The transfer to the military authorities of four hospitals in England opened by the Canadian Red Cross Society.
1918—Opening of Canadian Rest Homes for nurses and officers' hospitals in England.
The society had its fount and inspiration in Canada and its supply clearing houses, stores, and hospitals in England. In France it maintained an advance supply store at the Canadian Corps headquarters, whence its special transports carried what was needed to the fighting front, and, to facilitate the distribution, stores were also attached to every Canadian hospital. It built large recreation huts as annexes to the Canadian general and stationary hospitals, as well as special wards for pulmonary cases. It supplied Christmas gifts to all Canadian soldiers in every hospital in France. It furnished musical instruments for hospital orchestras, provided special furniture and fittings where required, and opened a Canadian Rest House at Boulogne for nursing sisters passing through, which afforded repose and shelter to 6,859 nurses.
As a source of field supplies, the Canadian Red Cross was a dependable dispenser which the military hospitals, dressing stations, and regimental aid posts always turned to for their requirements, knowing that what they needed was not only waiting to be forwarded at the first call for help, but would frequently be sent in anticipation of the need. When a severe action was in progress the Red Cross always had on hand the articles for which there was a constant demand by field ambulances and aid posts, such as dressings, special foods, instruments, socks, scissors, chocolate, pajamas, and even comfort bags into which wounded men put their small personal comforts. Even before troops entered the trenches their needs were considered, the battalion medical officers receiving a parcel of comforts from the Red Cross advance store.
A notable feature of the hospital work was in gratifying the desires of Canadian patients who asked for various articles they needed. Nearly half a million parcels were sent to every hospital which cared for wounded Canadians in the course of the war. The parcels contained, among other articles, toilet requisites, cigarettes, stationery, games, books, sweets, fruit, and materials for work. It needed wholesale purchasing to supply this demand. Cigarettes in millions were bought, not to speak of eight tons of tobacco, 40,000 shaving brushes, five tons of fruit drops, and ten tons of eating chocolate. Those in hospital who were homesick were cheered by the arrival monthly of seventy-nine sacks of Canadian newspapers.
Thus the Canadian soldier received tangible evidence that the people at home were ever giving and working in order that he might not be denied comforts in his need. Whether he was in action, or in a hospital at the base, or in England, or returning to his reserve unit, or taking his discharge on his native soil, he was the recipient of benefits from the Canadian Red Cross, though he might not always be aware of the tireless rôle it undertook as his good angel.
1. AWARDS OF THE VICTORIA CROSS (V.C.) FOR CONSPICUOUS BRAVERY INSTITUTED JANUARY 29, 1856
| NAME | NUMBER | RANK | UNIT | WON | WHERE WON |
| |
| Algie, Wallace Lloyd | | Lieutenant | 20th Battalion | Oct. 11, 1918 | Cambrai |
| Barker, William George | | Major | R. A. F. | Oct. 27, 1918 | Forêt de Morma |
| Barren, Colin | 404017 | Corporal | 3d Battalion | Nov. 6, 1917 | Passchendaele |
| Bellow, Edward Donald | | Captain | 7th Battalion | April 24, 1915 | Ypres |
| Bishop, William Avery | | Lieut. Colonel | R. A. F. | | Near Cambrai |
| Brereton, Alexander | 830651 | Acting Corp. | 8th Battalion | Aug. 9, 1918 | East of Amiens (Warvillers) |
| Brillant, John | | Lieutenant | 22d Battalion | Aug. 8,9, 1918 | East Meharicourt |
| Brown, Harry | 226352 | Private | 10th Battalion | Aug. 16, 1917 | Hill 70 near Loos |
| Cairns, Hugh | 472168 | Sergeant | 46th Battalion | Nov, 1, 1918 | Valenciennes |
| Campbell, Frederick William | | Lieutenant | 1st Battalion | June 15, 1915 | Givenchy |
| Clark, Leonard | 73182 | Acting Corp. | 2d Battalion | Sept. 10, 1916 | Pozières |
| Clarke-Kennedy, William H. | | Lieut. Colonel | 24th Battalion | Aug. 27, 1918 | Arras |
| Combe, Robert Grierson | | Lieutenant | 27th Battalion | May 3, 1917 | South of Acheville |
| Coppins, Frederick George | 1987 | Corporal | 8th Battalion | Aug. 9, 1918 | Near Beaufort |
