Four books. Hundreds of stories.
1915
The Harvard Medical Unit, out of Boston Massachusetts, joined the British Red Cross and crossed to Europe to be stationed at the 22nd General Hospital in Camiers, France, just miles from the front line. Among them was Birdie Genevieve Lantz, a Canada-born nurse who, through her curation of four autograph books, would make this project possible.
Learn about Sister Lantz and the 22nd General Hospital
Sister Lantz served at the 22nd General Hospital in France from 1915 to 1918. Her autograph books contain hundreds of illustrations, poems, signatures, and stories from the servicemen who came under her care.
Read about the exhibit at Western Oregon University
In 2017, the researcher behind this project showcased the record books and their historical impact in the Hamersly Library at WOU.
Discover the record books and the men who wrote in them
Almost 300 servicemen from the British Commonwealth left their mark in the record books. Find out what their entries can tell us about themselves, their units, and what it was like to be a soldier in the First World War.