Nurse's military service uniform made from blue silk and consisting of a double-breasted tunic (a) and knee-length skirt (b); tunic has 12 brass buttons (c-n) arranged in two columns of six and one on each cuff (o-p), all held in place by split-rings (q-ad); epaulets have lieutenants' pips (ae-ah) …
Nurse's military service uniform made from blue silk and consisting of a double-breasted tunic (a) and knee-length skirt (b); tunic has 12 brass buttons (c-n) arranged in two columns of six and one on each cuff (o-p), all held in place by split-rings (q-ad); epaulets have lieutenants' pips (ae-ah) affixed by cotter pins (ai-al) and Canada pins (am-an); the cuffs have zippers running ¼ of the way up the forearm and navy patches with five red arrows pointing up the sleeve; small metal snaps at neck and hook and loop fastener at front waist provide closure; three hook fasteners at small of back affix to three loop fasteners at the back waistband of the skirt; skirt is hemmed and has false pockets and a zipper-type closure.
Number Of Parts
40
Part Names
a - tunic - Size: Length 62.0 cm x Width 43.0 cm x Depth 0.2 cm
b - skirt - Size: Length 62.0 cm x Width 66.7 cm x Depth 0.2 cm
c-p - buttons - Size:
q-ad - split rings - Size:
ae-ah - pips - Size:
ai-al - cotter pins - Size:
am-an - pins - Size:
Provenance
Owned by Miriam (Hartrick) Kelly; donated to museum by daughter Miriam Ruth Howard.
Circular, moulded into the pips: "TRIA JUNCTA IN UNO"; moulded into pins at each shoulder: "CANADA"; "RCAMC" moulded into each of the 14 buttons; "LIGHTNING" moulded into the two zipper pulls.
Permanent Location
(a, b) Storage Room 0010
0010 Closet
(c-an) Storage Room 0010
0010-C5-2
Unit Of Measure
centimeters
Condition Remarks
#1: All brass present; some slight signs of wear at shoulders; some patchy use-related discolouration
Copy Type
Original
Reference Types
Person
Book
Museum
Reference Comments
Doug Hildebrand, curator, Military Communications & Electronics Museum; War Dress Regulations, 1940, 1943
Miriam Ruth Howard
“Nursing Sister’s apron, Royal Canadian Army Medical Corps (RCAMC),” Museum of Health Care. http://artefact.museumofhealthcare.ca/?p=79
Research Facts
Owned and used by Nursing Sister Lieutenant Miriam Hartrick during World War II. Miriam (Hartrick) Kelly (1909-2001) graduated from Kingston General Hospital School of Nursing in 1931. She served in England, France and Italy during World War II.
More than 4000 women served as military nurses during the Second World War playing a vital role in the care and comfort of wounded soldiers, sailors, and airmen. As commissioned officers known by rank and title as Nursing Sisters, they served as fully-integrated members of the Royal Canadian Army Medical Corps, the Royal Canadian Navy, and the Royal Canadian Air Force. Most of them worked overseas in military hospitals and casualty clearing stations. After the lean years of the 1930s when there were few available positions for graduate nurses, even with the dangers of warfare, military nursing offered a job with a good salary, benefits, status, and a chance to travel.