Laura Gamble, Nursing Sister, Canadian Army Medical Corps

• Medical Services
• A Significant Nursing Presence
• A Well-Known Uniform
• Difficult Nursing Work
• Death, a Sad Reality on the Front

Medical Services

Laura Gamble was born in 1887, in Wakefield, Quebec. A nurse at the Toronto General Hospital, she enlisted in the Canadian Army Medical Corps. She served overseas in military hospitals in England, France and Greece. Her work earned her a citation, and a medal presented to her at a special ceremony at Buckingham Palace.

Laura Gamble was one of the two thousand nurses who served in the Canadian Expeditionary Force. Canadian military nurses were especially well-known for their kindness, efficiency and professional appearance.

Their work near the Front was difficult and entailed numerous risks. Death, which they encountered daily, also struck their ranks and several nurses lost their lives while on duty.

1 2 3 4 5 6 Library and Archives Canada, MG30-E510 Laura Gamble (right) and a colleague, during the First World War Laura Gamble enlisted in the Canadian Army Medical Corps in 1915. She was a nurse at the Toronto General Hospital.   Library and Archives Canada, RG 150, Accession 1992-93/166, Box 3391 - 1 Military File of Nursing Sister Laura Gamble   Library and Archives Canada, MG30-E510. With the permission of Mrs. J.F. Beauvais. Excerpt from the Personal Diary of Nurse Laura Gamble Written during Her Time with the Canadian Army Nursing Service on the Western Front, 1915-1919 These pages from Laura Gamble's diary reveal the more disturbing aspects of the military nurse's work that came when hospitals and care units were shelled. Like the soldiers, nurses risked their lives by going to the Front.   Library and Archives Canada, MG30-E510 Mention in Dispatches, Nurse Laura Gamble, May 29, 1920 A mention in dispatches meant that the individual whose work and courage had been recognized could wear the bronze maple-leaf emblem on the Victory Medal, May 29, 1920.   Library and Archives Canada, MG30-E510 Document Awarding the Associate of the Royal Red Cross (ARRC) Medal to Nurse Laura Gamble for Her Work with the Canadian Army Nursing Service Like the soldiers of the Canadian Expeditionary Corps, military nurses received medals in recognition for their services.   Library and Archives Canada, MG30-E510 Telegram from Lord Chamberlin Telegram inviting Laura Gamble to Buckingham Palace for the medal awards ceremony.

A Significant Nursing Presence

Military nurses played a crucial role in hospitals and care units, as described by Head Nurse Margaret McDonald of the Nursing Corps. The living and working conditions were often difficult and very different from what nurses had experienced in civilian hospitals. The rapid pace, the new kinds of medical problems and the proximity of hostilities were now part of their daily lives.

1 2 3 Library and Archives Canada, MG30-E45, History of the Nursing Service, Correspondence, 1923 Letter from Margaret McDonald to W.R. Landon about the Participation of Canadian Military Nurses in the War Effort, May 12, 1922 In this letter, Margaret McDonald introduces the Canadian Army Nursing Service and illustrates the excellence of their work, listing for example the many military nurses decorated during the First World War.   Library and Archives Canada, C-080026 Canadian General Hospital No. 7, Étaples, France, ca. 1917-1918 The nurses had to deal with a great many patients who were often seriously injured.   Library and Archives Canada, PA-003263 Canadian Sisters Clearing a Hospital Ward after a Bombing Raid: Advance East of Arras, October 1918 This photo clearly shows the dangers military nurses had to face. Bombing was one of the many risks of working at the Front.

A Well-Known Uniform

Canadian nurses were the only nurses in the allied armies with the rank of officers. They were very proud of their rank, reputation and uniform. The uniform of the Canadian military nurses earned them the nickname "bluebird" for the colour, and identified them as members of the Canadian Expeditionary Force and also as officers. The appearance of military nurses, while on duty and during their spare time, was of great concern to military authorities.

1 2 Library and Archives Canada, RG9 III-B-2, vol. 3480, file 10-11-8 Document Describing the Uniform and Equipment Distributed to Canadian Military Nurses This list describes the clothing and equipment provided to each Canadian military nurse.   Library and Archives Canada, RG9 III-B-2, vol. 3480, file 10-11-8 Letter from the Deputy Director of the Medical Corps Regarding Suitable Clothing for Canadian Military Nurses to Wear for Horseback Riding, June 2, 1916 This letter shows that the appearance and professional dignity of military nurses were of concern to the military authorities.

Difficult Nursing Work

During the First World War, health care professionals had rather limited medical knowledge. An individual's recovery depended in general on the quality of nursing care received. Providing care in times of war was complicated by the proximity of hostilities and the number of individuals who suffered from serious wounds and illnesses. In addition to difficult working conditions, the war brought new kinds of health problems that were difficult to treat and extremely painful, such as inflictions due to gas. The care provided by the nurses often brought some relief to the soldiers.

1 2 3 4 Library and Archives Canada, PA-149304 First World War Soldiers, Probably Canadians, with Broken Femurs, at Canadian General Hospital No. 7, Étaples, France, 1917 This photograph shows soldiers on the mend. In many cases, fractured femurs resulted in amputation of the injured leg.   Library and Archives Canada, PA-149309. Edward Kidd Wounded Soldiers, Undoubtedly Canadians, in the Admissions Area, Hospital No. 2, Le Tréport, France, 1916 Working conditions at the Front were a great challenge to nurses.   Library and Archives Canada, MG30-E149, vol. 4, Agar Adamson War Letters, May 1916 Preliminary Note on the Treatment of Soldiers Who Had Been Gassed, May 18, 1916 Gas attacks were used for the first time in 1915. The injuries caused by these attacks created a lot of problems for nurses since there was no effective treatment at that time.   Library and Archives Canada, C-080027 Soldier with Mustard Gas Burns, ca. 1914-1918 Gas inflictions were extremely painful and could have lifelong after-effects. In most cases, nursing care was the only thing that could soothe the pain.

Death, a Sad Reality on the Front

One of the most striking consequences of the First World War is without a doubt the number of lives it claimed. Death was a reality that military nurses faced on a daily basis. Some nurses also lost their lives during the war, rare instances when women lost their lives while on duty. The most prominent cases of this were the deaths of four nursing sisters on May 19, 1918, during a bombing raid on No. 1 Canadian General Hospital at Étaples, France, and the death of 14 nursing sisters and over 200 other service personnel on June 27, 1918, when the HMHS Llandovery Castle was torpedoed and sunk by U-86.

1 2 3 4 Library and Archives Canada, NMC-0086684 Index to British War Cemeteries Each name on this map represents a cemetery for soldiers of the British Empire. The map barely hints at the magnitude of the loss of life during the First World War.   Library and Archives Canada, RG9 II-B-10, vol. 34, Nursing Sisters who were killed overseas List of Canadian Military Nurses Killed Overseas, January 5, 1925 This list provides the name and cause of death of Canadian nurses who lost their lives during the First World War.   Library and Archives Canada, PA-002562 Funeral of Sister G.M.M. Wake of Victoria, British Columbia, Who Died of Wounds Received during a German Air Raid at Étaples, France, May 1918 Funeral of Sister G.M.M. Wake.   Library and Archives Canada, PA-040154 Funeral of Sister Margaret Lowe of Binscarth, Manitoba, Who Died of Wounds Received during a German Air Raid at Étaples, France, May 1918 Funeral of Sister Margaret Lowe.