Nursing Sister Cecil Margaretta MacDonald
Survivor of WW2
Date of Death:
Service Biography
Cecil Margaretta MacDonald, born 16 September 1902 at Athelstan, Quebec, trained at Huntingdon Academy, Macdonald College and Montreal General Hospital, qualifying as a graduate nurse. Before the war she worked for Montreal General Hospital for about nine years, specializing in operating-room nursing and serving as an assistant in charge. Appointed a Nursing Sister in the Royal Canadian Army Medical Corps on 5 June 1941, she served in Canada, the United Kingdom, the Central Mediterranean/Italy and Northwest Europe. She was promoted to Lieutenant and later served as Acting Captain (Matron), becoming substantive Captain (Matron) on 17 December 1944. Her decorations included Associate of the Royal Red Cross (2nd Class), the Canadian Volunteer Service Medal and Clasp, campaign stars and medals, and the Distinguished Service Medal of Greece. In 1945 Montreal General Hospital requested her early return to become Nurse-in-Charge of its Operating Rooms; she agreed to transfer to reserve status for that purpose. She was struck off strength on 27 August 1945 at Montreal South, Quebec, at her own request.
General Information
Conflict:
WW2
Regimental No.:
NA
Cause of Death (in war):
Survived
Branch:
Army
Regiment:
Royal Canadian Army Medical Corps
Battalion:
14 General Hospital
Company:
Date of Birth :
Place of Birth:
Athelstan, Quebec
Date of Enlistment:
Age at Enlistment:
38 years 8 months
Date of Discharge:
Age at Discharge:
42 years 11 months
Date of Death:
Age at Death:
86 years 11 months
Country Born:
Canada
Trade or Calling:
Nurse
Next of Kin:
Mrs. Jane Margaretta MacDonald (Mother), Chateauguay Heights, Quebec
Address at Enlistment:
Nurses' Home, Montreal General Hospital, Montreal, Quebec
Religion:
Place of Enlistment:
Montreal, Quebec
Was a Prisoner of War:
No
Height:
5 ft 8.5 in / 174 cm
Weight:
136 lbs / 62 kg
Chest:
32.0 in / 81 cm
Expansion:
Marital Status:
Single
Prior Military Experience:
No
Saw Service in:
Europe
Place of Discharge:
Montreal South, Quebec
Discharge Type:
Regular/End of Service
Discharge Notes:
Struck off strength 27 Aug 1945 at Montreal South, Quebec, reverting to reserve status; service certificate states at her own request.
Battle Died/Wounded:
Length of Service:
1544 days in service
Buried at:
Links
Ranks
| Conflict |
Rank |
Regiment |
Branch |
Unit |
Company |
Date From |
Date To |
| WW2 |
Nursing Sister |
Royal Canadian Army Medical Corps |
Army |
14 General Hospital |
|
|
|
| Existing CWVMP rank row is undated; importer should review duplicate. |
| WW2 |
Captain (Matron) |
Royal Canadian Army Medical Corps |
Army |
4 Canadian Casualty Clearing Station |
|
|
|
| Substantive Captain (Matron) from 17 Dec 1944. Acting Captain/Matron periods recorded separately. |
| WW2 |
Acting Captain (Matron) |
Royal Canadian Army Medical Corps |
Army |
4 Canadian Casualty Clearing Station |
|
|
|
| Reappointed acting Captain (Matron) 27 Oct 1944; substantive Captain (Matron) 17 Dec 1944. |
| WW2 |
Acting Captain (Matron) |
Royal Canadian Army Medical Corps |
Army |
4 Canadian Casualty Clearing Station |
|
|
|
| Relinquished acting rank 25 Oct 1944. |
| WW2 |
Lieutenant |
Royal Canadian Army Medical Corps |
Army |
14 Canadian General Hospital |
|
|
|
| Parallel commissioned rank progression. |
| WW2 |
Nursing Sister |
Royal Canadian Army Medical Corps. |
Army |
14 General Hospital |
|
|
|
Awards
| Conflict |
Award |
Action |
Date of Award |
Date of Citation |
Source |
| WW2 |
Distinguished Service Medal (Government of Greece) |
|
|
|
CAO Supplement No. 54 |
| WW2 |
War Service Badge — General Service Class |
|
|
|
Badge no. 295063 |
| WW2 |
Associate of the Royal Red Cross (2nd Class) |
|
|
|
RO 4199 / 1944 |
| WW2 |
1939-45 Star |
|
|
|
|
| WW2 |
Italy Star |
|
|
|
|
| WW2 |
France and Germany Star |
|
|
|
|
| WW2 |
Canadian Volunteer Service Medal and Clasp |
|
|
|
|
| WW2 |
Defence Medal |
|
|
|
|
| WW2 |
War Medal 1939-45 |
|
|
|
|
Service Chronology
1941-06-05 — Appointed/commissioned Nursing Sister; taken on strength No. 14 General Hospital, RCAMC.
