The Alice Network

To tell the truth, much of this special work we do is quite boring. I think that’s why women are good at it. Our lives are already boring. (p 83)

Intelligence: knowing where the enemy is, what they are doing, what they are planning, what they are capable of. Information that gives a tactical advantage in war. One source of intelligence: unobtrusive eyes and ears. Add language skills to understand and code messages. Fine motor skills to write those messages in tiny letters or to pick locks. The people you would least expect. Women.

The true story of WW1 spy Louise de Bettignies is the launching pad for Kate Quinn’s novel, The Alice Network. Codenamed Alice Dubois (and nicknamed Lili in the novel), the “queen of spies” and her covert network worked behind German lines in northern France and Belgium. The information they passed to the British is credited with saving over 1000 lives. A message about the possibility of a German attack at Verdun planned for early 1916 was unfortunately not believed by the French military authorities. de Bettignies was arrested in October 1915 and died in prison in September 1918.

Monday Monuments and Memorials – Nursing Sisters window, Christ Church Cathedral, Vancouver

“To the Nursing Sisters of Vancouver in both war and peace” Christ Church Cathedral, Vancouver

A window on the west wall of Christ Church Cathedral, at the corner of Burrard and Georgia Streets in Vancouver, is dedicated “to the Nursing Sisters of Vancouver in both war and peace.” The window was made by Abbot & Co Ltd, Lancaster, England. It was dedicated at a special service held in conjunction with the annual meeting of the Canadian Nurses Association on Sunday 25 June 1950.

Monday Monuments and Memorials – London redux

Today, many people around the world turn to London and pause to remember Queen Elizabeth II as she is laid to rest. Great War 100 Reads revisits three WW1 monuments in London that have been featured here over the years. Click on each heading to read more.

Royal Artillery Memorial

In proud remembrance of the 49,076 of all ranks of the Royal Regiment of Artillery who gave their lives for King and Country in the Great War 1914-1919

Imperial Camel Corps Memorial

Memorial in Victoria Embankment Gardens

Edith Cavell Memorial

Edith Cavell in St. Martin’s Place

Monday Monuments and Memorials – Memorial Tablets, Holy Trinity Cathedral, Quebec City

Holy Trinity Cathedral parishioners killed in WW1

Holy Trinity Cathedral parishioners who served in WW1

Two bronze tablets in the Cathedral of the Holy Trinity in Quebec City honour those who served and died in WW1. Palm leaves flank the names on both tablets, with the years 1914-1918 at the bottom.

“Ave atque vale” (hail and farewell) tops the tablet and “God gave them victory and glorious death” follows names of the 21 parishioners who died:

In the Company of Sisters and Material Traces of War

Regular visitors to Great War 100 Reads know of my particular interest in the exploits of women in WW1. Two books published in 2021 offer interesting takes on Canadian women’s roles in the war.

In the Company of Sisters: Canada’s Women in the War Zone, 1914-1919

Dianne Graves digs into the personal experiences of nursing sisters and other female medical personnel, as well as civilian volunteers who chose to “do their bit” abroad. Through journals, diaries, letters, records and newspaper accounts, she pieces together the details of their work overseas and the dangers they faced.  

Monday Monuments and Memorials – Citizens’ War Memorial, Peterborough, ON

Peterborough Citizens’ War Memorial

Peterborough War Memorial, Walter Allward, sculptor

Citizens of the Town and Township of Peterborough commissioned a war memorial in 1921. Sculptor Walter Seymour Allward won the commission, later assisted by Gilbert Bayes when Allward was occupied by his work on the Vimy Memorial. Central Park (now Confederation Park) was the chosen site, in part because it had been the gathering point from which many of the local soldiers left for war. The monument was dedicated by Sir Arthur Currie on 30 June 1929.

Monday Monuments and Memorials – Dancy Cant and Helena MacLaughlin, Beechwood Cemetery, Ottawa ON

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  Dancy MacLaughlin Cant, Beechwood Cemetery, Ottawa

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  Helena MacLaughlin, Beechwood Cemetery, Ottawa

This October, in honour of Women’s History Month, I am visiting the graves of WW1 nursing sisters buried in the National Captial Region.

Sisters Dancy Florence and Helena Augustine MacLaughlin were born in Ottawa, daughters of Thomas MacLaughlin and Augustine Desrochers MacLaughlin. The sisters are both buried in the military section of Beechwood Cemetery in Ottawa.

Monday Monuments and Memorials – Sadie St Germain, St James Cemetery, Gatineau QC

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  Nursing Sister Sadie St Germain, St James Cemetery, Gatineau

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  St Germain family gravestone, St James Cemetery, Gatineau

For the month of October, in honour of Women’s History Month, I am visiting WW1 Nursing Sisters buried in the National Capital Region.

Sadie St Germain was born on 21 July 1884 in Hull, Quebec, the seventh of eight children of Camille St Germain and Christine (McCallum) St Germain.

St Germain trained as a nurse in Newburgh, NY and worked there for some time before joining the Canadian Army Medical Corps (CAMC) on 10 August 1916. Six days later, she sailed to England. While posted there, bronchitis and neurasthenia took her out of commission for several weeks in early 1917. In September 1917, she transferred to No 1 Canadian General Hospital, Étaples. In December 1918, she was posted to No 2 Canadian Stationary Hospital, Le Treport. With the First Canadian Casualty Clearing Station, she was one of the few Canadian nurses to accompany the army of occupation into Germany in January 1919. She returned to Canada in May 1919. 

Monday Monuments and Memorials – Florence Leamy, Notre Dame Cemetery, Gatineau, QC

Nursing Sister Florence Lemay, Notre Dame Cemetery, Gatineau

For the month of October, in honour of Women’s History Month, I am visiting WW1 Nursing Sisters buried in the National Capital Region.

Florence Adelia Leamy was born on 20 February 1878 in Hull (now Gatineau), Quebec, the eldest daughter of Catherine and Walter Leamy. She was second of seven children.

Leamy trained in nursing at Ottawa General Hospital. She enlisted in the Canadian Army Medical Corps on 11 May 1915 in London, England. On 25 May, she was attached to a British hospital in Rouen. In August 1915, she was transferred to #1 Canadian General Hospital in Étaples. She survived influenza in December 1915 and tonsillitis in May 1916. She was mentioned in despatches on 25 Dec 1917 (London Gazette, no. 30448, p 13574).

Monday Monuments and Memorials – Laura Gamble, Johnston’s Corners Community Cemetery, Ottawa

Nursing Sister Laura Gamble, Johnston’s Corners Cemetery

For the month of October, I am visiting WW1 Nursing Sisters buried in the National Capital Region.

Laura Adelaide Gamble was born in Wakefield, Quebec in September 1887, the eldest of five daughters of Rev Robert Gamble and Adelaide McGillivray. She graduated from the Toronto General Hospital School of Nursing in 1910. She enlisted in May 1915 with the hospital organized by the University of Toronto (No. 4 Canadian General Hospital) and sailed for England that same month. From there, she was dispatched to the Mediterranean, where she served on a hospital ship and in Salonica. She also served for a time in England and France.

In 1917, she was awarded the Royal Red Cross 2^nd class (ARRC): “As Nursing Sister in charge of the officers’ wards she showed the greatest possible tact and extreme devotion to duty” and mentioned in despatches. Gamble’s war diary is now held by Library and Archives Canada.