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![]({"id":"0c2bd60e-1499-412a-a4ef-49c3e729f521","disk":"s3","directory":"The-Memory-Project\/image","filename":"744_600","extension":"jpg","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","aggregate_type":"image","size":29629,"variant_name":null,"original_media_id":null,"created_at":"2022-08-02T18:42:46.000000Z","updated_at":"2022-08-02T18:42:46.000000Z","alt":"","title":"Memory Project Image #744","caption":"Royal Canadian Army Medical Corps beret that Helen wore with her uniform during her time overseas is Caserta, Italy. Courtesy of Helen Arbuthnot.","creator":"Memory Project Image #744 - Veteran #1391","source":"","conversion_urls":{"original":"https:\/\/d2ttikhf7xbzbs.cloudfront.net\/The-Memory-Project\/image\/744_600.jpg"},"url":"https:\/\/d2ttikhf7xbzbs.cloudfront.net\/The-Memory-Project\/image\/744_600.jpg","credit":"","pivot":{"mediable_type":"App\\Models\\Article","mediable_id":"0e0d1019-3fb2-45e4-a62a-77e7119fed20","media_id":"0c2bd60e-1499-412a-a4ef-49c3e729f521","tag":"gallery","order":1},"translations":[{"id":"85dddaaa-f955-443c-ad14-31f4679dd6ee","media_id":"0c2bd60e-1499-412a-a4ef-49c3e729f521","title":"Memory Project Image #744","alt":"","caption":"Royal Canadian Army Medical Corps beret that Helen wore with her uniform during her time overseas is Caserta, Italy. Courtesy of Helen Arbuthnot.","creator":"Memory Project Image #744 - Veteran #1391","source":"","locale":"en","credit":""},{"id":"16585e44-2944-4da8-a7b4-43fd21bd84bd","media_id":"0c2bd60e-1499-412a-a4ef-49c3e729f521","title":"Memory Project Image #744","alt":"","caption":"B\u00e9ret du Corps de sant\u00e9 royal canadien. Ce b\u00e9ret fait partie de l\u2019uniforme que Helen a port\u00e9 lors de sont service outre-mer \u00e0 Caserta en Italie. Objet : courtoisie d\u2019Helen Arbuthnot.","creator":"Memory Project Image #744 - Veteran #1391","source":"","locale":"fr","credit":""}]} "Memory Project Image #744"){kind=spacer}
Royal Canadian Army Medical Corps beret that Helen wore with her uniform during her time overseas is Caserta, Italy. Courtesy of Helen Arbuthnot.
![]({"id":"18891874-1219-4174-ae7d-e341a1491c87","disk":"s3","directory":"The-Memory-Project\/image","filename":"743_600","extension":"jpg","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","aggregate_type":"image","size":28991,"variant_name":null,"original_media_id":null,"created_at":"2022-08-02T18:42:45.000000Z","updated_at":"2022-08-02T18:42:45.000000Z","alt":"","title":"Memory Project Image #743","caption":"Brown leather belt with the Medical insignia. Helen worn this belt with her uniform during the time she served overseas in Caserta, Italy. Courtesy of Helen Arbuthnot.","creator":"Memory Project Image #743 - Veteran #1391","source":"","conversion_urls":{"original":"https:\/\/d2ttikhf7xbzbs.cloudfront.net\/The-Memory-Project\/image\/743_600.jpg"},"url":"https:\/\/d2ttikhf7xbzbs.cloudfront.net\/The-Memory-Project\/image\/743_600.jpg","credit":"","pivot":{"mediable_type":"App\\Models\\Article","mediable_id":"0e0d1019-3fb2-45e4-a62a-77e7119fed20","media_id":"18891874-1219-4174-ae7d-e341a1491c87","tag":"gallery","order":2},"translations":[{"id":"91321961-f54f-42ea-ac48-8f061a7b64da","media_id":"18891874-1219-4174-ae7d-e341a1491c87","title":"Memory Project Image #743","alt":"","caption":"Brown leather belt with the Medical insignia. Helen worn this belt with her uniform during the time she served overseas in Caserta, Italy. Courtesy of Helen Arbuthnot.","creator":"Memory Project Image #743 - Veteran #1391","source":"","locale":"en","credit":""},{"id":"87aea35d-ca2c-48da-b13c-26ca4321ccc7","media_id":"18891874-1219-4174-ae7d-e341a1491c87","title":"Memory Project Image #743","alt":"","caption":"Ceinture en cuir marron et boucle avec sigle du Corps de sant\u00e9. Cette ceinture fait partie de l\u2019uniforme que Helen a port\u00e9 lors de son service outre-mer \u00e0 Caserta en Italie. Objet : courtoisie d\u2019Helen Arbuthnot.","creator":"Memory Project Image #743 - Veteran #1391","source":"","locale":"fr","credit":""}]} "Memory Project Image #743"){kind=spacer}
Brown leather belt with the Medical insignia. Helen worn this belt with her uniform during the time she served overseas in Caserta, Italy. Courtesy of Helen Arbuthnot.
