Aubrey made her way to the master’s bedroom the evening of the ball. Dressing for the fundraiser, Auré explained to Llewellyn, “Officers have held their place for eh long time throughout the Corps. And we have very experienced ‘igh Command because our officers have risen through the ranks and understand their positions.” Llewellyn was doing Auré’s tie when Aubrey came to the door. “Purposely sank two of his ships. Wilson is furious, so are his people. So the Yanks are joining the fray. They will bring ‘undreds of thousands of soldiers, horses, mules, and tonnes of food to restore ze Allies’ depleted resources. At least they will bolster hope throughout the Corps for this task — it’z madness.”
His back towards the door, he added in a louder manner, “I am quite at leisure, my English roze.” She walked in. He gave her the once over, “I had almost forgotten green thingz grew.” She positively glowed at the compliment.
At the Red Cross ball held at Chateau Laurier, forced acknowledgement of Auré came from both sides. Neither party seemed to know quite what to make of him. In the presence of civilians, proper troops were to preserve formal quietude on impolite particulars of the front. Auré found solace in a fellow officer. Henrietta had recently returned from the Mediterranean. English Canadian nursing sisters were the first women of all militaries in the world to be made Officers, and the rank conceded was that of Lieutenant. The Royal Red Cross, first class, was awarded to her.
Aside from England and France, the Canadian Army Medical Corps was stationed in the eastern Mediterranean at Gallipoli, Alexandria, Salonika, and small islands as well. Aubrey was always, always surprised at the change in a returned troop. Henrietta was now very much underweight. Any length of poisoning was a casualty suffered by all the Corps’ members who served on Lemnos. Henrietta’s poisoning showed by her rough complexion. Though she was in her early twenties, her hair had turned almost as silver as blond.
“England’s Medical Corps disallows their Bluebirds to dance, although ours are fine with our nurses dancing. The motherland’s nurses thought we would be a rough and tumble lot. I suppose we were,” Henrietta laughed.
For a considerable time, Britain’s medical doctors had asserted that if they were rendered sick or injured, the worst place they could possibly find themselves to receive care would be the Canadian Army Medical Corps. “Common Canadian” was the nickname British medical persons had for their Canuck Bluebirds. British sisters were held to a higher level of integrity and professionalism than their Imperial nurses. Therefore, English-Canadian nurses were superintended by matrons with far greater regularity than British ones. English Canadian Bluebirds were expected to behold the British in greater esteem than themselves.
Henrietta continued in a low voice, “But we wanted to prove to England that we could do it. We were most likely the first white females that Lemnos ever hosted. From lack of rain, the island seemed void of any living thing. The region did not have of any plant life but was made of earth, rocks, dust and no colour of any kind to brighten our days. The first several weeks, everyone was absolutely downtrodden. Proper hygiene was basically non-existent. Water had to be carried from quite far off. We were not able to clean the faces of the initial ones we tended to for a full day. The flies were grotesque. You could positively not consume any food or water without taking them in. The number of insects was frightful. Our diet was deplorable the whole time. It always surprised me the troops were able to improve with what they were given to eat. A pity that no activities were to be found for our boys to take their minds off their days, like in France and Belgium where there are furloughs to cities, games, and physical activities or the chance to chum with other allied troops. They say the most frightful form of torture is boredom. Malta fever, enteric fever, extreme dysentery, and bugs bitterly plagued our wounded. The medical staff were sick too, the doctors, orderlies, everyone. Dysentery escaped no one. Maggots and discharge from injuries were incessant and would not go away for anything. Because of the extreme heat, it was about one hundred degrees, we did away with the sleeves of our uniforms. Insects bit us until the day we left, and months afterwards the blemishes of those insects were still on us. The medical persons hardly had access to washing sites for personal use. Was it ever the Crimea there! But, I’m glad we, and not another branch of England’s Medical Corps, were able to look after Newfoundland’s Naval members. A beautiful moment between our two colonies, no? And isn’t that the way you would have wanted it to have been, the Canadians taking care of the Newfoundlanders where we were? Thrown into the Mediterranean, at least we had each other. In fall, once the dominion was more aware of our situation, things did get better for us. We were given floors for our living areas subsequent to that. But then, rain and cyclonic winds followed. Orders were given then countermanded almost daily. Lack of certainty was never ending. We could not get messages through to Headquarters. Cargo always seemed to miss us from the ships that passed us by and the harbour that was nearest to our location. Thousands of military men’s and women’s lives counted on those shipments that contained food and medical supplies.
