Matron Nellie Josephine Enright

Nursing Sister Nellie Josephine Enright RRC in the Great War

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Nellie Josephine Enright the daughter of John Charles Enright and his wife, Alice (nee McCurley) Enright in Ottawa, Ontario. She had one sister, Mrs E J McCluen, of San Leandro, California. Her birth date noted as 14 September 1882.

Nellie attended St. Patrick’s School from 1888-1897, then Sacred Heart Convent in Ottawa from 1897 to 1902.

Royal Victoria Hospital
Royal Victoria Hospital

She took her nurse’s training from 1906 to 1909. The Head nurse at the Roosevelt Hospital in New York from 1910-1912. Also Head nurse at the Royal Victoria Hospital in Montreal from 1912-1914.

Western Front

Autumn saw an increase in the number of those on the staff who fell ill. On 12 November 1916 Nursing Sister Nellie Josephine Enright admitted to the Princess Louise Convalescent Home, Hardelot.

Col. H. S. Birkett, C.B. The Commanding Officer in his office at No 3 General Hospital. Matron Nellie Josephine Enright R.R.C.
Col. H. S. Birkett, C.B. The Commanding Officer in his office at No 3 General Hospital

About 9.30 o’clock on the evening of 11 January 1918, No.3 Canadian General Hospital admitted four Australian soldiers injured in a smash of motor cars. Two of the Australians badly bruised, but not otherwise injured. One had a fracture of the leg below the knee. One, with a broken arm and fractured skull, injured beyond hope of recovery, and placed at once on the list of those whose death momentarily expected.

Course in General Anaesthesia

Some days after the casualties from the motor accident admitted, Nursing Sister J E McLeod, of Queen Alexandra’s Imperial Nursing Service, Acting Sister C Spence, and Acting Sister A Rennison, all from the staff of No. 7 British Stationary Hospital, reported at No. 3 Hospital to take a course in general anaesthesia, under Lieut-Col A T Bazin and Captain L H McKim.

X-raying a Patient Shot in the Head No 3 General Hospital. Matron Nellie Josephine Enright R.R.C.
X-raying a Patient Shot in the Head No 3 General Hospital

For some time Nursing Sister N J Enright had been giving anaesthetics at No.3 so satisfactorily that prejudice against a woman anaesthetist had been dispelled. Officers of No. 3, therefore, entirely willing to train the English nursing sisters and, from experience, confident that first-class results would accrue.

Visit of Sir Arthur Sloggett

On the morning of 22 April 1918, 250 patients evacuated, bringing the total in the Hospital down to below 1,000. Writing to Col Birkett on this date, Col Elder mentioned the work of the previous month. “In the latter part of March and the first three-quarters of April we have had a busy time. Between March 22nd and to-day we have admitted 5,857 patients and performed 574 operations.

Lieut.-Col. John McCrae No 3 General Hospital Matron Nellie Josephine Enright R.R.C.
Lieut.-Col. John McCrae No 3 General Hospital

Owing to the large amount of gas gangrene, our death rate has been rather higher than usual. With all the rush of patients, we kept evacuating steadily, and never had less than 800 empty beds, much to the dehght of the D.D.M.S. and the D.G.M.S., Sir Arthur Sloggett, who called personally to congratulate the unit and instructed me to put out a Special Order to that effect. All of which goes to show, I hope, that your old unit is keeping up its good reputation.”

Anaesthetist – Nursing Sister N J Enright

When Sir Arthur Sloggett visited No. 3, as mentioned above, he expressed deep interest in the work being accomplished by Nursing Sister N J Enright, Anaesthetist, and by Nursing Sister C P Archibald, Dietitian. Anaesthetics he understood and could appreciate. Diets and the work of a dietitian new to military hospitals in France and required explanation. Accordingly, he asked Col Elder to prepare a report.

