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Auction: 22001 - Orders, Decorations and Medals
Lot: 353

'I regret to have to bring to your notice the conduct of the following nurses, Miss F. Mc Donald, Miss N. M. Burke, Miss C. Dale, on the H.S. Gloucester Castle.
They were constantly in the company of sick officers smoking and drinking! I spoke to them about their behaviour but it had no effect
This matter was reported to the Matron

(A report signed by Sister E. Moore, Q.A.I.M.N.S.R., refers)
1914-15 Star (2/Nurse C. Dale Q.A.I.M.N.S.R.), traces of lacquer, otherwise very fine

Christine Dale was born at London in 1888, the daughter of Albert and Caroline Dale. Her family moved to Canada in her youth and the young Dale only returned with the outbreak of war. Joining the Second Canadian Red Cross Contingent on 29 June 1915, one of only twenty nurses, making her one of the first Canadian nurses to join the war. Arriving in England she entered the war in Egypt on 6 July 1915 (Star and Medal) through the St. Johns Ambulance Association, joining Queen Alexandra's Imperial Military Nursing Service Reserve on arrival.

Unfortunately for Dale while aboard the Hospital Ship Gloucester Castle she was faced with the temptation of treats rarely available in wartime, cigarettes and wine. The nurses didn't defend themselves although the testimony of one, F. Macdonald did say that her taking wine was 'at the suggestion of one of the officer patients.', Dale's testimony simply states 'I admit that my conduct on the 'Gloucester Castle' was unbecoming for a nurse'. She handed in her notice with the Q.A.I.M.N.S.R. on 2 November 1915 but did attempt to continue her work in Europe applying to join the Canadian Army Medical Corps in December that year. A letter from the C.A.M.C. Matron-in Chief asking for a reference was met with a stiff response from her former employers, who stated 'I had no report on her work in Egypt, but on the way home on the Hospital Ship her behaviour was not as strictly professional as we expect'.

It is unclear if Dale saw any further service during the war, interestingly however she married soon after the conflict on 20 May 1920 at Toronto to Captain Douglas Kerr. He was seriously wounded in France on 25 August 1917, being returned to England and on 19 November Canada. We might speculate that the couple met during his rehabilitation, tragically one of their sons, Bruce Douglas was killed during the Second World War; sold together with copied research including service records, extracts from the British Journal of Nursing an census data as well as service details relating to Captain Douglas Kerr.

Further entitled to the British War and Victory Medals.

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Sold for
£100

Starting price
£20