![]({"id":"72aad119-f001-4e5b-83a1-2953727ff0ee","disk":"s3","directory":"The-Memory-Project\/image","filename":"741_original","extension":"jpg","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","aggregate_type":"image","size":44795,"variant_name":null,"original_media_id":null,"created_at":"2022-08-02T18:42:42.000000Z","updated_at":"2022-08-02T18:42:42.000000Z","alt":"","title":"Memory Project Image #741","caption":"Helen (Fitzgerald) \"Fitzie\" Arbuthnot in uniform of the Royal Canadian Army Medical Corps.","creator":"Memory Project Image #741 - Veteran #1391","source":"","conversion_urls":{"original":"https:\/\/d2ttikhf7xbzbs.cloudfront.net\/The-Memory-Project\/image\/741_original.jpg"},"url":"https:\/\/d2ttikhf7xbzbs.cloudfront.net\/The-Memory-Project\/image\/741_original.jpg","credit":"","pivot":{"mediable_type":"App\\Models\\Article","mediable_id":"0e0d1019-3fb2-45e4-a62a-77e7119fed20","media_id":"72aad119-f001-4e5b-83a1-2953727ff0ee","tag":"gallery","order":3},"translations":[{"id":"793c2251-ef33-4b95-bbb1-a711a171fd83","media_id":"72aad119-f001-4e5b-83a1-2953727ff0ee","title":"Memory Project Image #741","alt":"","caption":"Helen (Fitzgerald) \"Fitzie\" Arbuthnot in uniform of the Royal Canadian Army Medical Corps.","creator":"Memory Project Image #741 - Veteran #1391","source":"","locale":"en","credit":""},{"id":"f0bfdde0-eb67-4520-8391-6d86864a2fb3","media_id":"72aad119-f001-4e5b-83a1-2953727ff0ee","title":"Memory Project Image #741","alt":"","caption":"Helen (Fitzgerald) \"Fitzie\" Arbuthnot v\u00eatue de l\u2019uniforme du Corps de sant\u00e9 royal canadien.","creator":"Memory Project Image #741 - Veteran #1391","source":"","locale":"fr","credit":""}]} "Memory Project Image #741"){kind=spacer}
Helen (Fitzgerald) "Fitzie" Arbuthnot in uniform of the Royal Canadian Army Medical Corps.
![]({"id":"dda2d2fa-7f4f-419c-9007-4ffce690d72e","disk":"s3","directory":"The-Memory-Project\/image","filename":"742_600","extension":"jpg","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","aggregate_type":"image","size":44268,"variant_name":null,"original_media_id":null,"created_at":"2022-08-02T18:42:43.000000Z","updated_at":"2022-08-02T18:42:43.000000Z","alt":"","title":"Memory Project Image #742","caption":"Display of eight medals awarded to Helen. Some were for wearing on her uniform while others were awarded after her return home. Collection of Helen Arbuthnot.","creator":"Memory Project Image #742 - Veteran #1391","source":"","conversion_urls":{"original":"https:\/\/d2ttikhf7xbzbs.cloudfront.net\/The-Memory-Project\/image\/742_600.jpg"},"url":"https:\/\/d2ttikhf7xbzbs.cloudfront.net\/The-Memory-Project\/image\/742_600.jpg","credit":"","pivot":{"mediable_type":"App\\Models\\Article","mediable_id":"0e0d1019-3fb2-45e4-a62a-77e7119fed20","media_id":"dda2d2fa-7f4f-419c-9007-4ffce690d72e","tag":"gallery","order":4},"translations":[{"id":"a810f354-d7a2-4336-8abb-51fa4bff2d3b","media_id":"dda2d2fa-7f4f-419c-9007-4ffce690d72e","title":"Memory Project Image #742","alt":"","caption":"Display of eight medals awarded to Helen. Some were for wearing on her uniform while others were awarded after her return home. Collection of Helen Arbuthnot.","creator":"Memory Project Image #742 - Veteran #1391","source":"","locale":"en","credit":""},{"id":"992d008f-2bfc-4649-b639-546b473063ff","media_id":"dda2d2fa-7f4f-419c-9007-4ffce690d72e","title":"Memory Project Image #742","alt":"","caption":"Montage de huit m\u00e9dailles d\u00e9cern\u00e9es \u00e0 Helen. Certaines se portaient sur l\u2019uniforme, d\u2019autres lui ont \u00e9t\u00e9 d\u00e9cern\u00e9es apr\u00e8s son retour. Collection d\u2019Helen Arbuthnot.","creator":"Memory Project Image #742 - Veteran #1391","source":"","locale":"fr","credit":""}]} "Memory Project Image #742"){kind=spacer}
Display of eight medals awarded to Helen. Some were for wearing on her uniform while others were awarded after her return home. Collection of Helen Arbuthnot.
Helen Fitzgerald Arbuthnot, a Nursing Sister that served in England and in Italy.
When we arrived in Alton after landing in Scotland... and then train trip right across the countryside and then down into Hants, England, we were billeted out with English families. I was rather upset at that point. I hated going into a new home and not knowing the people too well. But it all turned out great.
We worked very hard. Never had a moment to ourselves, but it was well worth it. One day the Matron arrived from London, England, to say that she needed nurses for Italy, and she called my name out first. We went to London to get suited up with the khaki uniforms. We always wore navy blue, but going to an active theatre of war we were dressed in khaki.
It was quite different. The hospital was huge. It was No. 15 Canadian General Hospital. Outside the hospital we had huge big tents, and had the patients there that came back from the front. And then we had barrage balloons all over the top of the hospital, and all over the nurses' residents and doctors' and so on. The patients also were just back, and they were very sick and most of them didn't make it.
All the doctors and nurses... they were all patient and always willing to help. You never felt alone. You did at the beginning. But I remember when I first went to Italy and saw the setup I thought, "Oh my God! I can't believe that this is real!" And when I visited the patients - I was appointed to a ward and all the patients were PPCLI. They were very sick and looking for comfort... we always took our time and chatted with them and reassured them everything was going to be all right. But it didn't turn out that way. They just couldn't make it. It was so sad to see them. They were so young. Probably age eighteen, nineteen, twenty - that age group.