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Calgary historian honours Canada's war nurses

A University of Calgary instructor is drawing attention to the nearly 8,000 Canadian nurses who served in the two world wars but often remain forgotten in the November ceremonies honouring the country's war heroes.

Nurse historian Diana Mansell researched the role of Canada's nurses in the two world wars for a Remembrance Day lecture she gave in Calgary Wednesday night.

"[I] found it very interesting, and I think they are, in many ways, not acknowledged for their efforts, probably due to the silence of many of them," said Mansell.

Many of the women she spoke to who served in the Second World War suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder from witnessing events they weren't prepared to encounter.

"They were anywhere from 19 to 21, with virtually no life experience," Mansell said. "And they took on these horrendous tasks. And then came home and carry the fear with them.
Read entire article at CBC