Original wartime caption: An operation in progress in the basement. Patient being anaesthetized. © IWM H 10724 No 14 British General Hospital for Officers Matron Nellie Josephine Enright R.R.C.
Original wartime caption: An operation in progress in the basement. Patient being anaesthetized. © IWM H 10724 No 14 British General Hospital for Officers

Meanwhile, at No. 3 Canadian General Hospital (McGill) the routine of a base hospital had continued. On 20 May 1918 Nursing Sisters C R Fisher and A M H Fleming reported to receive instruction in general anaesthesia. On the 21st their course started, and on the 29th joined by Nursing Sister A White. The previous course, which Lieut-Col Bazin, Major McKim, and Nursing Sister Enright supervised, had satisfied the authorities, who had decided that delay between courses should be eliminated.

No.3 beats No.2 CCS 5-4 in Baseball

On the day before the course in anaesthesia began, the men of No. 3 Hospital took possession of an athletic field. Which the Base Commandant, Brigadier-General H W Wilberforce had set aside for their use. A few days later the Hospital played No. 2 Canadian Stationary Hospital at baseball on the new field. And, after each had scored 4 runs in 8 innings, batted in the winning run in the ninth.

Captain Robert Pearson, Y.M.C.A., umpiring a baseball game held at a Canadian sports meeting, 18th Battalion Sports Field, near Villers-au-Bois, 12 September 1917.
Captain Robert Pearson, Y.M.C.A., umpiring a baseball game held at a Canadian sports meeting, 18th Battalion Sports Field, near Villers-au-Bois, 12 September 1917.

Air Raid

At 10.45 o’clock on the moonlit night of 15 September 1918, the “alert” warned patients and staff at No. 3 that an air raid expected. No enemy planes reached the district, but again on the following night the “alert” sounded, giving notice that the Germans had been sighted on the way. Again, however, they failed to reach Boulogne, or changed direction and attacked some other objective.

Funeral of Canadian Nursing Sister Gladys Maude Mary Wake, 22 May 1918, Etaples Military Cemetery, Pas-de-Calais. Gladys was mortally-wounded on the night of 19 May 1918 in a German air raid at No. 1 Canadian General Hospital, Étaples. "Don't bother with me; I'll be alright. You people will be exhausted," she told her co-workers. Gladys died two days later from severe burns, a fractured femur, and wounds to both legs. MIKAN No. 3394956
Funeral of Canadian Nursing Sister Gladys Maude Mary Wake, 22 May 1918, Etaples Military Cemetery, Pas-de-Calais. Gladys was mortally-wounded on the night of 19 May 1918 in a German air raid at No. 1 Canadian General Hospital, Étaples. “Don’t bother with me; I’ll be alright. You people will be exhausted,” she told her co-workers. Gladys died two days later from severe burns, a fractured femur, and wounds to both legs. MIKAN No. 3394956
Funeral of Nursing Sister Gladys Maude Mary Wake at Etaples Military Cemetery, 22 May 1918.

On the day after the second of these “alerts,” Surgical Team No. 6, composed of Major L H McKim, Nursing Sister N J Enright (Anaesthetist), Nursing Sister E MacDougall, and Privates G A Felix, D Holgate, and J A Farquhar, ordered to proceed at once to No. 41 Stationary Hospital. On the same day Major W W Francis, Registrar, admitted to No. 8 British Red Cross Hospital, whence, on September 19th, evacuated to England.

Earlier, Orders announced that Sergeant-Major H Slack had been declared medically unfit for further service and that Sergt H W Atkins had been promoted to fill his place.

Body Parts

On the whole, the first month of 1919 marked in the unit by little departure from routine. Surgical work continued to decrease, but medical convoys arrived regularly and activity in and about the wards maintained. On 6 January 1919 Major William Howard Tytler instructed to act as Assistant Advisor in Pathology to the Boulogne Base, while continuing his duties as Officer in charge of Pathology at No.3 Canadian General Hospital.

