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The Call to Duty: Canada's Nursing Sisters

The First World War saw a major mobilization of soldiers, equipment, supplies and medical staff. Between 1914 and 1918, 2,003 women enlisted with the Canadian Expeditionary Force (CEF) and went overseas. The war was perceived as exclusively male, but the presence of nursing sisters near the front and close to the line of fire has shattered this misperception and highlighted the importance of female caregivers during the war. These women looked after almost 540,000 soldiers and worked near the battlefields under difficult conditions.

Check out the letters, diaries and photographs of Canadian nursing sisters who served during the Great War. Follow these nurses as they witness the destruction of war, participate in social events, and help patients, as you transcribe, translate, tag and/or describe their writings and photographs.

Ruby Peterkin

Born in Toronto, Ontario, in 1887, Ruby Peterkin graduated as a trained nurse from the Toronto General Hospital in 1911. She enlisted on April 7, 1915, and served during the First World War with the No. 5 Canadian General Hospital in England and the No. 4 Canadian General Hospital in Salonika, Greece.

Follow in Ruby’s footsteps as you transcribe, translate, tag and/or describe her letters to her sister Irene and other family members. Experience her perceptions of camp in Salonika, her social activities, the hospital and her patients.

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