Ethel Bayliss Large

Queen Alexandra’s Imperial Nursing Service (Malta)

Canadian Army Medical Corps

WW I

Ethel Bayliss was born 07 September 1893. Her parents, Richard Cook and Harriet (Hansford ) Bayliss lived southeast of Morden, Manitoba at Wakeham in the Rural Municipality of Stanley. Her siblings were Richard, Mable, Sophia, Johnathan, Wilfred and Nellie. Ethel’s brother, Jonathan Cook Bayliss, served with the 184 Battalion in France.

Ethel graduated from the Winnipeg Children’s Hospital Nursing School in 1916 and immediately enlisted. She served with the Queen Alexandria’s Imperial Nursing Service (QAINS) from 6 November 1916 until 6 May 1918. QAINS provided nursing services to British Army personnel across the world. Although formed in 1902, its origins dated back to the Florence Nightingale’s pioneering nursing work during the Crimean War.

From a letter written to her mother and published in the Morden Times 1917-02-01; “Here I am at last after 6 weeks, safely at Malta”. “I started to work 2 days ago I can’t say much about it yet, but I intend to try and do my bit here by helping to patch up some battered, bruised boys for their mothers, wives and best gals. I don’t mind which get them, but they deserve all we can do for them”.

In a letter written to her father in early 1918 and published in the Morden times 1918-02-14; “I have been kicking myself lately that I signed on for another term here. If I had not I might have been in France or England in closer touch with our own boys. I know I would like that ever so much better and I feel sure they would too. It would be a little bit of old Canada. Oh well, my time will be up here in April. I guess I can wait until then. After that I don’t know what will happen.”

Ethel finished her obligation to QAINS, went to England and was commissioned in the Canadian Army Medical Corps 20 May 1918. Lieutenant / Nursing Sister (Lt/NS) Bayliss served at the #5 Canadian General Hospital and the #16 Canadian General Hospital in England and was repatriated to Canada 6 September 1919. Lt. / N.S. Ethel Bayliss was demobilized 17 September 1919.

Ethel worked as a Nurse after returning to Canada and on 28 April 1933 married Raymond Joseph Large. They lived for some time in Selkirk, after his passing in 1951, she lived with her brother Jonathan at 202 Duffield Street, Winnipeg.

Lieutenant / Nursing Sister Ethel Bayliss Large passed away, after a lengthy illness, 15 February 1971 at age 78. Her funeral service was held in the Thomson Funeral Chapels, Broadway at Furby on Friday the 19th at 2:15 pm. There is a memorial for her at the Saint James Cemetery, Winnipeg, Manitoba.

Information from National Army Museum, Library and Archives Canada, Pembina Manitou Archives, Morden Times, Manitoba Vital Statistics, 1916 Canada Census