Amy Maitland Wilson was born on 22nd August 1866 and was the daughter of Fuller Maitland Wilson and his wife Agnes Caroline of Stowlangtoft Hall near Bury St Edmunds. At the start of the war, Amy was living at Stowlangtoft Rectory and began working as a volunteer for the Red Cross at Ampton Hall on 5th October 1914. While at Ampton Hall, Amy was on the nursing staff and later became the assistant commandant. On 8^th August 1916, Amy was transferred to Foxborough Hall Auxiliary Hospital as the new commandant, a position she was to hold until the closure of the hospital in February 1919. 

On 10th December 1919, Amy was decorated with the Associate Royal Red Cross by King George V at Buckingham Palace. The Royal Red Cross was an award established by Queen Victoria in 1883 and was only presented to fully trained nurse of an officially recognised nursing service, either military or civilian, who has shown exceptional devotion and competence in the performance of actual nursing duties, over a continuous and extended period.