Elizabeth Lawrie Smellie (March 22, 1884 – March 5, 1968) was a
Canadian
Canadians (french: Canadiens) are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of ...
nurse
Nursing is a profession within the health care sector focused on the care of individuals, families, and communities so they may attain, maintain, or recover optimal health and quality of life. Nurses may be differentiated from other health c ...
and the first woman to be promoted to the rank of
colonel
Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations.
In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge of ...
in the
Canadian Army
The Canadian Army (french: Armée canadienne) is the command responsible for the operational readiness of the conventional ground forces of the Canadian Armed Forces. It maintains regular forces units at bases across Canada, and is also respo ...
.
Early life
Smellie was born at
Port Arthur, Ontario
Port Arthur was a city in Northern Ontario, Canada, located on Lake Superior. In January 1970, it amalgamated with Fort William and the townships of Neebing and McIntyre to form the city of Thunder Bay.
Port Arthur had been the district seat of ...
to
Thomas Smellie,
Conservative Member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario for Fort William and Lake of the Woods from 1905 to 1911, and Janet Eleanor ( Lawrie). She trained at the
Johns Hopkins School of Nursing
The Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing (JHUSON) is the nursing school of Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland. Established in 1889, it is one of the nation's oldest schools for nursing education. It is continuously rated as the ...
in
Baltimore
Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the List of municipalities in Maryland, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, and List of United States cities by popula ...
,
Maryland
Maryland ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It shares borders with Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware and the Atlantic Ocean to ...
. To her family and friends, she was known as "Beth".
Nursing career
In August 1914, Smellie applied to be a Red Cross nurse; she was told to report to Ottawa 25 January 1915. During World War I, she was posted at
Cliveden
Cliveden (pronounced ) is an English country house and estate in the care of the National Trust in Buckinghamshire, on the border with Berkshire. The Italianate mansion, also known as Cliveden House, crowns an outlying ridge of the Chiltern H ...
, Lady Astor's estate, and became matron of the Moore Barracks Hospital at
Shorncliffe Army Camp
Shorncliffe Army Camp is a large military camp near Cheriton in Kent. Established in 1794, it later served as a staging post for troops destined for the Western Front during the First World War.
History
The camp was established in 1794 when t ...
where thousands of Canadian soldiers were treated. In 1917 she was decorated by King
George V
George V (George Frederick Ernest Albert; 3 June 1865 – 20 January 1936) was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 until Death and state funeral of George V, his death in 1936.
Born duri ...
at
Buckingham Palace
Buckingham Palace () is a London royal residence and the administrative headquarters of the monarch of the United Kingdom. Located in the City of Westminster, the palace is often at the centre of state occasions and royal hospitality. It ...
with the first class
Royal Red Cross
The Royal Red Cross (RRC) is a military decoration awarded in the United Kingdom and Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth for exceptional services in military nursing.
Foundation
The award was established on 27 April 1883 by Victoria of the Un ...
.
After further post-war training in Boston, she taught public health nursing for two years at
McGill University
McGill University (french: link=no, Université McGill) is an English-language public research university located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Founded in 1821 by royal charter granted by King George IV,Frost, Stanley Brice. ''McGill Universit ...
, Montreal. She was
Chief Superintendent
Chief superintendent is a senior rank in police forces, especially in those organised on the United Kingdom, British model.
Rank insignia of chief superintendent
File:Sa-police-chief-superintendent.png, South Australia Police
File:RCMP Chief Su ...
of the
Victorian Order of Nurses
The Victorian Order of Nurses (VON) has been leading home and community care in Canada for over a century. Today, VON provides home and community support services to over 10,000 people every day across Ontario and Nova Scotia. It is registered as a ...
from January 1924 to May 1947, except during World War II, when she was recalled up into the Canadian army as Colonel and Matron-in-chief of the Canadian Women's Army Medical Corps from 1940 until 1944. She was the first woman to achieve the rank of
colonel
Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations.
In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge of ...
in the Canadian army. A portrait of Smellie, painted by
Kenneth Forbes, was unveiled by her successor in Ottawa in 1944.
Smellie was made a
Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations,
and public service outside the civil service. It was established o ...
in 1934.
She frequently enjoyed getting back together with her nurse colleagues. For instance, on 29 May 1963, the Winnipeg Free Press published a picture of Smellie along with her three other wartime nursing sisters at a supper party. The supper party was organized in honor of Elizabeth by the Canadian Nursing Sisters Association in Deer Lodge Hospital nurses' lounge. The three nursing sisters with Smellie were Katherine Morton,
Evelyn Pepper of Ottawa and Mrs. Alex Noble.
She died in Toronto in 1968 at the age of 83 and is buried in Riverside Cemetery,
Thunder Bay
Thunder Bay is a city in and the seat of Thunder Bay District, Ontario, Canada. It is the most populous municipality in Northwestern Ontario and the second most populous (after Greater Sudbury) municipality in Northern Ontario; its population ...
,
Ontario
Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central Ca ...
.
Legacy
A historical marker to Smellie was erected by the Ontario Heritage Foundation, and stands in Waverley Park, Thunder Bay, Ontario. It reads:
This celebrated Canadian army nurse and public health authority was born in Port Arthur, Ontario
Port Arthur was a city in Northern Ontario, Canada, located on Lake Superior. In January 1970, it amalgamated with Fort William and the townships of Neebing and McIntyre to form the city of Thunder Bay.
Port Arthur had been the district seat of ...
. In 1901 "Beth" Smellie became night supervisor at McKellar General Hospital. Joining the Royal Canadian Army Medical Corps in 1915, she served in France and England. Elizabeth Smellie was demobilized in 1920 and three years later became Chief Superintendent of the Victorian Order of Nurses
The Victorian Order of Nurses (VON) has been leading home and community care in Canada for over a century. Today, VON provides home and community support services to over 10,000 people every day across Ontario and Nova Scotia. It is registered as a ...
for Canada. She re-entered the army in 1940 and a year later supervised the organization of the Canadian Women's Army Corps. The first woman to attain the rank of Colonel in Canada's Armed Forces, Col. Smellie achieved many honours, including Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations,
and public service outside the civil service. It was established o ...
and the Royal Red Cross Medal. After World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
she returned to the V.O.N., and retired in 1947.
Smellie was designated a Person of National Historic Significance in 2011 by the federal government, on the recommendation of the national
Historic Sites and Monuments Board. A federal plaque is typically erected to such Persons, as well as for National Historic Events and Sites. As of 2015, one had not been installed to Smellie. The mandate of the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada is to advise the Government of Canada, through the Minister of the Environment, on the commemoration of nationally significant aspects of Canada's history following a thorough evaluation process and recommendation by the Board, the Minister declares the site, event or person of national historic significance.
References
Sources
* MacLean, Mary R. Colonel Elizabeth Smellie CBE,
Thunder Bay Historical Museum Society, Papers and Records, III (1975), 16-18 with reproduction of portrait by
Kenneth Forbes on page 16.
External links
Famous Canadian Women
{{DEFAULTSORT:Smellie, Elizabeth Lawrie
1884 births
1968 deaths
Johns Hopkins School of Nursing alumni
Canadian military personnel of World War II
Canadian Commanders of the Order of the British Empire
Female wartime nurses
Members of the Royal Red Cross
People from Thunder Bay
World War II nurses
Female nurses in World War I
Canadian military nurses
Persons of National Historic Significance (Canada)
Canadian women nurses