Canadian Nurses are the Unspoken Heroes of the War
Casualty numbers continue to rise as the Great War rages on in Europe, leaving Canadian Armed Medical Corp (CAMC) staff stretched and facilities full, according to a report released last Sunday. Tirelessly working in a chaotic environment sun rise to sun down, nursing sisters are the unspoken heroes of the war, their efforts largely unappreciated and unrecognized.
Nicknamed “bluebirds” from their blue dresses, white aprons and sheer white veils, nurses in the CAMC are known as diligent individuals who risk their lives on a daily basis to serve and protect.
Often placed on the frontlines of battle, nurses face exhausting, dangerous work on a daily basis, and are exposed to the effects of war
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Stahl, a frontline trench soldier, was injured by artillery shrapnel in the battle of Moreuil Wood, which took place in March of this year. He was taken to a nearby medical site, where he was treated and tended for over two months, until he was released on Friday.
“It feels good to finally be out of the hospital” Stahl stated at the end of his first rehabilitation session late last night. “During my time at the hospital, the nurses treated me like I was their child. It was quite remarkable”.
Stahl, who had originally been told that it would be at least four months before he would recover from his wound, was up and walking with assistance last night, only two months after he was hospitalized.
“I am extremely thankful for all of the wonderful service I have received during my time handicapped” he said. “All of the nurses are working above and beyond what is expected of them, just to keep spirits up among their patients”.
As Canadians continue to risk their lives in the Great War, it is often easy to overlook the valiant individuals who work behind the trenches, such as the nurses, who are the ones tending for wounded soldiers. They continue to work hard, and similarly to the war, don’t appear to be stopping anytime
The source written by Andrew Iarocci, examines the first year of the 1st Canadian Division in the First World War, and focuses exclusively on the soldiers' overseas experiences. In the book, Iarocci challenges the view that the 1st Canadian Division soldiers were poorly prepared for the First World War, and were not at all effective during some key battles in 1915. The book's focus is to look primarily at how Canadian's fought in the First World War, and with the help of the many sources the book incorporates, such as many research documents in the form of letters, diaries and the battlefields themselves, Iarocci is able to give the reader a solid perspective on how Canadian soldiers fared in the war. The book provides the Canadian soldiers'
Lt. Eric Strom served active duty in the United States Marine Corps for five years. In 2009, he received his master’s in social work. A year later, he became a behavioral health officer with the Minnesota Army National Guard. Presently specializing in trauma with veterans, he now works in private practice in Northern Minnesota.
To accommodate for these challenges, the Canadian Nurses Association [CNA]
Although, surprisingly, the majority of nurses were men, there were women nurses who made significant contributions to the war effort as well. Clara Barton’s impact on the war was profound and, as the founder of the American Red Cross, her work still impacts our world today. Clara Barton was a person dedicated to helping people in need. She intuitively recognized needs of people and created practical solutions to address them. Clara Barton was one of the first people to volunteer to help wounded soldiers.
A hospital in Hong Kong, containing the wounded Canadian soldiers, was ambushed by the Japanese, killing the remaining soldiers, nurses and everyone else around (Hillis, Erik). Even though the battle ended, the Canadians were in store for worse defeats than in the battle. The Canadian casualties consisted of 290 killed and 493 wounded: The soldiers who were not killed in battle were taken hostage as prisoners of war (POW) by the Japanese (Hillis, Erik). They lived as POW’s for over three years while they had to “endure brutal treatment and near-starvation” (Hillis, Erik).
Although the Australian Army Nursing Service was a viable occupation for women prior to WWII, few women were engaged in this service, as women needed a sufficient education and there was a strong push from the government for women to stay out of the workforce (State Library of Victoria, 2015). These sentiments underwent dramatic change during the war, with an increasing number of women contributing to the war and enjoying it. Sister Jane Tivey, a nurse on board the ship ‘Destroyer’ in WWII described this liberation, “On the Destroyer it was the most marvellous feeling… [even though] I hadn’t had a bath for five days and slept in my clothing” (Australian War Memorial, 2015). This was a common attitude for women of all ages as corroborated by sixteen year old Grace Wallace, a volunteer for the Women’s Auxiliary Australian Air Force (WAAAF) in WWII. Wallace denoted that times were tough, work was hard but the girls got on quite well together (Green Net, 2015).
