By now, there was absolutely no doubt that Grace was firmly entrenched in building a future for the FANY. Funds were needed as well as ideas and publicity, and she was to become equally adept at that side of her campaign. One of her money-raising schemes involved a well-known firm of corset makers, Sandows. Grace agreed to place an advertisement for their product in the FANY 'magazine' which Grace was publishing at her own expense, "Women & War".

The advertisement took the form of a four-page Supplement. On page 1 it introduces the "NEW CORSET, - Tested and Approved by the Editress of Women & War, and already worn by several members of the Corps." It continues in this vein, and explains that "Mr Eugene Sandow, who is recognized as the greatest authority on the subject of the human form, has produced a unique garment, known as 'Sandow's Patent Health & Perfect Figure Corset….."

The inside pages continue the eulogy, and include a photograph of Grace in the full parade regalia of a FANY Corps Staff Sergeant, looking extremely smart and slim. She is quoted as saying, "I have worn your corsets regularly while performing various duties of the Corps (First Aid work, Stretcher Drill and Riding" ) ……………"they preserve the outline of the figure better than any other I have used!"

Just how much money she raised through this is not known, but Grace would certainly have squeezed the last penny out of them for her FANY!

The other great way of increasing expertise, were the weekend or longer summer camps. Despite, frequently, a lot of discomfort, the ladies loved them and thoroughly enjoyed themselves. Before Grace arrived on the scene, Baker had organised a couple in 1908 and 1909. Unfortunately very little record of them survives. The first FANY camp was held at a place called Chiddingfold, in Surrey, on an estate owned by a Mr Waechter. He was a great supporter of the Territorials in particular, and the military in general. He took an immediate and keen interest in one of the earlier FANYs, Lieut D'Arcy, whom he subsequently married, and she was to become Lady Waechter in the course of time.

Grace, who had done a lot of camping herself with her brothers, in the hills and mountains of Aberdeenshire, was quick to realize the value of these activities, not only for the benefits of training in the field, but for the bonding that would follow from shared discomfort and hardship. She could see, also, that it could be useful in sorting out those who were seriously dedicated to the new role, from those who were inclined to be lukewarm about it all. In fact, she wrote in an early edition of The Gazette: "It is not a Corps of shirkers, but of workers. Those who look upon the training of the Corps as a pleasant pastime, are advised to think twice before offering themselves at Headquarters as recruits!"

From 1910 onwards, the number and scope of the camps increased as Grace extended her grip on the Corps. After her meeting with Captain Baker asking for her help, she admitted "I spent the next few months fighting for my way in the office." It looked as though she was winning.

Years later, in her fascinating history of the Corps, 'FANY Invicta', Dame Irene Ward said of Grace, "She was an energetic, forceful personality with a flair, which never deserted her, for seeing where there were openings for the FANY to operate." And Grace spotted immediately the possibilities of media publicity, as well as getting closer to the regular Army contingents at these camps. She was beginning to achieve her goal of greater numbers of recruits and a higher public profile.

To give him his due, Captain Baker had endeavoured to do just that, when in June 1909 he had organized a ride from London to St Alban's, 50 girls on horseback accompanying a horse-drawn ambulance. They had received a right royal welcome from the Council, the Mayor turning out in all his finery, surrounded by his councillors, and treating the FANYs to a sumptuous tea, before they set off back to London.

However, when Baker and Katie decided that in November 1910 they would repeat the ride with an epic journey from London to Edinburgh, Grace was aghast. Never one to turn down the chance of publicity, in this case she was realist enough to see the enormous problems associated with this. She wrote to Katie, who had been put in charge of the project, and pointed out the huge administrative difficulties – the weather for a start, changes of the horses en route, accommodation, cost. She also pointed out that if the enterprise failed, the resultant adverse publicity would probably far outweigh any applause from success. She followed this up with another letter to Baker himself, and the whole idea was quietly laid to rest.

The power struggle between Baker and his appointed officers was heating up, he was beginning to lose ground. A letter from the Duke of Argyll in February 1911 was addressed to 'Miss Franklin'; and another from Lord Valentine merely to 'Madam'. Baker was being sidelined, and it was around this time that Grace arranged the transfer of HQ to her flat at South Kensington. The writing was on the wall for the Bakers.

As the camps were all held close to London, Grace persuaded the Surrey Yeomanry and 19^th Hussars to continue to train them in their camp venues. There were two camps in 1911, followed by two more in 1912, at Haslemere and Bourne End, both highly successful. At Haslemere in particular, only a weekend camp, Grace's hopes for publicity were amply fulfilled. She recalls "….masses of people came to tea, including the Marquis of Sligo, then Lord Altomand and his family, and over 100 visitors on the Sunday afternoon." Unfortunately, swamped with visitors as they were, not a great deal of training was fitted in.

A few months later Grace organized a week long camp at Bourne End. It was much quieter, but very successful in terms of training and esprit de corps, aided as ever by the Army instructors on loan. This camp, as were some of the others, was part financed by Grace herself.

Though Grace went on record as saying she felt that 1912 was the real turning point in the path of the Corps, the 1913 camps were much more successful. The first, at Brookwood, was FANY Pat Beauchamp's introduction to the FANY. She became one of the better known of the early FANYs, and later lost a leg when her ambulance was hit by a train at an unguarded level crossing, just minutes after she had finished loading the last of her wounded into a hospital ship. In the first of her two books, "Fanny Went to War" she wrote about her arrival at the camp to 'test the waters' at Grace's invitation, before joining: "There was a large Mess Tent, some half dozen or more bell-tents, a smoky but serviceable-looking Field Kitchen, and at the end of the field were tethered the horses." Having been shown into the Mess Tent and told to wait for the C.O., a thunderstorm erupted, and rain was "pouring through the roof in small rivulets. Even in peacetime, comfort in the FANY was at a minimum." It was the sort of challenge the ladies met so well, as they demonstrated in such an outstanding and inspiring way in the years ahead. Pat wasted no time, and signed up immediately!