1941-06-20 — Struck off strength Canada for overseas service / embarked Canada.
1941-06-21 — Taken on strength Canadian Army overseas; disembarked Gourock.
1941-07-05 to 1941-07-12 — Attached to advance party, No. 14 Canadian General Hospital.
1942-03-09 to 1942-03-15 — Second privilege leave without warrant.
1942-05-03 to 1942-05-09 — Third privilege leave with warrant.
1942-08-07 to 1942-08-13 — Fourth privilege leave with warrant.
1942-12-08 to 1942-12-14 — Seven days privilege leave with money allowance.
1943-03-10 — Rank shown as Lieutenant.
1943-06-22 — 14 Canadian General Hospital redesignated No. 14 Canadian General Hospital.
1943-10-13 to 1943-10-14 — Transferred from 14 Canadian General Hospital to 14 General Hospital.
1943-10-26/27 — Struck off strength UK on embarkation; taken on strength Mediterranean.
1944-05-15 — Appointed acting Captain (Matron), 4 Canadian Casualty Clearing Station.
1944-06-21 — Awarded Associate of the Royal Red Cross (2nd Class).
1944-09-25 to 1944-10-26 — Hospitalized for furuncle of right ear; 31 days at No. 14 General Hospital.
1944-12-17 — Promoted Captain (Matron), 4 Canadian Casualty Clearing Station.
1945-03-02 — Disembarked France.
1945-07-14 — Returned to Canada / retirement movement noted.
1945-08-27 — Struck off strength at Montreal South; reverted to reserve status at own request.
1948-01-26 — Greek Distinguished Service Medal recorded.
1941-06-11 — Reserve General List recommendation documents Registered Nurse, Province of Quebec, Reg. No. 31-569, and education/training history.
1942-07-21 — Left-foot X-ray: bony structure and joint condition normal; cystic aspect of one great-toe sesamoid.
1944-10-16 to 1944-10-26 — Transferred from No. 1 Canadian General Hospital to No. 14 Canadian General Hospital for diffuse furunculosis of right ear canal/meatus; recovered.
1945-07-08 — First-person statement later recorded that she left England for Canada on this date.
1945-08-20 to 1945-08-23 — Retirement medical board; no material residual disability and approved for release/return home.
1945-10-02 to 1945-10-06 — War Service Badge General Service Class no. 295063 issued; receipt acknowledged.
1948-01-21 to 1948-01-26 — Correspondence and records confirm award of Greek Distinguished Service Medal.
1940-06-11 — Recommended for appointment to the RCAMC Reserve General List as a Nursing Sister; records graduate-nurse qualifications and education.
1941-05-30 — Signed undertaking not to seek retirement for marriage until completing at least one year of active RCAMC service.
1941-06-07 to 1941-06-10 — Pre-appointment heart-murmur inquiry and special examination concluded murmur was functional, with no endocarditis; medical category A confirmed.
1944-10-25 — Relinquished acting rank of Captain (Matron).
1944-10-27 — Reappointed Acting Captain (Matron).
1945-04-10 — Montreal General Hospital formally requested her early return to become Nurse-in-Charge of the Operating Rooms; noted she had served for many years as first assistant there before military service.
