Nursing Sisters in the Second World ­War

Flo, Jack’s older ­half-­sister, served as a nurse overseas. How did these women sign up? How were they trained? What was it like? My curiosity was piqued. I searched ­on-­line and discovered much information. I read several books. But the data lacked the human touch. Happily, I was introduced to retired army nurse Frances Ferguson Sutherland. She nursed overseas, both in England and in field hospitals in France and Belgium, and was glad to share her story with me. Approximately 5,000 women served as nursing sisters during the 1939 to 1945 conflict in the Army, Navy and Air Force medical ­corps.

In all, nearly 50,000 Canadian women served in the Armed Forces during World War ­II.