Prairie bluebirds: the No. 5 Canadian General Hospital nurses at war

Abstract

This thesis discusses the Canadian nursing sisters who served in the Second World War, as part of the general mobilization of the Canadian Army Medical Corps. It concentrates on a cohort of nurses from Winnipeg who were part of a medical unit known as No.5 Canadian General Hospital (No. 5 CGH). The analysis considers the mobilization of No.5 CGH, examining factors such as personal and professional connections, patriotism, and economic need in describing the recruitment of nurses. The discussion then follows the Winnipeg nursing sisters into various theatres of war, comparing their living and working conditions in England, Sicily and Italy. The study also discusses the nurses’ rapid demobilization after the war, looking at their adjustment to civilian life, their postwar work as nurses, and overall legacy.