Nurses of No. 2 Canadian Stationary Hospital, Boulogne. 5 January 1919. MIKAN No. 3395910 Matron Nellie Josephine Enright R.R.C.
Nurses of No. 2 Canadian Stationary Hospital, Boulogne. 5 January 1919. MIKAN No. 3395910

William Howard Tytler

Tytler had collaborated with A Stokes and J A Ryle in work on Weil’s disease and trench nephritis. And with Alexander Fleming in studies on bacteriology of war wounds. His work in connection with the influenza epidemic in 1918 the subject of a Medical Research Council’s Report.

Officers and Nurses of No. 3 C.C.S., Mons, Belgium, January 1919. MIKAN No. 3395909 Matron Nellie Josephine Enright R.R.C.
Officers and Nurses of No. 3 C.C.S., Mons, Belgium, 5 January 1919. MIKAN No. 3395909

Specimens for the Canadian War Museum

A week later Captain Lloyd Phillips MacHaffie proceeded to No.1 Canadian Casualty Clearing Station, Bonn, Germany. Collecting specimens for the Canadian War Museum. On the same day Major Eric Charles Harry Windeler struck off the strength on reporting for duty to the Assistant Director of Medical Services, 3rd Canadian Division. Next day Nursing Sister M E Engelke proceeded to No.3 Canadian Casualty Clearing Station. And, on the 18th Nursing Sister E D Ross, whose service as Home Sister the Commanding Officer warmly commended, left No. 3 and crossed to England.

Men of No. 2 Canadian Stationary Hospital, Boulogne. January, 1919. MIKAN No. 3404957

Lifesavers and Body Snatchers

The book, Lifesavers and Body Snatchers: Medical care and the struggle for survival in the Great War, Tim Cook’s 14th book about Canada’s rich military history. At least 1,200 individual Canadian body parts removed from dead soldiers and sent to London. Stored, treated, and then some put on display in exhibition galleries at the RCS. After being exhibited there, the body parts displayed several times in both Montreal and Hamilton in the early 1920s.

Second World War – Age regulation

During the Second World War, Nellie now a Matron, supervisor of the junior nurses, at R.C.A.F. Station Hospital in St. Thomas, Ontario. Her senior officer at St. Thomas, Group Captain Collis, wrote that she ran the nursing staff well under difficult conditions and could rise to any occasion.

Newspaper Clipping – Article about Matron Enright, The Ottawa Journal, Feb 18, 1943
Newspaper Clipping – Article about Matron Enright, The Ottawa Journal, Feb 18, 1943

In January 1942, the new commanding officer at Gander, Group Captain Foss, had a distinct preference for someone younger in the role. Recommended first that she be transferred somewhere warmer, and then Foss advised that she be retired.

Air Marshall Breadner replied to Enright’s letter of April 27, 1943.

“I regret that arbitrary age regulations have necessitate the termination of your services with the RCAF…Your faithfulness, efficiency, industry and excellent administration as a Matron have been of great value to the RCAF. The retirement of officers of your character and capabilities results in a serious loss to the Service…your application for appointment to Honourary Rank has received every consideration…I regret that the granting of an Honourary Rank would contravene present policy.”

Air Marshall Breadner

Death of Matron Nellie Josephine Enright

On April 23, 1947, Matron Nellie Josephine Enright died of cancer of the breast, metastasizing in her bones and skin. Buried at the Ottawa (Notre Dame) Roman Catholic Cemetery in Ottawa, Ontario.

Matron Nellie Josephine Enright R.R.C.
Matron Nellie Josephine Enright R.R.C.

Royal Red Cross, 2nd Class Award

Matron Nellie Enright received the RRC London Jubilee Medal. As well, the Royal Red Cross, 2nd Class Award/Honour for her service in the Great War. Gazetted in General Order 143 of 1914, dated August 13, 1914 as part of the Canadian Army Medical Corps.

Ottawa (Beechwood) Cemetery contains 99 Commonwealth burials of the Great War and 113 from the Second World War.

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