Muskoka Posted 14 September , 2007 Share Posted 14 September , 2007 I came across this while doing research. Canadian VADs VADs and more Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muskoka Posted 14 September , 2007 Author Share Posted 14 September , 2007 Interesting to note that the CAMC didn't use VADs in their military hospitals, so the 500 Canadian VADs who went to Britain and some on to France were actually under the auspices of the British Red Cross. Does anyone know if Canadian Red Cross hospitals in Britain, like the Duchess of Connaught's at Cliveden would have used any of these Canadian VADs? Gabriele Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sue Light Posted 14 September , 2007 Share Posted 14 September , 2007 Interesting to note that the CAMC didn't use VADs in their military hospitals, so the 500 Canadian VADs who went to Britain and some on to France were actually under the auspices of the British Red Cross. Gabriele I get the sense from documents I've seen, that there was a hidden agenda here. When the CAMC nurses first arrived in France, their own hospitals weren't ready to admit patients, and they were allocated to British hospitals. They were not happy [to say the least], and from then on they refused [or as near as] to work anywhere other than their own units. Although the British hospitals had been entirely staffed by trained nurses at the outbreak of war, as the shortage of trained staff became more acute, increasing numbers of VADs were used in British military hospitals in France and elsewhere to augment the numbers - and the medical services could not have continued without them - more than half of the British nursing staff in France were VADs. If the Canadians had employed some of their own VADs in France, that would have released many trained nurses to plug enormous gaps in British hospitals. But, of course, it was realised by that time that the CAMC nurses would not be willing to work in British units, so [and this is my opinion only] it was easier to say that dilution of the work force would lead to lack of military discipline and undermine the status of their nursing service, than to face the problems of unhappy Canadian trained nurses. So excluding the VADs from working in France, saved the authorities from a bigger problem. And it's interesting to add that a similar situation existed within the Australian Army Nursing Service, but the South Africans worked happily both in their own units, and alongside the British, and consequently were also quite willing to use untrained South African nurses within the South African Military Nursing Service. Sue Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muskoka Posted 14 September , 2007 Author Share Posted 14 September , 2007 Makes sense, Sue. How were the Canadian Red Cross hospitals in Britain staffed? For instance the one at Cliveden? I'm afraid I'm not conversant with the politics of who had charge of what. Would these not have been a good place to use VADs? Gabriele Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sue Light Posted 14 September , 2007 Share Posted 14 September , 2007 I'm not sure about the staff mix in Canadian units in the UK. CAMC members seem to have been moved around on a regular basis. Whereas British nurses, once in France, tended to stay there unless they chose to transfer to the UK, or were evacuated sick, the Canadians were regularly moved back to the UK after a period of active service, and were not normally abroad for more than a year [i'm using 'abroad' as 'outside the UK'] - there was a constant movement back and forth, to keep supplying fresh nurses for active service. So the Canadian units in England would have had the same regular turnover of trained staff. But what percentage of the staff in those units were untrained, if any, I don't know. In British Red Cross Hospitals in the UK the skill mix varied from unit to unit, depending on the size and status of the place. There may have been just two or three trained nurses to 20 untrained, or 20 trained and 20 untrained etc*. And there was also a difference in hospitals administered by the Joint War Committee [bRCS and SJAB], and those administered by the War Office. All British VADs started off by being recruited and controlled by the JWC, but if they eventually worked in military hospitals under the auspices of the War Office, they would have taken their day to day orders from a trained nurse of either QAIMNS/Reserve or Territorial Force Nursing Service. I really don't know anything about the staffing Canadian General Hospitals and Red Cross Hospitals in the UK, or what percentage of those VADs would have worked in British as opposed to Canadian units. If the Canadian authorities took the line that they would not dilute their skill mix in France, it seems unlikely that they would have different regulations in the UK - but perhaps that just applied to Canadian military units, and the Canadian Red Cross units were staffed differently. I think all this rambling on actually adds up to 'Haven't got a clue'! Sue *I've got a set of official statistics somewhere from 1917, of the approved ratios, but haven't a clue where at present! