A First War Gold Id Bracelet Of To Canadian Nursing Sister Helen Lawrie Smith

9K Gold, weighing 9.6 grams inclusive of its chain, maker marked "J.C.V" and marked "9ct" (Gold) on the reverse, obverse engraved in capitals "HELEN. L. SMITH. / C.A.M.C. / FEB. 2nd 1916." (her date of Attestation), 17 mm x 37 mm, on a full-length wrist chain with sliding closure on the ring, very light contact, extremely fine.

Footnote: Nursing Sister Helen Lawrie Smith was born on November 14, 1877 in Oakville, Ontario. She was a resident of Oakville when she signed her Canadian Over-Seas Expeditionary Force Officers' Declaration Paper on February 2, 1916, in Toronto, Ontario, at the age of 38, naming her next-of-kin as her sister, Miss Isabel Smith of Oakville, stating that she had no previous military service, that her religion was Church of England and that her profession was that of Nurse. She is acknowledged as having served at No. 16 Ontario Military Hospital at Orpington. The Ontario Military Hospital, Orpington opened on February 19, 1916, with over 1,000 beds. Built on the site of the present Orpington hospital, it was one of the largest and most up to date in the world at the time. In 1917, the hospital was renamed as No. 16 Canadian General Hospital and another 1,000 beds were added. Up to May 1919, over 30,000 men had been admitted, with only 201 deaths. Soldiers had horrendous gunshot wounds and 4,320 operations were performed. Facial injuries required the new specialty of plastic surgery. The staff and equipment came from Canada, but men from all over the Empire were treated. All Canadian nurses were fully trained and assisted by male orderlies. Nurses with psychiatric training looked after men suffering from shell shock, and other medical conditions such as trench fever, nephritis and pneumonia were also treated. The Hospital was staffed by Canadian nurses and medical personnel from the Canadian Army Medical Corps. One of the surgeons here, Thomas McCrae, brother of Major John McCrae who wrote the poem "In Flanders Fields", was a pioneering plastic surgeon. 2,854 women served with the Canadian Army Medical Corps during the five years of the war, several hundred others with other forces. (C:17)