BX March 23, 1917
Paris Nurses for Overseas
PARIS, March 23. – Three Paris young ladies have been appointed nurses for the overseas forces – Miss Dorothy Jefferson, Miss Kate Graham and Miss Marian Heath. They are all trained nurses and for some time past have been very anxious to leave for overseas to do their bit for their country. It is chiefly through the instrumentality of J.H. Fisher, M.P., that their wishes were granted. They will leave for the old country very soon.
BC May 21, 1918
Brantford Nurse was Under Fire in France – Sister Miriam Heath was in Paris during Long Range Bombardment
After seeing over a year’s service in France and England, in that period experiencing bombing raids of the enemy aircraft and the second long-distance gun “siege” of Paris, Nursing Sister Miriam Heath returned to Brantford Sunday night.
Leaving Canada early last spring shortly after graduating from the New York Presbyterian Nursing College, Miss Heath was sent almost immediately to France. Nurse Heath reached the McGill University Hospital (No. 3, Canadian General) just as the Passchendaele activities commenced. A month previous to this the hospital had been bombed by German airplanes, but miraculously no casualties were affected. The hospital staffs live in apprehension every night and seldom the day passes without aircraft activity. Seldom it was the hospitals, that is the buildings were bombed purposely, but the protective batteries are so closely situated that to hit the hospitals is unavoidable to the German Zeppelins and aeroplanes. While Miss Heath was serving in France only one nurse belonging to McGill University Hospital was ever wounded.
During the second attempt of the Germans to demoralized Paris with their long range guns, Nurse Heath was in that city. The general idea “over there” is that the gun is a farce and the noted “scare” was nothing more than a “sun shower.”
It will be remembered that McGill Hospital was the institution of which Col. John McCrae was O.C. Medicine. The staff thought a great deal of the Colonel and he was greatly missed after his demise this spring. Nurse Heath treasures one of the few copies in existence of Col. McCrae’s famous poem, “In Flanders Fields,” set to music by Dean Wells.
The spirit of the boys, as others have already said, is truly wonderful, though there are all types among the forces. The less experienced do the most grumbling. They are all good soldiers, anxious to see “the show through,” though longing to be back home once more.
The wounded from the Portuguese forces were also cared for at McGill Hospital. These troops, too, are in fighting trim and superior to the ordinary Teutonic regiments in many respects, and are doing good service.
During Nurse Heath’s stay in England she was engaged in hospital work as Bramshott Camp and Orpington Hospital.
This was the summary given to a Courier reporter by Miss Heath today. The experience overseas, though not all delightful, is valued highly by Nurse Heath. Just one contrast of conditions in Canada was made by Miss Heath. Halifax showed no emotion on the arrival of the returned men whom she crossed the Atlantic with. There was no flag waving, not even a handshake. Toronto, never to be outdone in that line, gave the men a royal welcome.
Ottawa Journal, August 16, 1979
MacDERMOTT, Miriam Ruxton, on July 23, 1979, at Hereford, England, age 89, wife of the late Dr. William Bernard MacDermott, mother of Elizabeth Fraser-Harris and grandmother of William Fraser-Harris.
