Helen Lillie, originally from Orkney, graduated from Aberdeen in 1914 carrying off most of the undergraduate prizes. She proved herself to be an exceptionally able young resident in Sheffield Royal Infirmary, where probably because of the war, she gained extensive surgical experience.
She travelled with the American Unit of the Scottish Women’s Hospital in late Summer 1916 to work in Macedonia where a regrouped Serbian 2nd army were trying to regain territory. Under the direction of Australian Dr Agnes Bennet, they formed a tented hospital at Ostrovo but many of the staff were affected by malaria. Helen travelled into the surrounding areas and wrote an MD thesis on her return to Scotland. Dr Bennet described Helen as “the right sort” and after watching her operate, “I felt I had never seen a woman do an operation so deftly and so quickly”.
In late February 1918, Helen was sent to Royaumont in France. Many casualties were expected as the Germans tried to push forwards and another satellite unit was opened nearer the front line at Villers-Cotteret. Helen’s surgical expertise was much needed.
In 1921, she became a missionary with the Church of Scotland in Sialkot, India and in 1925 married the Rev John Garrett.
Biography prepared from the nomination made by Dr A Robertson to the University of Aberdeen 525 Alumni project.
