Capt. A. Sterling, Capt. S. MacKenzie, Capt. G. Zwicker, Capt. G. Phillips and Capt. S. Whitehouse arrived from England on November 20th and joined the Unit. Capt. Sterling had gone Overseas as a combatant officer with the R.C.R.’s and saw considerable fighting. Owing to the scarcity of medical officers in the summer of 1917 he was asked to transfer to the Medical Corps, which he did, and was posted to the Canadian Special Hospital at Etching Hill, where he remained until joining No. 9 Canadian Stationary.
Major S. L. Walker was posted to this Unit on November 25, 1918, and was afterwards promoted to the rank of Lieut.-Colonel. He had been on active service with various Units since the spring of 1915. Colonel Walker was an excellent administrative officer and added strength to the Staff as second in command.
The Unit received instructions to take over the special hospital at Camiers from the Dalhousie Unit, which had received orders to proceed to England en route to Canada. This change took place on February 8, 1919, and St. Francis Unit took over the hospital with 900 patients.
In a short time the number of patients increased to 1,100 and St. Francis Unit had the honor of being raised to the status of a General Hospital. This gave an opportunity for some well-merited promotions among the officers, non-commissioned officers and men.
At this time the Staff was as follows:
| Col. R. St. John MacDonald | Officer Commanding. |
| Lieut.-Col. S. L. Walker | Second in Command. |
| Major H. G. Murray | In charge Medical Division. |
| Major A. Sterling | In charge Surgical Division. |
| Major R. F. Slater | Registrar and Paymaster. |
| Major J. R. MacRae | |
| Major G. S. Gordon | |
| Major S. Sprague | |
| Hon. Capt. H. E. Law | Quartermaster. |
| Hon. Capt. A. E. Hagar | Chaplain. |
| Capt. S. P. H. Morlatt | Dental Officer. |
| Capt. F. Hinds | Dental Officer. |
| Capt. J. F. Elkerton | |
| Capt. J. D. MacDonald | |
| Capt. W. M. MacDonald | |
| Capt. A. R. Campbell | |
| Capt. G. Phillips | |
| Capt. S. Whitehouse | |
| Capt. G. Zwicker |
The stay at Camiers was made more pleasant for the personnel and patients by the attention paid to recreation and amusements. A baseball league was formed for the area and many good games were played, in which there was a great deal of enthusiastic interest. There was also much interest taken in tennis and quoits. A moving-picture theatre was constructed and equipped by the Canadian Y.M.C.A., under Capt. A. E. Hagar, which was an unfailing source of pleasure to the patients and personnel. The Y.M.C.A. also established a canteen and furnished a reading room. The Red Cross too, through its representative, Major F. Murphy, contributed very largely to the success of the Unit by providing comforts for the patients and a large amount of sporting equipment.
A thrill of pleasant anticipation ran through the Unit when on May 20th orders were received that the patients were to be evacuated at once with a view to demobilization and return to Canada. As soon as the patients were evacuated no time was lost in turning the hospital equipment and supplies in to Ordnance Stores. This was completed on May 28th and on May 30th the Unit moved to Boulogne, crossed to Folkestone the same afternoon and arrived at Witley Camp, Surrey, the next day.
After a very pleasant month in England, occupied mostly with leave-taking and renewing old acquaintances, the Unit proceeded to Southampton and embarked on the S.S. Olympic for Halifax on July 2nd, together with No. 7 Canadian General Hospital (Queens) and No. 4 Canadian General Hospital (Toronto).
On July 8th at 6 p.m., after a voyage of only six days, these happy home-comers were docked at Halifax. The Unit was met by representatives of St. Francis Xavier College, whose name it had the honor of bearing, led by Dr. J. J. Tompkins. Dr. Tompkins invited the officers, non-commissioned officers and men to a reception as well as farewell banquet at the “Green Lantern.” Other guests present were Governor Grant, Hon. R. E. Faulkner, Hon. Senator Crosby, Col. John Stewart, Lieut.-Col. E. V. Hogan and John Neville. After an excellent supper the Unit was welcomed home in a very happy manner by Dr. Tompkins, Governor Grant and others. Col. R. St. J. MacDonald and Lieut.-Col. S. L. Walker replied on behalf of the Unit.