Later, another weekend camp held at Norbury, was featured in The Tatler, with a glowing article about the FANYs, and, deliberately underlining the similarities, it was printed immediately next to a photograph of a group of debutantes being presented at Court!

The camps became more disciplined and militarized - largely through Grace's influence, possibly a throwback to her adolescent years spent with her two brothers, She had been promoted to Lieutenant along with her senior, 'Boss' Franklin. At about this time she issued another set of Standing Orders. "Officers' Orderlies will make the beds in the Officers' tents, clean their boots each morning, and polish the brass on their belts."

The long summer camp at Pirbright in 1913 brought their greatest windfall so far - again through Grace's enthusiasm and expertise in networking among friends and acquaintances. The Guards regiments held their summer camps at Pirbright, Grace admired them greatly, hoped to someday obtain their backing.

Always on the lookout for opportunities to advance the cause of the FANY, once again she had found a possible opportunity, and seized it. She remembered "Thanks to my sister and I shooting at Bisley I had discovered a farm at Pirbright" - (the venue for many of the Regular Army's camps and manoeuvres) – "which was ideal for camping out". She booked a suitable field there and then.

Her efforts to woo the Guards succeeded. There was a natural affinity between Guards Officers and the FANY, both groups from the same social backgrounds. They took the FANY under their wing and lent them most of the equipment they needed. In the past the girls had to hire what they required from the Army & Navy Stores at Victoria. Now those days were gone, though they still had to rent the field at 15 shillings a week!

It was not just the Guards, though, who helped out. Their old friends from the 19^th Hussars provided cavalry instructors to improve their riding drill skills. They also cheerfully provided a supply of hefty troopers to act as 'casualties' for the FANY to bandage and remove to safety.

It was apparent, too, that there was some competition among these elite regiments, vying with each other to look after this band of attractive, vivacious and adventurous young ladies in uniform. The Royal Horse Guards, too, generally known as 'the Blues', were delighted to help, preparing equipment, setting up a Marquee, bell-tents and a kitchen. However, when a sergeant of 'the Blues' asked her if they would like a swimming pool, Grace thought he was joking. 'Oh yes, rather" she laughed, "You fix it!' And fixed it was. She recalled later the welcome – it was a very hot summer – appearance of a large canvas pool filled with cold water.

During that 1913 camp, the Rescue Races, as they were called, were becoming more competitive, and more popular with the FANY, and were getting a lot of Press coverage. Horsemanship was at a higher standard, more risks were taken, more falls recorded. The young ladies were remarkably tough and resilient. Dame Irene Ward records in "FANY Invicta" that at one of these events Grace fell from her horse, which then rolled on her shoulder. "Only a flesh wound", she laughed as she got up, and was in the saddle again next morning. This was typical of the way the FANY took everything in their stride.

The Irish Home Rule Bill had been published earlier in the year, and Grace with her nose for seeking any expansion in the role of the FANY, writes: "I offered the Corps to Sir Edward Carson as an ambulance unit for the Ulster Army. Sir Edward accepted provisionally.' As a result, Carson sent a Colonel Davis, Principal Medical Officer of the Ulster Army over to inspect the FANY at training. This was very successful, and was followed by an invitation to Grace to go to Belfast and discuss the idea with Sir George Richardson of the Ulster Ambulance Service, and also meet Sir Edward Carson personally.

Grace went, taking another FANY, Cicely Mordaunt with her. There was mutual accord, and the FANYs were thrilled to bits at the opportunities opened up. The Press got wind of it – no doubt Grace had something to do with that – and The London Budget ran an article at some length under the headlines 'WILL ULSTER FIGHT?' describing the FANY as 'gentlewomen' prepared to take a brave part, declaring "these ladies, at least, are Ready to Take the Field!' The paper also mentioned the aristocratic and military connections, always a good selling point, and pictured Grace with four scions of the Irish aristocracy.

It all came to nothing. In a long and disjointed letter to Grace, the Secretary of the Medical Board at Unionist HQ in Belfast, expressed the unfavourable military view of ladies exposing themselves (to danger) in a travelling ambulance. He went on, "I do not want to dishearten you but if we do have a row here the rowdy element, which is a very cowardly one, would necessitate guards being supplied to any woman in the field…….the military people are looking rather askance at the idea….." He ended, perhaps as a sop to possible hurt feelings, - "Your Corps is of such good material I would love to have you over."

Though that was the end of that little scheme, it resulted in a lot of media attention, specially at the 1913 Pirbright Camp. Grace wrote about the start of that: "We rode down (to the farm) at Whitsun, and were absolutely mobbed by reporters. Unfortunately we had five ardent Sinn Feiners in the ranks, and still more unfortunately they were in the foreground of every Press photograph, and appeared all over the country as "Off to Fight for Ulster!"

Although it hadn't worked out quite as she had wanted, the publicity the attempt received put the FANY Corps firmly on the map. Not only did the whole thing give the members of the Corps a lift in morale, but the jeers of the public that they had had to endure, suddenly became very muted.

Maybe not quite yet accepted, but they were well on the way.