Nursing Sister, Katherine Maud Mary MacDonald (33) – Killed in Action

No.1 Canadian General Hospital, Canadian Army Medical Corps, 19th May 1918

Synopsis of Life and Service

Although Katherine’s (or Catherine’s) enlistment papers record her date of birth as 18 January 1893, birth registration records show, in fact, that she was born 9 years earlier on 18 January 1884.

She was born in Brantford, Ontario, Canada to Angus MacDonald (who died in 1906), a carpenter born in New Brunswick, and his wife Maud Mary Johnston. Katherine studied at the Brantford Collegiate Institute and from there studied to be a nurse at the Victoria Hospital in London, Ontario. According to military records she graduated from the hospital on 15^th May 1915.

She enlisted in the Canadian Army Medical Corps in London, Ontario on 20 March 1917. Her personnel file records the following description:

Height: 5’ 2”
Weight: 125lbs
Chest Measurement: 32 ½ inches
Religion: Church of England

She was appointed as a Nursing Sister on 9 November 1916 based initially in No. 1 Military District in Canada. From letters home to her mother it’s known that she pressed a case to be sent to France, and she was included in the draft that was sent to England on 6 April 1917. She was attached to a number of Military hospitals during her time in England including No 14 Canadian General Hospital, Eastbourne from 17 October that year. However, it was France where she wanted to serve and she finally got her wish when she was attached to No 10 Canadian Stationary Hospital where she joined them on 22 January 1918. Less than two months later she was posted to No. 1 Canadian General Hospital at Etaples.

Death

Katharine was killed in a German air raid on the hospital. The War Diary for the unit records the event as follows:

“At the close of what had been a peaceful Sunday enemy aircraft came over the camp in large numbers, vis: – at 10.00 p.m. The hospital was wrapt (sic) in slumber when the planes were immediately overhead. The raid was obviously planned to take place in relays, and during the first stage the part that suffered most was the sleeping quarters of the personnel, particularly that of the NCO’s and men. A number of bombs, incendiary and high explosive, were dropped in the midst of the men’s quarters. Fires were immediately started which offered a splendid target for the second part of the attack. The scene was immediately converted into a conflagration and charnel house of dead and wounded men. Bombs were also dropped on the officers and Sisters quarters, buildings being wrecked. The S.E part of the Sisters quadrangle was completely wrecked by a bomb, the inmates being killed or wounded. While the work of rescuing the wounded was going on the enemy continued to drop bombs. Two of the hospital wards received direct hits and patients were killed and wounded. The portion of staff and personnel that had escaped injury immediately attended to the needs of the those who had been hit. Sisters and Officers were in attendance upon their wards within a short time, and while the raid was in progress the operating room staff were working on the cases injured. The devotion to duty, with absolute disregard to personal safety, that was exhibited by all ranks is very commendable.”

The raid killed 61 people (including Katherine) and wounded 84 (2 of whom later died). According to a letter written to her mother from her fiancé Captain John W. Ballantyne, she was hit by a piece of shrapnel which severed her femoral artery and she died of shock.