No luck with Lena's civil nursing career but for general interest this is her profile:-
Lena Aloa Davis was born on 30th July 1885 in Beamsville, Clinton Township Ontario, Canada to David and Martha Jane Davis who were married in Beamsville on 29th April 1872.
David was born in Clinton Township on 20 January 1844 and Died 20 April 1914 age 70.
Martha Jane nee Kitchen was born 6 June 1843 in Grimsay Ontario and died 12 July 1927 age 84. David and Martha Jane are buried in Mt. Osborne Municipal Cemetery, Beamsville and possibly Lena’s sister Emma Jane.
Lena had three siblings – Emma Jane, a school teacher, year of birth unknown but died 11 November 1920 at Beamsville. Mary Alice, known as Minnie, Born 1874 and died 1933 and Robert Loyal Born 1879 and died 1928.
After extensive research I was unable to find any Canadian hospital or nursing organisation who could confirm details of Lena’s civil nursing career between 1905 & 1915 so have had to settle for the following details provided by a member of the Rootschat forum:-
1912 Toronto Directory records her as a Nurse lodging at 16 Ulster Street, Toronto.
1917 Toronto Directory records her as “Head Nurse, Asylum (on active service).
When I studied Lena’s Attestation Paper I wondered why she had nominated her sister Emma, with whom she was living, as her next-of-kin rather than her father, later family information answered my question. Her father had died a year before aged 70 and her widowed mother, Mary Jane, almost certainly living with her and Emma, was then aged 72 so Lena probably decided that Emma was more appropriate.
Lena enlisted in the Canadian Army Nursing Service on 7th April 1915 at Toronto, Ontario and was posted to the 4th Canadian General Hospital. On 16th May 1915 the unit sailed from Montreal on board the S.S. Corinthian arriving at Plymouth, U.K. on 26th May. The unit moved to Shorncliffe, Kent and set up temporary quarters in a tented city on Martin’s Plain also taking over Shorncliffe Hospital renaming it Shorncliffe Military Hospital.
Official records date the subsequent movements of the 4th Canadian General Hospital as October 1915 the 4th Canadian General Hospital sailed from UK to Greece arriving in Salonika on 9th November 1915 until 18th May 1916 when they moved to Kalamaria on 19th May 1916 until 17 August 1917 then returned to England arriving at Basingstoke 18 September 1917 where they remained until 2 July 1919. One assumes that they returned to Toronto, Canada.
On 19 August 1916 Lena is unofficially recorded as having contracted Malaria. This is possibly correct as the unit War Diary of 30 September 1916 records that on 12 September seven Nursing Sisters were invalided to the England on the H.M.H.S. Llandovery Castle* and it is assumed that Lena was one of the Sisters. This is a genuine assumption as Lena is later unofficially recorded as being admitted to Moore Barracks Hospital, Shorncliffe (note next paragraph).
On 17th September 1916 the unofficial details quote that Lena’s condition was normal and she was given convalesence that was extended on 10th October for a further three weeks. The next comment for 27th March (assumed 1917) quotes that she had no more signs of infection suggesting that she had returned to her nursing duties with regular medical checks. However, on 17th April 1917 Lena was re-admitted to Moore Barracks Hospital having been in contact with another Nursing Sister who had contracted diphtheria. I was curious and searched the web and discovered that (Acute malaria has been associated with a decreased antibody response to tetanus and diphtheria toxoids) that could suggest that her malaria virus was still present.
There is a lack of information here so whether Lena returned to duty or remained on convalesence is unknown but her malaria condition did return and she was readmitted to hospital sometime before February 1918. The 4th Canadian General Hospital, Basingstoke War Diary for March 1918 records as follows –
17.2.18 – N/Sister L.A. Davis placed on “DANGEROUSLY ILL LIST” (Blackwater Fever).
20.2.18 - Col. Rudolph visited the hospital in consultation on N/Sister Davis L.A.
21.2.18 – N/Sister L.A. Davis, C.A.M.C. died
22.2.18 – N/Sister L.A. Davis buried
(Blackwater fever - within a few days of onset there are chills, with rigor, high fever, jaundice, vomiting, rapidly progressive anemia, and dark red or black urine) A sad and painful death and certainly distressing for her nursing and medical colleagues who tried to save her.
Lena is buried in St. Andrew Churchyard, Sherborne St. John, Hampshire, England.
Her medals – 1914-15 Star, British War Medal and Victory Medal were sent to her sister Emma and her Memorial Plaque, Scroll and Memorial Cross were sent to her mother Martha Jane.
*Footnote – H.M.H.S. Llandovery Castle, in full hospital livery, was torpedoed and sunk off Southern Ireland on 27th June 1918 by German U-boat U-86. Of the 234 who died 14 were Canadian Nursing Sisters and 91 Canadian Medical staff.
Tony Murphy October 2013 with the assistance of members of “Canada at War” and “Rootschat ”forums
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