Major Helen Livingstone Shanks

Survivor of WW2

Date of Death:

Biography General Links Ranks Images Awards

Service Biography

Helen Livingstone Shanks was born at Huntingdon, Quebec, on 14 April 1904, the daughter of Walter D. Shanks and Grace Cameron Shanks. She attended Miss Edgar's and Miss Cramp's schools and studied Household Science at Macdonald College before training as a registered nurse at the Royal Victoria Hospital in Montreal. She worked at the Royal Victoria Hospital from 1926 until 1940 and at the Montreal Neurological Institute from 1937 until 1940 until she joined the Royal Canadian Army Medical Corps as a Nursing Sister in January 1940 and served with No. 1 Neurological Hospital in Canada and the United Kingdom. After leaving the service on compassionate grounds in August 1941, she re-enlisted on 9 March 1942 and served at Rideau Military Hospital. She advanced through Assistant Matron, Matron and Principal Matron appointments, was posted to No. 4 Canadian General Hospital in 1944, and later served with No. 9 Canadian General Hospital overseas. Promoted to Major in August 1944, she completed 1,719 days of qualifying service, including 730 days overseas. She was appointed a Member of the Royal Red Cross, First Class, and received the France and Germany Star, Defence Medal, Canadian Volunteer Service Medal and Clasp, and War Medal 1939-1945. After the war she married Colonel Dr. Robert J. Nodwell of Vancouver in Montreal on 15 August 1945 and retired from nursing. She died at Sunnybrook Hospital in Toronto on 24 December 1965 and was buried in Mount Royal Cemetery, Montreal.

General Information

Conflict:

WW2

Regimental No.:

Cause of Death (in war):

Survived

Branch:

Canadian Army

Regiment:

Royal Canadian Army Medical Corps

Battalion:

No. 4 Canadian General Hospital / No. 21 Canadian General Hospital

Company:

Date of Birth :

Place of Birth:

Huntingdon, Quebec, Canada

Date of Enlistment:

Age at Enlistment:

35 years 8 months

Date of Discharge:

Age at Discharge:

41 years 6 months

Date of Death:

Age at Death:

61 years 8 months

Country Born:

Trade or Calling:

Graduate Nurse; prewar general duty nurse

Next of Kin:

Mrs. Walter D. Shanks (mother), Huntingdon, Quebec

Address at Enlistment:

2168 Sherbrooke Street West, Montreal, Quebec

Religion:

Aboriginal

Place of Enlistment:

Montreal, Quebec

Was a Prisoner of War:

Height:

Weight:

135 lbs / 61 kg

Chest:

Expansion:

Marital Status:

Single

Prior Military Experience:

Yes

Saw Service in:

Europe

Place of Discharge:

Vancouver, British Columbia

Discharge Type:

Regular/End of Service

Discharge Notes:

Initially struck off strength on 1 August 1941 after being permitted to retire on compassionate grounds. Re-enlisted on 9 March 1942. She ceased overseas service on 30 July 1945, returned through No. 1 Canadian Repatriation Depot, and was finally struck off strength at Vancouver on 16 October 1945 on general demobilization. Her commission was formally permitted to be resigned effective 16 October 1945.

Battle Died/Wounded:

Length of Service:

2112 days in service

Buried at:

Mount Royal Cemetery, Montreal, Quebec

Plot:

