A white index card containing the name, rank and military history of a soldier of Waterloo County. Card also includes a photograph, two red stars and red slash.
Kitchener Public Library - Soldier Information Card Collection - World War One
Scope and Content
A white index card containing the name, rank and military history of a soldier of Waterloo County. Card also includes a photograph, two red stars and red slash.
Public domain: Copyright has expired according to Canadian law. No restrictions on use.
Reproductions
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Source Organization
Kitchener Public Library
Collection
Soldier Information Cards - World War One
Transcription
Jaffray, Madeleine F.
Nurse.
She joined a special unit of 10 Canadian nurses in December 1914 to nurse French and Belgian wounded.
She left immediately for France via England.
She served directly behind the trenches in Northern France at a Casualty Station in the danger zone, bombarding and gassing going on constantly.
On June 4, 1917 the hospital was bombed by an airman 60 feet above.
She managed to get most of her patients into a passage way but she herself was badly wounded in the left foot which was split almost to the toes.
For her courage she was given the Croix de Guerre with palm and two Citations from Generals and the Minister of War.
She was the first woman in America to receive the decoration which is so rarely given to women.
She was sent to American Red Cross Hospital for six months and part of the foot was saved.
She has been in New York for a year as a Red Cross speaker in Liberty War Chest, Red Cross and Nurses' Recruiting campaigns speaking often twice a day.
She now walks without a cane.
She was the youngest girl who left Canada in 1915 with that particular company of nurses.
She was born in Chicago and came to Galt with her parents in 1896.
She attended Public School and Collegiate Institute in Galt and Loretto Abbey in Guelph.
She graduated from the Clifton Springs Training School for Nurses and is a New York State Registered Nurse.
She is a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. J.P. Jaffray of Galt and granddaughter of the late William Jaffray formerly postmaster of Kitchener.
Fred Wilson, 72 Brook St., Galt, Ont.