| Croak, John Bernard | 445312 | Private | 13th Battalion | Aug. 8, 1918 | Amiens |
| Dinesen, Thomas | 2075467 | Private | 42d Battalion | Aug. 12, 1918 | Parvillers |
| Fisher, Frederick | 24066 | Lance Corp. | 13th Battalion | April 23, 1915 | St. Julien |
| Flowerdew, Gordon M. | | Lieutenant | L. S. H. | March 30, 1918 | Northeast of Bois de Mereuil |
| Good, Herman James | 445120 | Corporal | 13th Battalion | Aug. 8, 1918 | Hangard Wood |
| Gregg, Milton Fowler | | Lieutenant | R. C. R. | Oct. 1, 1918 | Cambrai |
| Hall, Frederick William | 1539 | Color Sergt. | 8th Battalion | April 24, 1915 | Ypres |
| Hanna, Robert | 75361 | Co. Sgt. Maj. | 29th Battalion | April 21, 1917 | Lens |
| Harvey, Frederick N. W. | | Lieutenant | L. S. H. | March 27, 1917 | Guyencourt |
| Hobson, Frederick | 57113 | Sergeant | 20th Battalion | Aug. 15, 1917 | Northwest of Lens |
| Holmes, Thomas William | 838301 | Private | 4th C. M. R. | Oct. 26, 1917 | Near Passchendaele |
| Honey, Samuel Lewis | | Lieutenant | 78th Battalion | Sept. 29, 1918 | Bourlon Wood |
| Hutcheson, Bellenden Seymour | | Captain | 75th Battalion | Sept. 2, 1918 | Queant-Drecourt Line |
| Kaeble, Joseph | 889958 | Corporal | 22d Battalion | June 8, 1919 | Neuville-Vitasse |
| Kerr, George Fraser | | Lieutenant | 3d Battalion | Sept. 27, 1918 | Bourlon Wood |
| Kerr, John Chipman | 101465 | Private | 49th Battalion | Sept. 16, 1916 | Courcelette |
| Kinross, Cecil John | 437793 | Private | 49th Battalion | Nov. 10, 1917 | Passchendaele Ridge |
| Knight, Arthur George | 426402 | Acting Sgt. | 10th Battalion | Sept. 2, 1918 | Villers Les-Cagnicour |
| Konowal, Filip | 144039 | Acting Corp. | 47th Battalion | Aug. 22, 1917 | Lens |
| Learmonth, O'Kill Massey | | Acting Capt. | 2d Battalion | Aug. 18, 1917 | East of Loos |
| Lyall, Graham Thompson | | Lieutenant | 102d Battalion | Sept. 2, 1918 | Bourlon Wood |
| MacDowell, Thain Wendell | | Capt. Act. Maj. | 38th Battalion | April 9, 1917 | Vimy Ridge |
| MacGregor, John | | Captain | 2d C. M. R. | Oct. 3, 1918 | Cambrai |
| McKean, George Burdon | | Lieutenant | 14th Battalion | April 28, 1918 | Cavrelle Sector |
| McKenzie, Hugh | | Lieutenant | 7th M. G. C. | Oct. 30, 1917 | Meetcheele Spur near Passchendaele |
| McLeod, Allan Arnett | | Second Lieut. | R. A. F. | |
| Merrifield, William | 8000 | Sergeant | 4th Battalion | Oct. 1, 1918 | Abancourt |
| Metcalf, William Henry | 22614 | Lance Corp. | 16th Battalion | Sept. 4, 1918 | Arras |
| Milne, William Johnstone | 427586 | Private | 16th Battalion | April 9, 1917 | Near Thelus |
| Miner, Harry G. B. | 823028 | Corporal | 58th Battalion | Aug. 8, 1918 | Demuin |
| Mitchell, Coulson Norman | | Captain | 4th Battalion | Oct. 9, 1918 | Canal de L'Escaut |
| Mullin, George Harry | 51339 | Sergeant | P. P. C. L. I. | Oct. 30, 1917 | Passchendaele |
| Nunney, Claud J. P. | 410935 | Private | 38th Battalion | Sept. 2, 1918 | Queant-Drecourt |
| O'Kelly, Christopher Patrick | | Acting Capt. | 52d Battalion | Oct. 26, 1917 | Southwest Passchendaele |
| O'Rourke, Michael James | 428545 | Private | 7th Battalion | Aug. 15, 1917 | Hill 60 near Lens |
| Pattison, John George | 808887 | Private | 50th Battalion | April 10, 1917 | Vimy Ridge |
| Pearkes, George R. | | Major | 5th C. M. R. | Oct. 30, 1917 | Near Passchendaele |
| Peck, Cyrus Wesley | | Lieut. Colonel | 16th Battalion | Sept. 2, 1918 | Cagnicourt |
| Rayfield, Walter Leigh | 2204279 | Private | 7th Battalion | Sept. 2, 1918 | Arras |
| Richardson, James | 28930 | Piper | 16th Battalion | Oct. 8, 1916 | Regina Trench |
| Robertson, James Peter | 552665 | Private | 27th Battalion | Nov. 6, 1917 | Passchendaele |
| Rutherford, Charles Smith | | Lieutenant | 5th C. M. | Aug. 26, 1918 | Monchy-le-Preux |
| Scrimger, Francis Alexander | | Captain | 14th Battalion | March 25, 1915 | Near Ypres |
| Shankland, Robert | | Lieutenant | 43rd Battalion | Oct. 26, 1917 | Passchendaele |
| Sifton, Ellie Wellwood | 531730 | Lance Sergt. | 18th Battalion | April 9, 1917 | Neuville St. Vaast |
| Spall, Robert L. | 475212 | Sergeant | P. P. C. L. I. | Aug. 12, 1918 | Parvillers |
| Strachan, Marcus | | Lieutenant | F. G. H. | Nov. 20, 1917 | Masnières |
| Tait, James Edward | | Lieutenant | 78th Battalion | Aug. 8, 1918 | Amiens |
| Young, John Francis | 177239 | Private | 87th Battalion | Sept. 2, 1918 | Arras |
| Zengel, Raphael Louis | 424252 | Sergeant | 5th Battalion | Aug. 9, 1918 | East Warvillers |
CHRONOLOGY OF THE WORLD WAR