Links

Ancestry.com

Images

Major Helen Shanks

Ranks

Conflict	Rank	Regiment	Branch	Unit
WW2	Major	Royal Canadian Army Medical Corps	Canadian Army	No. 4 Canadian General Hospital / No. 21 Canadian General Hospital
Promoted Major (Principal Matron) effective 21 Aug 1944; retired in that rank.
WW2	Principal Matron	Royal Canadian Army Medical Corps	Canadian Army	No. 4 Canadian General Hospital
Initially acting; substantive Major/Principal Matron promotion effective 21 Aug 1944.
WW2	Matron	Royal Canadian Army Medical Corps	Canadian Army	Rideau Military Hospital / No. 4 Canadian General Hospital
DVA summary records eleven months as Matron; later record shows acting appointments and No. 4 CGH posting.
WW2	Assistant Matron	Royal Canadian Army Medical Corps	Canadian Army	Rideau Military Hospital
DVA summary records four months as Assistant Matron.
WW2	Captain	Royal Canadian Army Medical Corps	Canadian Army	Rideau Military Hospital
Parallel officer rank; acting/substantive distinctions require final reconciliation.
WW2	Nursing Sister	Royal Canadian Army Medical Corps	Canadian Army	Rideau Military Hospital
Re-enlisted 9 Mar 1942.
WW2	Lieutenant	Royal Canadian Army Medical Corps	Canadian Army	Rideau Military Hospital
Parallel commissioned rank.
WW2	Lieutenant	Royal Canadian Army Medical Corps	Canadian Army	No. 1 Neurological Hospital
Parallel commissioned rank for Nursing Sister.
WW2	Nursing Sister	Royal Canadian Army Medical Corps	Canadian Army	No. 1 Neurological Hospital
Initial period. Primary papers give enlistment 4 Jan 1940; commissioned rank effective 27 Jun 1940.

Awards

Conflict	Award	Action	Source
WW2	Royal Red Cross, First Class (Member)	Appointed a Member of the Royal Red Cross, First Class	Service record / Royal Red Cross list
Appointed a Member of the Royal Red Cross, First Class
WW2	France and Germany Star		Certificate of Service
WW2	Defence Medal		Certificate of Service
WW2	Canadian Volunteer Service Medal and Clasp		Awards record / Certificate of Service
WW2	War Medal 1939-1945		Awards record

Service Chronology

1904-04-14 — Born at Huntingdon, Quebec.
1922 — Attended Miss Edgar's and Miss Cramp's schools; completed junior matriculation at age 17.
1922-1923 — Studied Household Science at Macdonald College.
1923-1926 — Trained as a registered nurse at the Royal Victoria Hospital.
1926-1940 — Worked at the Royal Victoria Hospital; from 1937 to 1940 worked at the Montreal Neurological Institute as a general duty nurse.
1940-01-04 — Enlisted in the Canadian Field Force as a Nursing Sister.
1940-06-27 — Appointed to commissioned rank as a Nursing Sister.
1940-07-02 — Reported to No. 1 Neurological Hospital and began unit duties; attached to 23rd Field Ambulance for rations during initial organization.
1940-08-27 to 1941-05-31 — First period of qualifying overseas service with No. 1 Neurological Hospital.
1940-09-17 and 1940-09-21 — Reported sick with dental cavities and was referred for dental treatment.
1941-05-27 to 1941-05-31 — Transferred administratively through Canadian Base Depot while attached to No. 1 Neurological Hospital for rations and quarters.
1941-06-17 — Returned to Canada from overseas service.
1941-08-01 — Struck off strength after being permitted to retire on compassionate grounds.
1942-03-09 — Re-entered active service as a Nursing Sister and was posted to Rideau Military Hospital.
1942-12-01 — Appointed Assistant Matron.
1943-03-25 — Appointed Acting Matron/Acting Captain.
1944-01-08 to 1944-01-19 — Admitted to Rideau Military Hospital with pharyngo-laryngo-tracheobronchitis; discharged in good condition with four days excused duty.
1944-02-25 — Transferred from Rideau Military Hospital to No. 4 Canadian General Hospital.
1944-05-04 to 1945-07-30 — Second period of qualifying overseas service.
1944-08-21 — Promoted to Major (Principal Matron).
1945-01-09 — Recorded as appointed a Member of the Royal Red Cross, First Class.
1945-07-24 — Certified previous service while serving with No. 9 Canadian General Hospital.
1945-07-25 to 1945-07-30 — Passed through No. 1 Canadian Repatriation Depot and was struck off strength Canadian Army overseas.
1945-09-25 — Struck off strength to No. 11 District Depot pending release.
1945-10-06 to 1945-10-12 — Admitted to Vancouver Military Hospital for cystic cervicitis; underwent cervical biopsy/excision. Pathology showed chronic cervicitis, glandular hyperplasia and retention cysts with no malignancy.
1945-10-15 — Discharge counsellor recorded her plan to retire from nursing and establish a home with her Army medical officer husband.
1945-10-16 — Struck off strength at Vancouver on general demobilization and permitted to resign her commission.
1946-02-19 — War-service gratuity statement calculated 1,719 days qualifying service, 730 days overseas service and $873.88 payable.
1965-12-24 — Died at Sunnybrook Hospital.
1965-12-27 — Funeral service held; buried at Mount Royal Cemetery.

