Need Help info on Lucy Bright Squires RN

[thp38]

I am trying to find out any information for my parents on my mother's Aunt. Her name is Lucy Bright Squires (12/2/1884 to 6/8/1932), Lucy serve with the army as a nurse in France in WW1.That is all the information I have. I do have many items that she gave to my mother. My mother has most of the items which are men's brass buttons (around 20)that were given to my Aunt as appreciation for caring for(soldiers) them, I also have about 12 or so pieces of shrapnel that were removed from soldiers during the war-(This is what I was told from my mother) I don't know how common the practice was of giving nurses personal items for appreciation. I do have a few items that my mother gave me for now and I cannot ID them. Two of the items pictured are brass screw-back brass buttons. What these 2 buttons are or if they have anything do with WW1 or nursing I do not know. The knife and other item-( wings)/ (medal or insignia) I do not have a clue either again it was with my great Aunts items. It might have been picked up in France or have nothing to do with WW1 Lastly how would I found out what unit she was with or where she was? My guess she had to be with a surgical team to have all the shrapnel pieces that she brought back.

Any information would be appreciated thanks

Tom

[Tonym]

thp38

An enlargement indicates an 'N' over 'A' and 'U-S' either side so could be American???

Tony

[Sue Light]

What nationality? The RN you've added in your heading suggests she's American?

Sue

[thp38]

What nationality? The RN you've added in your heading suggests she's American?

Sue

Sue thanks,

She is an American from Mecklenburg County, North Carolina. Here is a larger Picture. Is the Brass Button for a US Army Nurse?

[Sue Light]

Tom

My knowledge of the US Army Nurse Corps is near non-existent, but those 'wings' I'm sure are the insignia worn by US nurses on their uniform - I think there have been different versions of them over the years. The buttons are probably associated with nursing in view of the initials, but that's only a guess. I do come across quite a few references to USANC, but they are rather a mystery to me.

They went to France in three distinct groups. There were groups of doctors and nurses raised by individual hospitals in the US who went to France early on in the war, and worked with the British over the course of the war and took over existing British General Hospitals, e.g. Harvard Unit, St. Louis Unit. Then in late 1917 and 1918 when the Americans entered the war proper, large contingents of nurses were included. Because the British were so short of trained nurses at that time, the Americans kindly allocated several hundred nurses to work in British Hospitals for short periods, and it was useful for them as they got experience of active service conditions in established units before moving on. The third group, and I would think the largest, were the groups of nurses who entered France via Havre, and moved straight on South to join their own forces. I'm sure that Lucy Squires was part of this third group - if she had been part of either of the other two, then she would have been awarded British service medals, which is not the case.

And at that point I surrender! I have no idea really what the hospitals were like, or exactly how the nurses were employed - all the administration was done from offices in Paris, under the control of Chief Nurse Julia Stimson. I think you might get some information by Googling for 'Army Nurse Corps' but so much of the American nursing sites are full of WW2 and rather skip over the Great War. And I don't know if/where any personal records might survive for her.

There does seem to be a real dearth of information about American nurses in the Great War, and I don't even seem to come across others who are doing any research - it's just WW2, WW2, and WW2! But very useful for me to even see those buttons - if they are nurses' buttons, then it's extremely interesting to see something new, and of possible use for future identification.

Sue

[thp38]

Sue thanks,

She is an American from Mecklenburg County, North Carolina. Here is a larger Picture. Is the Brass Button for a US Army Nurse?

Sue thanks my mother was about 99% sure the wings and buttons were Lucy's. You are right there is no information (are very little) on the net. I cannot find anything close to ID those buttons. The knife I think is German made around the turn of the century how it got with my Aunts other items is a mystery. Unless, again like the buttons some wounded solider gave it to her for caring for them.

Is this common during the war for a solider to cut off their buttons and give to a nurse as appreciation for caring for them? You know how things can be changed or be made up after 80 years+

Again thanks for trying to help me ID the wings and buttons, If you hear anything please let me know

Tom

[fifi1936]

thp38--have you checked local papers in your area for info on her deploying?? Maybe also an article on when she came home. Also, how about your local or state Red Cross? Lastly, how about the US military Records Center in St. Louis, Mo.