1945-04-17 — Overseas personnel board concurred with return to Canada/civil life to accept a position on the staff of Montreal General Hospital.
1945-04-19 to 1945-04-25 — Canadian authorities requested her release for the Montreal General Hospital operating-room post; by 25 Apr she was reported in transit to the United Kingdom.
1945-05-28 — Signed willingness to assume reserve status in order to accept appointment as Nurse-in-Charge of the Operating Room at Montreal General Hospital.
1945-05-30 to 1945-06-01 — Canadian Military Headquarters forwarded her signed willingness; authorization was issued for return to Canada and reserve status.
1945-06-09 to 1945-06-15 — Authority confirmed for return to reserve status at Montreal General Hospital's request; Army sent a personal note thanking her for valuable wartime service.
1945-07-08 — Taken on strength No. 4 District Depot after return from Canadian Army Overseas.
1945-07-18 to 1945-08-16 — Granted disembarkation leave; she declined to forgo the leave despite planned retirement.
1945-08-27 — Official nominal rolls record Captain (Matron) C. M. MacDonald, RCAMC, struck off strength at own request and placed on Reserve General List.
Notes
Commissioned Nursing Sister 5 Jun 1941; embarked Canada 20 Jun 1941. Promoted Lieutenant 10 Mar 1943. Acting Captain/Matron 15 May 1944, relinquished 25 Oct 1944 and reappointed 27 Oct 1944; substantive Captain/Matron 17 Dec 1944. Awarded Associate of the Royal Red Cross (2nd Class), Canadian Volunteer Service Medal and Clasp, 1939-45 Star, Italy Star, France and Germany Star, Defence Medal, War Medal 1939-45, and the Greek Distinguished Service Medal. War Service Badge General Service Class no. 295063. Service-file identification photograph present on p.65.
[Previous notes - manual reconciliation required]
Reported for duty 1939.
Transferred to United Kingdom, July, 1941
Birth 16 SEP 1902 • Athelstan, Le Haut-Saint-Laurent, Quebec, Canada
Death SEP 1989 • Cornwall, Ontario
Awarded Associate of the Royal Red Cross 2nd Class for services in Italy
Height 5'8.5"
ATIP Request confirmation number EP2026_0527288
Married to Eric (Erce) Alexander McNaughton 1930
Additional Service Notes
Served in Canada, the United Kingdom, Central Mediterranean/Italy, and Northwest Europe. A first-person 6 Oct 1945 statement gives: England 19 Jun 1941-26 Oct 1943; Italy 10 Nov 1943-28 Feb 1945; Northwest Europe 2 Mar-21 May 1945; left England for Canada 8 Jul 1945. War Service Gratuity records credit 1,545 total qualifying days and 1,478 qualifying overseas days. Nursing and administrative duties were performed in Canadian military hospitals.
Additional Next of Kin Notes
Mother: Mrs. Jane Margaretta MacDonald, Chateauguay Heights, Quebec. Sister Jean MacDonald later listed as NOK at Chateauguay Heights.
Research Notes
Education: Huntingdon Academy, 1917-1920 (high school/matriculation); Macdonald College, 1920-1921 (teaching diploma); Montreal General Hospital, 1928-1931 (nursing/graduate nurse). Pre-service employment and specialty: Montreal General Hospital Operating Rooms; approximately nine years as a graduate nurse and described in 1945 as having served for many years as first assistant in the Operating Room department. RCAMC Nursing Service profile lists specialty Operating Room and hospital appointment Assistant in Charge, Operating Room. Registered Nurse, Province of Quebec, registration no. 31-569; member of provincial nurses' association and enrolled with the Canadian Red Cross. Languages: English; some French. In April-May 1945 Montreal General Hospital requested her early return to become Nurse-in-Charge/Supervisor of the Operating Rooms; she agreed to assume reserve status for that purpose. Pre-appointment medical correspondence in June 1941 investigated a systolic heart murmur, determined to be functional with no endocarditis; category A was confirmed. On 30 May 1941 she signed the standard Nursing Sister undertaking not to seek retirement for marriage before one year of active service.
