Lenna Mae Jenner born 17 November 1889 in Brookfield, Queen’s County, Nova Scotia. Daughter of the Rev. John Hugh and Mary Fisher Jenner (MacIntyre), of 133 Prince Street, Saint John, New Brunswick. Sister of Ada Blanche Ross. Nursing Sister Lenna Mae Jenner’s older brother Sergeant Hugh Burton Jenner 68123 with the CEF first contingent in December of 1914.
Training
Lenna Mae enrolled in nursing school, graduating from Winnipeg General Hospital School of Nursing in 1913. Then, attended the two year program at the Victoria General Hospital School of Nursing in Halifax.
In April 1917, Lenna Mae began working in a military hospital, The Canadian Nurse and Hospital Review reported. Then, Nursing Sisters Dora Evelyn Coates and Jenner, of the Station Hospital leaving for the Military Hospital, Kentville, N. S. The military hospital in Kentville at the Aldershot training camp.
Enlistment
Lenna Mae Jenner enlisted 25 June 1918 at Halifax, Nova Scotia with No. 6 Medical District, Canadian Army Medical Corps. Standing 5′ 2″ tall, 128 pounds, her medical examination revealing an appendectomy scar.
At this time, Lenna Mae already accumulated fourteen months military service in Canada. Then, Lenna Mae posted overseas on 10 July 1918. Finally, she left Canada for England where she arrived at the CAMC Training Depot. Firstly, posted to West Cliff Canadian Eye and Ear Hospital at Folkestone, Kent.
Service
Nursing Sister Lenna Mae Jenner’s pre-posting medical declared her health good. Despite working for fourteen months among the sick and wounded. Her most recent assignment at a camp where roughly 7,000 soldiers were training. Here at Kentville, Lenna worked 12-hour-days and exposed to illnesses such as typhoid, tuberculosis and influenza.
Canadian Red Cross HQ
Mary MacLeod Moore, in her book The Maple Leaf’s Red Cross, described the Canadian Red Cross Headquarters.
A day at the Headquarters of the Red Cross told a thrilling story to anyone with ears and eyes. The eagerness to be of use. The enthusiasm and the friendliness of these voluntary workers, resulted in big things being done. The duties were not all interesting and inspiring. Some who toiled from first to last, at a sacrifice of comfort and ease and luxury and time…No short and easy hours allotted to the Red Cross workers. Early and late they were “one the job.”
Sometimes midnight found them working hard. You went early in the morning and found the Chief Commissioner beginning his day by talking to officials over the telephone, seeing a constant stream of visitors, offering money, advice, help; reading cables from Canada about some important development or messages from France as to transport and supplies.
The Maple Leaf’s Red Cross
Lady Grace Julia Drummond
You found Lady Drummond, in the midst of her workers, keeping her finger on all the departments of the Bureau, and in addition seeing soldiers and civilians bound on a variety of errands, and none was sent away unsatisfied…saw a roomful of women filing information about wounded Canadians and writing letters to their people at home.
You went into another and watched piles of letters being sorted and read, in which comforts requested for sick and wounded men, or thanks were offered by the men themselves to the O.C. Parcels. You went into another room and women were packing quickly and skilfully these comforts and dainties to cheer up a man in hospital. You turned to the prisoners of War Department and there the workers were sorting letters from the prisoners to their staunch friends, and filing carefully on cards the details concerning them. Plans for their increased comfort being considered. Their families written to cheerfully…”
The Maple Leaf’s Red Cross, Mary MacLeod Moore
West Cliff Canadian Eye and Ear Hospital
In Britain, Lenna now working at the West Cliff Canadian Eye and Ear Hospital in Folkestone. Her brother Sergeant Hugh Burton Jenner has seen extensive service overseas. Buried by a shell in 1916, trench fever and wounded again in 1917. Hugh recently took a demotion to Corporal so that he could return overseas for a third tour. However, Hugh is worn-out, even if he has recovered from shell shock, and his decision to return unwise.
Corporal Hugh Burton Jenner wounded on the second day of the Battle of Amiens, 10 August 1918. Invalided to England on 13 August, and Jenna may have been alerted to his pending transfer. However, unlikely Jenna had the opportunity to travel to Liverpool and greet her brother.
In addition to shell shock once again, Hugh admitted to No. 16 Canadian General Hospital at Orpington on 16 August 1918 with a fractured thumb, contusions to right thigh and knee.
Corporal Hugh Burton Jenner
Hugh is released from hospital on 21 August 1918, and he may have had the opportunity to visit his sister in Folkestone before he rejoined his platoon on 11 September 1918. Two weeks after Hugh rejoins the 2nd Battalion, C.M.G.C.,, Jenna’s health declines.
Then, on 24 September 1918 Lenna admitted as a patient at her place of work. Suffering from left sided abdominal pain and weight loss. Nursing Sister Lenna Jenner complained to the Matron-in-Chief of loss of strength and weight, also of pain in the left side on exertion.
Nursing Sister Lenna Mae Jenner sent to a private nursing home in London, and released on 18 October 1918. However, her health continued to decline.
On 7 December 1918, Lenna’s brother Sergeant Hugh Burton Jenner admitted to No. 14 Canadian General Hospital at Eastbourne with the mumps. Three days later, Lenna admitted to Clarence House, North Finchley, for an abdominal operation – tubercular peritonitis on 10 December 1918
Tubercula Peritonitis
Even today, peritoneal tuberculosis remains a significant problem in parts of the world where tuberculosis is prevalent. Tuberculous peritonitis is a result of peritoneal (the serous membrane forming the lining of the abdominal cavity) involvement in tuberculosis.
The medical team probably not paying adequate attention to Lenna’s symptoms, according to historian and nurse Katherine Dewar.
The peritoneum is the covering of the abdominal cavity. I would assume the patient had TB somewhere else in her body. It spread via the blood stream (septicemia) to the peritoneum. Someone already run down from chronic illness when this occurred.
Those Splendid Girls, Katherine Dewar
Lenna likely contracted tuberculosis in the crowded conditions at Aldershot Camp, the voyage to England, or in the demanding confines of the West Cliff Eye and Ear Hospital.
Nursing Sister Lenna Mae Jenner died of septicemia (the infection had entered her bloodstream) on 12 December 1918, two days after the operation, and two months after she first became ill.
Brookwood Military Cemetery
Nursing Sister Lenna Jenner buried at Brookwood Military Cemetery, Surrey, England, Plot III, Row J, Grave 5 on 13 December 1918. Three days later, Sergeant Hugh Burton Jenner discharged from No. 14 Canadian General Hospital having recovered from the mumps.
Twice Hugh went AWOL to visit his sister’s grave. His first visit must have come in mid-January 1919, when he was reprimanded and forfeited five days pay.
Hugh still in England in June of 1919, having missed a prior opportunity to return as he developed Influenza. Before he embarks for Canada, Hugh is once again severely reprimanded for having been AWOL in order to visit his beloved sister’s grave at Brookwood Military Cemetery.
Nursing Sisters
Nursing Sisters Demobilization in the Great War
No.1 Canadian General Hospital in the Great War
Matron Bertha Jane Willoughby in the Great War
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