Notes

Education: Miss Edgar's and Miss Cramp's schools (1922), Macdonald College at Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue in Household Science (1922-1923), and Royal Victoria Hospital nursing training (1923-1926). Prewar employment: Royal Victoria Hospital, Montreal, 1926-1940; Montreal Neurological Institute, 1937-1940. During discharge processing she used the married surname Nodwell and gave 5853 Terrebonne Avenue, Montreal, as her postwar address. She applied for and received a war-service gratuity of $873.88.
Born Huntingdon
Helen Livingstone Shanks BIRTH 14 APR 1904 • Huntingdon, Quebec DEATH 24 DEC 1965 • Canada
COL. ROBERT JAMES NODWELL, of Victoria. B.C. and MRS. NOD-WELL, photographed after thelr quiet marriage solemnized at half- past twelve o'clock, Aug. 15th, at the First Presbyterian Church. The bride was formerly MAJOR HELEN LIVINGSTONE SHANKS, R.R.C. She was principal matron of No. 4 Canadian General Hospital in England. where Col, Nodwell was Commanding Officer. The latter Is a graduate in Medicine of Toronto University, and is the son- of Sr. and Mrs. Robert D. Nodwell, of Hillsburg, Ont. The bride is the daughter of the late Walter D. Shanks. of Huntingdon, Que. and of Mrs. Shanks, of Montreal, Both recently returned from overseas

Additional Service Notes

Served as a Nursing Sister and officer of the Royal Canadian Army Medical Corps in two periods of active service totalling 1,719 days, including 730 days of qualifying overseas service. During her first period she served with No. 1 Neurological Hospital in Canada and the United Kingdom from 1940 to 1941. After re-enlisting on 9 March 1942, she served at Rideau Military Hospital and advanced through Assistant Matron, Matron and Principal Matron appointments. She was posted to No. 4 Canadian General Hospital in February 1944, served overseas from May 1944, and was serving with No. 9 Canadian General Hospital by July 1945. She returned through No. 1 Canadian Repatriation Depot and retired as Major (Principal Matron). She was appointed a Member of the Royal Red Cross, First Class, and received the France and Germany Star, Defence Medal, Canadian Volunteer Service Medal and Clasp, and War Medal 1939-1945.
She was in the UK when granted compassionate leave. She had to pay for her own passage back to Canada.

Additional Next of Kin Notes

Father Walter D. Shanks was deceased by January 1940. Mother Mrs. Walter D. Shanks, identified in the obituary as Grace Cameron Shanks, lived at Huntingdon, Quebec. Helen was unmarried with no children in 1940. By October 1945 she had married Colonel Dr. Robert J. Nodwell (Montreal, 15 August 1945), an Army medical officer; hospital and gratuity records use the surname Nodwell and identify him as her husband and next of kin.

Research Notes

Primary service papers support enlistment on 4 January 1940 and release on 1 August 1941 for the first service period, despite later summaries using 25/27 June 1940 and 31 May 1941. War-service-gratuity records calculate total qualifying service as 1,719 days and qualifying overseas service as 730 days. First overseas service is recorded approximately 27 August 1940 to 31 May 1941; second overseas service approximately 4 May 1944 to 30 July 1945. Medical documents record a January 1944 admission for pharyngo-laryngo-tracheobronchitis and an October 1945 admission at Vancouver Military Hospital for cystic cervicitis; surgery found chronic cervicitis with hyperplasia and retention cysts and no malignancy.
The file records that she was granted compassionate leave while serving in the United Kingdom and returned to Canada at her own expense. The service file does not state the reason. Her father had died decades earlier, so the basis for the compassionate leave remains an open research question.