Diary of World War I nurse Ella Osborn, 1918–1919

At the outbreak of World War I, Ella Jane Osborn was a surgical nurse at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City. In January 1918, she volunteered to serve with the American Expeditionary Forces as a member of the Red Cross’s nursing service in Europe. Initially, nurses were to work only in hospitals far from the front lines. However, the need to have medical treatment available near the fighting changed these plans, and Osborn was assigned to Evacuation Hospital Number 1 at Sebastopol Barracks in France, just seven miles from the front. Sick and wounded soldiers were sent from the front lines to evacuation hospitals for initial treatment or surgery. They would then be sent to base hospitals located farther behind the lines, or returned to their units if they were healthy. Evacuation Hospital Number 1 had been established in February 1918, with the capacity to care for 1,000 men. By September, that number had increased to 2,800.

Osborn documented her experience in the diary she kept for the duration of her service (January 18, 1918–April 3, 1919). Her short entries, which appear to be written at the end of the day, provide glimpses into her life and duties in France. She briefly describes caring for sick and wounded men, air battles, and the deaths of several patients who had an impact on her. When off duty, Osborn visited local towns, had picnics in the woods, went to the movies, and attempted to live as normal a life as possible.

Women’s service in World War I helped alter preconceptions about what women were capable of doing. Women had been stereotyped as being too delicate to handle high-stress situations and the carnage of war. But, as Osborn describes, the nurses saw and dealt with many of the horrors of battle, including the catastrophic results of new chemical weapons like mustard gas.

The excerpts below include selected entries from May and June 1918

A partial transcript is available.

Excerpt

May 11 Sat. Slept poorly. Had a hard thunder shower.

The Germans sent over Gas. 36 dead & 90 in Field Hosp. 104. Many of them are badly gased. . .

Mon. May 20. Nearly died last night for want of sleep. Major Lufbery[1] of the flying Corps was buried today with all military honors, he was considered our best flyer. The Aviators flew over & drop flowers over his grave. The german who shot him was afterwards caught by the French. When the French got wind that Lufbery (whom they were very fond of) had been killed they started out and said they would get the german if they had to go into germany. The Frenchman caught him & ramed right into him with his machine. There were three in the German machine.

There is great activity in the air tonight. . .

May 27. Mon.

Went to bed early & had a good sleep, there was a drive on and we received many patients. I am in the officers war[d] but like taking care of the boys much better, Admitted Lt. Lynn Harriman—he was on duty at the front in France on May 27, 1918. Enemy put over a barrage followed by an attack. In the struggle he was hit by the Enemy’s bullet & wounding him in the left shoulder, and passing downward tho. lung, he lie in the trenches unable to move (paralysed from waist down) for two hours, while lying there a bunch of germans came along with large clubs & carrying bombs, realizing he could not move he made believe dead, and when the Germans had gotten a distance away he opened fire on them dropping one or two & causing the others to flee. Another similar incident took place a little later. He was given the Croix-de-Guerre.

Fri. May 31st. Lt. Harriman died today. Just after he died word came from General Pershing he had been given the D.S.C. [Distinguished Service Cross]

Capt. Frank from our base was up here & came to the window to see us. Nearly 400 of our boys were gased last night and are at 102 field Hosp. some are very bad. Some say it was Phosgene gas and others say Mustard. . .

June 10. Mon.

Miss Lister came in after I got to sleep & told me I was off night duty. I got up did some washing & Ironing. Miss Lent, Forsythe Rothman & I went for a walk but had to come back early to a lecture given us by the colonel, he gave us quite a raking over, and said in a nice way we would have to come under army discipline. . .

June 17. Total of cases admitted yesterday 148. I went to bed & took a good sleep. The boys were very badly shot up the worst wounded yet. One boy has 16 big wounds. 12 died six prisoners brought in, one died later. . .

June 26 Had a half day. Miss Forsythe & I went over to the farm for milk & Eggs and after supper Miss Lent & I went over to Bruley with Sgt Drake, he rode his horse over & I rode it back. About midnight we were awaken by bombs and they sounded to be right in our yard but the next morning they said they were just outside of Toul.

June 27. After work Miss Lent & I started over to the woods to write letters & saw a lot of troops passing, so we rushed over to the main road & saw thousands of boys go by, some on trains, some walking looking very tired & some in camions & some on horse back. They were the 82 Div going up to relieve the 26th Div. We had just gotten nicely settled in bed when we heard the machine guns & out we jumped & there was an air battle going on right over us The serch light from St Micheal hill was wonderful we could see the black smoke of the german shells in the air. They dropped bombs which struck quite near the Hosp. and shook our house, It was the nearest battle we have had the areoplane went right over us. The serch light turned their light on the plane & the germans shot right down the light at the serch light.

[1] Major Raoul Lufbery (1885−1918) was an American and flying Ace who served with the France’s Lafayette Escadrille from 1916 to 1917. He transferred to the US Army Air service 1917. He was shot down in battle on May 19, 1918. World War I Flying Ace Raoul Lufbery, https://connecticuthistory.org/world-war-i-flying-ace-raoul-lufbery/.