Florence Nightingale David – a pioneering statistician who carried out vital wartime work which saved many lives during the Blitz.

Let’s explore her story…

HO-196-32 An image of the contents pa...
Born in in 1909, David’s parents had been friends with the Crimean War nurse Florence Nightingale, who she was named after. She studied Mathematics at Bedford College for Women, going on to join UCL as a research assistant in statistics and completing her doctorate in 1938.
In June 1939, David was called upon to be an experimental officer to the Board of Ordnance. Within a year, she was transferred to the Ministry of Home Security Research and Experiments Department. It is this work that surfaces in The National Archives’ collection.
The British Government sought to compile data on the bombings of British towns and cities throughout the war. They did this in a variety of ways, including Bomb Census surveys.

David collated data and produced a report entitled ‘The Statistical Analysis of Mass Casualty Data’.
This work significantly aided policy and advice given out in official announcements, while also helping to plan for the continued supply of things like water and electricity in areas heavily affected by air raids.

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