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Date Posted: 14:03:14 11/25/05 Fri
Author: Michael Walker
Subject: Thora Silverthorne - Nurses leader & International Brigader

Thora Silverthorne was born in Abertillery on the 25th November 1910, daughter of George Richard Silverthorne, a miner at the Vivian & Six Bells Pit and Sarah Boyt of Bargoed. Her early years were spent at 170 Alma Street, Abertillery, she secured a scholarship to Nataglo County School (Hafod)and attended the local Baptist church run by Pastor Rev Ivor Evans and gained a love of Abertillery Rugby club and welsh rugby she never lost.

She joined the Abertillery Communist Party, Young Communist League at 16 (he father was a founder member of the local Communist Party. chairing meetings with prominent speakers such as Arthur Horner the Miners leader. "Everyone in talked politics in Abertllery".

With her mother’s early death and as one of seven she was forced to leave Abertillery for England, following her sister into nursing at Oxford.

On the out break of the Spanish Civil War she volunteer to nurse, and was "elected" Matron at Granen hospital, carrying for many anti fascist German soldiers in the Thalemann Centuria, later she was drafted into the International Brigade.

On her return she established a nurses union (The National Nurses Association) a progressive union for nurses in direct competition with the reactionary (Royal) College of Nursing.

As Secretary of the Socialist Medical Association she meets Atlee and other Ministers to discuss the establishment of the NHS in 1948.

After the war she became a union official in the Civil Service Association,


She retired to Llanfyllin, Powys, finally moving to London be close to her daughter.

By the time of her death on 17th January 1999, she had finally begun to secure recognition for the key role she played in British nursing and politics.

Michael Walker
UNISON Nursing

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