Educational Media Reviews Online

This film documents the experiences of some of the thousands of Canadian nursing sisters who answered the call to serve overseas in World War II. At a reunion on Prince Edward Island nearly fifty years later, 145 nurses were honored for their selfless and courageous service.

The first contingent of Canadian nurses landed in England in June of 1940 to the sound of buzz bombs overhead and their first sight of the devastation inflicted by war. In August of 1942, more than 500 casualties were admitted to the Canadian hospitals. One hospital alone performed more than 98 operations within a 24 hour period and the nurses worked 12 hour shifts to prepare and staff the operating room. During this time, all nurses were made commissioned officers at ranks ranging from lieutenant to major. With the invasion of Italy and the Allied offensive in southeastern Europe, the nursing sisters would serve under battle conditions for the first time. At Monte Casino, medical units were set up close to the firing line. At these casualty clearing stations decisions were made regarding the level of treatment necessary for each soldier with the more seriously wounded sent on to the more organized hospitals. The nurses who were interviewed at the reunion described some of their individual experiences with these soldiers and how it affected them.

The assault on Normandy in 1944 resulted in 1,000 Canadian casualties on Juno Beach who were evacuated to Canadian hospitals in England and who were very glad to see Canadian nurses. Following D-Day, nurses were sent to France where they experienced the reality of what it meant to live under occupation. They were greatly touched by the poverty and hunger endured by the civilian population. With the war drawing to a close, growing numbers of German POW’s filled the camps which proved to be a true test for the nursing sisters. When asked how they could care for these men, they replied that they were sick and needed help. After V-E Day in May of 1945, the hospitals were disbanded and the nurses were discharged and sent home. Many of them found the return to civilian nursing disconcerting and experienced feelings of restlessness and a sense of loss. During the war, the nurses who served together had became a family with shared experiences that they all understood without having to explain to each other.

The technical quality of this film is very good and through an effective combination of black and white photographs, actual World War II film footage and interviews with some of the nurses themselves; the viewer receives a compelling glimpse into why these Canadian nursing sisters willingly served in the war. Their reasons can be summed up by one of the nurses who commented that when asked at the time why she wanted to go overseas she replied “It’s something you do because you have to.” This film is highly recommended particularly for libraries with nursing and women’s studies collections.