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muskoka Posted 16 September , 2007 Author Share Posted 16 September , 2007 Helpful anyway! Thanks, Sue. Gabriele Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muskoka Posted 19 September , 2007 Author Share Posted 19 September , 2007 Sue, I thought you'd be interested.... I'm reading the "History of No. 1 Canadian General Hospital" and am in 1916 in Etaples. It states, "On August 1 Miss Agnes Hastings, the first VAD, reported for duty as home sister, and took over the duties from Nursing Sister F. M. Frew...." Will let you know if more info is forthcoming. Gabriele Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sue Light Posted 19 September , 2007 Share Posted 19 September , 2007 Thanks Gabriele - and I think it was one of the things that led to questions being asked in the House of Commons. British Hospitals [all of them, not military] had always had a senior trained nurse as a Home Sister, to look after the interests of the nurses in nurses' homes, and this was also the case in Army hospitals. But as the shortage of trained nurses became more serious, there was quite a rumpus about the British continuing to have trained nurses as Home Sisters in France, while the Canadians and Australians had untrained VADs [albeit mature efficient women]. The Matron-in-Chief fended off these accusations, explaining that her Home Sisters were, on the whole, 'retired' nurses, who would not have managed hospital life under active service conditions, and were perfectly suited for their role. But more British VADs were rapidly employed to fill all other positions in the nurses' homes. Sue Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
worthington Posted 16 February , 2014 Share Posted 16 February , 2014 I am very interested in finding out more information about Sister Frances Maitland Frew. She nursed my uncle back to health when she served in No 1 CCCS in 1915. If anyone comes across anything I would be pleased to hear. I know she went back to Canada for family reasons after handing over her duties. In particular I would like to find a photograph of her. Worthington Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ghazala Posted 16 February , 2014 Share Posted 16 February , 2014 Canadian V.A.D, staff of the Canadian Rest House for nursing sisters passing through Boulogne. 29 July 1918. IWM (Q 9140) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
worthington Posted 17 February , 2014 Share Posted 17 February , 2014 Ghazala Thanks for the photograph. Sister Frew left France in 1916 Worthington Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kath Posted 5 November , 2022 Share Posted 5 November , 2022 Going Home on RMS Royal George: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BarbaraG Posted 21 November , 2022 Share Posted 21 November , 2022 Possible links Passenger List Catherine Eliza DANIEL 40yrs b 1879 LIVERPOOL - HALIFAX, Nova Scotia 16 June 1919 Catherine Eliza Daniell received War Service Gratuity https://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/discover/military-heritage/first-world-war/personnel-records/Pages/item.aspx?IdNumber=646001 Emily Laurie JAMES 32yrs b 1887 LIVERPOOL - HALIFAX, Nova Scotia 16 June 1919 Possible VAD Record M B Hastings C.F.A. ?? Military Cross 02.12.1918 Milton Berkley HASTINGS https://central.bac-lac.gc.ca/.item/?op=pdf&app=CEF&id=B4148A-S065 Several references for 'Royal George' https://www.shipsnostalgia.com/media/rms-royal-george.208637/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KizmeRD Posted 21 November , 2022 Share Posted 21 November , 2022 It’s worth recalling that in addition to Canadian VAD’s, there were also a good number of Newfoundland VAD’s who travelled over to Britain during the Great War (and who were far more integrated into the British set-up than their Canadian counterparts). Canada didn’t support the notion of VAD’s serving in conflict zones, whereas there were no such qualms for the Newfoundland lady volunteers. MB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BarbaraG Posted 21 November , 2022 Share Posted 21 November , 2022 (edited) On 05/11/2022 at 18:40, Kath said: Going Home on RMS Royal George: Another autograph Major Albert Pollard CHOWN https://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/discover/military-heritage/first-world-war/personnel-records/Pages/item.aspx?IdNumber=100104 Hosted by Captain Leonard GIBSON https://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/discover/military-heritage/first-world-war/personnel-records/Pages/item.aspx?IdNumber=414913 Emily Laurie JAMES also received War Service Gratuity Edited 21 November , 2022 by BarbaraG Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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