The Story of Viola Allan Abrum and her military commission

Viola Allan Abrum, born on June 9th, 1911, graduated from the Brockville General Hospital Training School for Nurses in 1933. After graduating, she worked as a private duty nurse before enlisting in the Royal Canadian Army Medical Corps. From 1941 to 1945, Captain (Matron) Viola Allan worked as a Nursing Sister in France and Belgium, as well as in England where she took care of Canadian prisoners of war at the No. 9 Unit in Horsham.

Mounted formal portrait of Nursing Sister Matron Allen, Royal Canadian Army Medical Corps, in military nursing sister Matron uniform including starched white veil; mounted frame with applied grey and black ink decorative lines.
Nursing Sister Matron Allan, Royal Canadian Army Medical Corps–Museum of Health Care 008004006

Two pressed paper military identification tags on a knotted looped white cord; top octogonal blue tag with two holes for the cord to pass through to the lower circular rust-red tag with owner's rank and name impressed into one side of each tag.
Two pressed paper military identification tags owned by Viola Allan–Museum of Health Care
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As a Lieutenant, she received the military commission in 1943. After the war, in 1946, she was decorated as an Associate of the Royal Red Cross.

Linen-backed paper military commision certificate with ornate black typeface and formal decorative calligraphy; upper corner has faded embossed seal; it is a commission certificate from King George VI to Viola Allan, appointing her to the rank of Lieutenant (Nursing Sister) in the Royal Canadian Army Medical Corps.
Commission certificate from King George VI to Viola Allan, appointing her to the rank of Lieutenant (Nursing Sister) in the Royal Canadian Army Medical Corps–Museum of Health Care 008004004

Upon returning to Canada in 1946, Allan worked in the Department of Veterans’ Affairs as a nurse and administrator until 1962. She went on to become Regional Administrator for three homes for the elderly– Carleton Lodge, West End Ottawa, and Brantford House, Island Lodge on Porter’s Island for the Rideau Health Centre. Remembered for her work in modernizing and improving the living standards and operating procedures of the homes she ran, the 260 bed home at the Island Lodge was named Allan House in her honour. Allan retired in 1976, and passed away at the Brockville General Hospital in 2007– the very same hospital at which she had trained to become a nurse all those years ago.

Shaelyn Ryan<br>(Collections Technician/Assistant 2020-2021)
Shaelyn Ryan
(Collections Technician/Assistant 2020-2021)

Shaelyn Ryan is an undergraduate student Queen’s University, currently completing her forth (and final) year in the Bachelor of Arts History Program. Either as a Summer Student or Work-Study Student through Queen’s University, Shaelyn has helped catalogue and research many of the museum’s collection of artefacts as a Collections Technician (since 2018).


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