?

At this time, Mabel was involved, along with others in St. Ives, in a libel action against Sven Berlin. His book The Dark Monarch portrayed many St. Ives people as fictional characters. Mabel didn't like the manner in which Berlin had written her 'character' and sued him, as did St. Ives poet and writer Arthur Caddick. The book was withdrawn, only to be resurrected in 2009. Berlin always maintained that his characters were not necessarily those of a person, but composites.

Along the way Mabel managed to write 3 books, which contain vivid accounts of her life. Fortune Grass, a best-seller in 1934 and now extremely rare, contains a graphic account of her accident and has been used in other books to exemplify the courage of the thousands of munition girl workers in the Great War period. Her writing was matter-of-fact and devoid of any self-pity or boasting.

Mabel Lethbridge died in London in 1968, just after her 50th operation. She is buried at Longstone Cemetery, Carbis Bay.

This article cannot begin to describe the amazing Mabel Lethbridge life story, but is an attempt to remind us of a true heroine who, for a while, lived in St. Ives.

As Mabel Lethbridge once said,' With only one leg, one lung, and one ear, I think I did pretty well.'

Alright Mabel!

Series 8 subjects