Nursing Sister Eleanor Jean Thompson
Survivor of WW1
Date of Death:
Service Biography
Eleanor Thompson was born in Valleyfield, Quebec on December 2, 1888. She enlisted in 1915 with the Canadian Army Medical Corps while living in Montreal. Thompson was one the nine Canadian WWI nursing sisters awarded the Military Medal, for “gallantry and devotion to duty during an enemy air raid.” She was caught in the attack on No.3 Canadian General Hospital at Doullens, France, and was buried underneath debris. When Thompson managed to pull herself out, she and Sister Meta Hodge (who had also been trapped by rubble) disregarded their injuries and managed to extinguish overturned oil stoves before the flames spread to patients’ beds. They then tended to the injured and organized the removal of trapped patients.
Unfortunately a few days after the attack, Eleanor began to suffer from “neurasthenia” (what would now be classified as post-traumatic stress disorder). She suffered from severe headaches, insomnia, and a fear of loud noises. Ultimately, Thompson was discharged in June 1919 for “Nervous Debility.”
General Information
Conflict:
WW1
Regimental No.:
NA
Cause of Death (in war):
Survived
Branch:
Army
Regiment:
Canadian Army Medical Corps
Battalion:
No. 6 Canadian General Hospital
Company:
Date of Birth :
Place of Birth:
Valleyfield, Quebec
Date of Enlistment:
Age at Enlistment:
27 years
Date of Discharge:
Age at Discharge:
30 years 6 months
Date of Death:
Age at Death:
75 years 9 months
Country Born:
Canada
Trade or Calling:
Graduate Nurse
Next of Kin:
Mrs. Alexander Thompson, Mother, Valleyfield, Quebec
Address at Enlistment:
1465 rue St. Denis, Montreal, Quebec
Religion:
Methodist
Place of Enlistment:
Montreal, Quebec
Was a Prisoner of War:
Height:
5 ft 3.0 in / 160 cm
Weight:
120 lbs / 54 kg
Chest:
34.5 in / 88 cm
Expansion:
2.5 in / 6 cm
Marital Status:
Single
Prior Military Experience:
No
Saw Service in:
Europe
Place of Discharge:
Ottawa, Ontario
Discharge Type:
Regular/End of Service
Discharge Notes:
Battle Died/Wounded:
Air Raid
Length of Service:
1267 days in service
Buried at:
Plot:
Links
Images
Canadian journalists visiting the ruins of No. 3 Canadian General Hospital
Ranks
| Conflict |
Rank |
Regiment |
Branch |
Unit |
Company |
Date From |
Date To |
| WW1 |
Nursing Sister |
Canadian Army Medical Corps |
Army |
No. 6 Canadian General Hospital |
|
|
|
Awards
| Conflict |
Award |
Action |
Date of Award |
Date of Citation |
Source |
| WW1 |
Medaille des Epidemies en Bronze (France) |
|
|
|
9 July 1926 LG, 7 August 1926 CG P. 418 |
| WW1 |
Military Medal |
Enemy Air Raid |
|
|
London Gazette 9/24/18, Canadian Gazette 11/9/18 p. 1601 |
| For gallantry and devotion to duty during an enemy air raid. Although injured by a falling beam, these sisters displayed great presence of mind in extinguishing overturned oil stoves, and later rendered valuable assistance in the removal of patients. |
Available Transcriptions
| Type |
Date |
Published |
Headline |
| News Clipping |
|
|
Six Nurses Win Military Medal |
Notes
One of the nine Canadian Nursing sisters awarded the Military Medal.
She was awarded the Military Medal for her actions in saving lives in a bombing of No. 3 Stationary Hospital (Canadian) in Doullens, France. Subsequent to this she suffered from Neurasthenia/Nervous Debility, severe headaches and sleeplessness with occasional vomiting. Despite this, she continued her duties until discharged.
Died Sept 16, 1964, Ste Anne's Hospital, Ste. Anne de Bellevue, Quebec
On the night of 29-30 May, the Germans struck again – this time against No. 3 Canadian Stationary Hospital, located about 70 kilometres inland from Étaples at Doullens. Only a single German aircraft made this attack, but it inflicted terrible damage – 32 staff and patients were killed and 17 wounded. Approaching the hospital just after midnight, the aircraft first dropped a flare to light up its target, following up immediately with several bombs.
One of these hit the main building, just over the sergeant’s quarters, which were on the third floor. The entire central structure collapsed and burst into flames, including the officers’ ward on the second floor and the Operating Theatre on the ground floor. All occupants on these floors were killed or wounded. An operation was being carried out in the Operating Theatre at the time and the entire surgical team and their patient were killed, including Nursing Sisters Eden Pringle and Agnes MacPherson. On the second floor, the nursing sister on duty, Dorothy Baldwin, was also killed.
Next to the Operating Theatre, parts of the Recovery Room collapsed, injuring Nursing Sisters Meta Hodge and Eleanor Thompson.
However, these two nurses were able to extricate themselves from the rubble and, maintaining their composure, extinguished the fires in the overturned coal oil heaters before the flames spread to the patients’ beds. They then organized the orderlies to remove the patients from the room and, disregarding their injuries, remained until this work was completed.
LAC RG24, Vol. 1883, pp.4-8.
Additional Service Notes
Suffered from Nervous Debility
Additional Next of Kin Notes
Research Notes
Eleanor Jean Thompson used to babysit me when I was an infant
Lived at 11 Dufferin, Valleyfield
It is interesting to note that Canadian nurses where the only nurses within the Allied armies who held the rank of officers. This rank is why Canadian officers were adamant that heroic Canadian nurses like Eleanor Thompson were commemorated for their valour. There was a strong push back from British officials who initially refused to award Canadian nurses any honors because they were women. In regards to the general public, although no one was really surprised that women would be sympathetic towards the war effort, the fact that they contributed in such a physical manner was baffling. Nothing pissed off the public like a nurse getting killed so the nursing sisters wound up being propaganda fodder.
The Canadian Nursing Service and the British War Office. The Debate Over Awarding the Military Cross, 1918. T. Robert Fowler. Canadian Military History, Volume 14, Number 4, Autumn 2005, pp.31-42. Accessed from: http://scholars.wlu.ca/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1358&context=cmh (Learn about the controversy surrounding acknowledging the heroism of Canada’s WWI nurses).
