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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.

Laura Gamble

Born in Wakefield, Quebec, on September 4, 1887, Laura Gamble graduated from the University of Toronto in 1910, and enlisted on May 4, 1915. During the First World War, Laura served in the Mediterranean aboard a medical ship, and in Malta and Salonica, Greece. In 1920, she was awarded the Victory Medal for her distinguished service. Her diaries describe the social side of her experiences of war, with only some descriptions of the hospitals where she worked. Come along on her adventures in the countryside and accompany her to parties as you transcribe, tag and/or describe Laura’s diaries. Now available for transcription, translation, tagging, and description.


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