MISCELLANEOUS MEDICAL SERVICES.
Less than half the Nova Scotia medical men who went Overseas served with the Nova Scotia Medical Units. This narrative would therefore be very incomplete without reference to the major portion.
Many of these had distinguished service with the Royal Army Medical Corps (R.A.M.C.) and with other Canadian and Imperial Hospitals, as well as with the fighting Units as Regimental Medical Officers and other general and special duties.
Be it said to the honor of Nova Scotia that the organizing and directing genius of the Canadian Army Medical Service was supplied by two Nova Scotians, Major-Gen. Guy Carleton Jones, C.M.G., who was born in Nova Scotia and practised his profession in Halifax, and Major-Gen. G. L. Foster, C.B., who was born in Nova Scotia and also practised his profession in Halifax.
General Jones went Overseas with the First Canadian Contingent as A.D.M.S. and shortly after arrival in England was made Director of Medical Services, Canadian Expeditionary Force, with headquarters in London, which he organized and administered with great ability until he was made Medical Inspector, Canadian Expeditionary Force, in 1917. Later he became D.M.S. in charge of hospitals in Canada.
General Foster succeeded General Jones as D.M.S. Canadian Expeditionary Force and later was made D.G.M.S., O.M.F.C., and successfully carried on the duties of that high and difficult office until the end of the War and the demobilization of the Canadian Army.
Another outstanding Nova Scotia Medical Officer was Lieut.-Col. H. M. Jacques. When the First Contingent left, Colonel Jacques became Acting D.G.M.S., Ottawa. He was A.D.M.S. 2nd Canadian Division in France; he was three times mentioned for distinguished service in Sir Douglas Haig’s dispatches and was promoted to the full rank of Colonel and awarded the D.S.O. and Bar for distinguished and gallant service in action.
The nursing service has also brought great credit to Nova Scotia, and it is a further honor to the Province that the Canadian Army Nursing Service was under the direction of a Nova Scotian. The Matron-in-Chief was Miss Margaret C. MacDonald, of Bailey Brook. She was mentioned for distinguished services and awarded the R.R.C. She had seen active service in the Spanish-American War and was selected to accompany the Second Canadian Contingent to South Africa.
The following is a synopsis of the Military Services of Nova Scotia medical men not previously mentioned, as far as can be obtained. It has been impossible to get a complete authentic record, and although every medical man on the Medical Register for the Province, who was known to have been in the military service, was written to personally for information, only thirty replies were received to 150 letters. The list is therefore liable to some errors and omissions.