Despite the denouncing of a woman’s abilities, the French general, a political soldier of war has enhanced the status of women by stating “If the women in the factories stopped work for twenty minutes, the allies would lose the war.” Most commonly, women’s roles in the armed services were clerical, meaning most women worked in office-based services. These services involved traditional men’s roles such as truck and ambulance drivers and intelligence officers. But the most crucial occupation of them all is the nursing of severely wounded soldiers in the battlefield. “I've been a soldier now for nearly three years, and please God I will go right to the end ...
Every hospital matron was allocated ten nurses to help the sick and wounded soldiers. The surgeons performed most the skilled medical tasks. The nurses helped in bathing the patients, feeding them, emptying the chamber pots, cooking, cleaning the wards and other custodial works. In the course of the duty, these women nurses always came up with new inventions for treating the soldiers (Perica 8).
In 1939, no one thought that women, who weren 't even considered people decades before, would have such a massive impact in the Second World War. Canadian women 's contribution to the war effort, and their role at the home front and overseas had greatly increased since the previous, devastating First World War. The Second World War brought change to Canadian women on an unpredictable scale, though their volunteer work, paid labour force, and their contributions in the armed forces. Surely without the contributions made by the Canadian women, Canada and her allies would not have been as successful as they were. By far, the prime contribution made by Canadian women to the war effort came through their unpaid labour as volunteer work.
During the Second World War, after many of the men left to join the battle overseas, women were once again given the task of running the nation, and in order to do so they took over traditionally ‘masculine’ jobs, such as working in munitions bunkers, and on farms. By doing so, women were able to keep the economy running, which helped pay for war efforts and even provided the nation with more jobs. Contrary to WWI, women were now encouraged to take on more jobs directly related to the ongoing war. For instance, on the home front, an approximation of 35 000 women were working in munitions factories, making the artillery for the soldiers. Not to mention, for the first time in Canadian history, new positions in the military such as Women’s Royal Canadian Naval Service (WRENS) and the Women Division (WD) in The Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) were created so that women were able to contribute more towards the war efforts.
Many became nurses, a role that prevailed from aiding the heavily injured men from war. “…female nurses did mostly custodial work, feeding and bathing patients, emptying chamberpots, cleaning hospital wards and occasionally cooking” (Brooks 2013, para. 7). Nursing allowed women to obtain a better sense of their well-being. It expanded their usefulness, emphasizing recognition upon their gender role. Among the roles in the war, the majority were “cooks, maids, laundresses, water bearers and seamstresses for the army” (Brooks 2013, para. 16).
During World War II, Woman’s were assembled for duty in the Canadian Armed Forces, for the first time. The armed force was shy of men in war services and administration, which lead the Canadian government to choose and declare on August 13, 1941 to give woman’s the privilege to take an interest in war utility. 50,000 women were enlisted and more than half provided service in the Canadian Army. Most were doled out occupations including customary female work, for example, cooking, clothing and administrative obligations, also woman had pioneer roles in the mechanized and specialized fields. The Canadian Women 's Army Corps (CWAC) performed fundamental administrations, both at home and abroad, that achieved Allied victory.
Although Canada was not attacked, the war had an enormous impact on Canada. Because the men were sent out of the country to fight the war, a dramatic changes occurred to women at home. They played a major role during World War II, taking on many new jobs and changing their identity. The attitudes to the role of women in the services changed in that initially, there was a reluctance to allow women into new fields of employment but as the war progressed, however, it became evident that if the country was to make the most of its resources, women’s contributions would be vital. One would not think of fashion trends when thinking about the wars, but it was important to the women at the time “as the uniform shaped soldiers, so did the uniform shape the military.
While the Nursing Corps was recognized as an official unit, it was not regarded with the same status because women were given no military rank and did not receive the same benefits as men. By World War 1 over 25,000 women served overseas; the sacrifices of these women helped drive the way for the 19th Amendment which guaranteed women the right to vote (A Woman’s Struggle for Equality). Since 1973, the percentage of women serving in the U.S. military among enlisted ranks has increased seven-fold from 2% to 14%, and it quadrupled among officers, from 4% to 16% (Not A Woman). In 2012 there were 355,904 female service members who made up 16% of the total force (Women In Combat: Framing the Issues).
Many soldiers have “recovered from their traumatic experience with the right care” and can