Pet named “Bluebirds,” given their blue dresses, white headdresses, and long white veils, troops would refer to the nurses the remainder of their lives as “Sisters or Angels of mercy.”
“The boys did so hate to see their Bluebirds suffer any sort of hardship. The military police, all of them, would have laid down their lives before letting harm come to us. Oh, they say ‘it’s the little things’ — Naval personnel brought us hampers consisting of cocoa, oatmeal, butter, and bread every day. Those hampers surely got us through our time out there.”
Auré granted her a rare smile. Henrietta finished saying that after they were evacuated from Lemnos, they were ordered to Cairo. A Commanding Medical Officer, set over the English-Canadian Bluebirds in the Mediterranean, expressed, “Of such soldiering material were they constituted that complaint was rare.”
Gabriel was seated not far from the pair and was noticeably thinner, too. He had been wounded in a charge near the village of Guyencourt on Marcy 27th. His charger had been shot.
Nine of every ten British warhorse would fall in battle over the cause. Cavalry units were plentiful on the front lines but were routinely disbanded ahead of seeing action. Many a Cavalryman turned field telephone operator or dispatch runner.
No longer able to hold a sabre, pistol, or the constant shovel, Gabriel had been invalided from the front in an unheard-of timeframe of mere days. Congratulated on receiving the Cavalry Victory medal, he responded, weak in smile, “For King and country111.”
As the evening progressed, Aubrey and Auré were found together. A scandalous Viennese waltz had barely finished. Arma aptissima virtus112 (Latin for “Courage is the most useful weapon”), Aubrey steeled herself reassuringly.
With a fine amount of dash, Aubrey started, “For quite some time I have wanted to declare, that is to say, how much I—” she faltered. In a stammer, she finished, “Adore such evenings and to ask with whom you will dance the next set. So many pretty Ladies; it is hard for a man to choose which one he wants.” She flushed, That was such a gammy excuse. One of the best113dancers I know, but he does not dance besides.
“Not in all of England, Aubrey,” was the serious, though rather quiet, reply. Married couples addressed one another as Mr.— and Mrs.— in public. Christian names were reserved solely for private use. She felt positively unclothed by his candour.
Steadfast and undaunted114, conviction revived at his encouragement, she dared to carry on, “I—”
“We’ve taken her! We’ve taken her!” Gabriel was heard shouting to the hall at large.
Auré quizzically and easily looked above her head and over at Gabriel, who was running to the center of the stage. The music came to a ceasefire. Everyone turned to stare at the commotion. The moment was lost to tell him she loved him!
Oh, they must have reached their fundraising goal, excited as Gabriel is, thought Aubrey, ever downtrodden. Auré had gifted a handsome donation.
Gabriel was incredulous and elated. The entire ballroom listened with rapt attention as Gabriel proclaimed, “THE CANADIANS HAVE CAPTURED VIMY RIDGE!”
The hall fell into absolute silence. Even the gentlemen were shocked into speechlessness. No one knew quite what to say or quite what to do. After a bit of time, the conductor went on stage. A few words were whispered to Gabriel, and a smile came to him as he nodded in agreement. Gabriel turned to face the crowd, “The — the conductor’s right — we should toast to our men on the front lines!”
The conductor readied his sentinels. Auré’s baritone voice was wonderful for the song. Henrietta, standing nearby, was a clear soprano. Aubrey’s alto voice was only fair. The dance floor crashed with the orchestra into the liveliest and loudest rendition of the unofficial anthem that Aubrey had ever laid witnessed to, “Oh, Canada.”