Personal Profile Collections

Minerva Blanche Anderson

Short Biography:

Minerva Blanche Anderson was born in Big Baddeck, Victoria County, NS, on February 10, 1889. She was the daughter of Alexander and Susan Theresa (Archibald) Anderson, and was a graduate nurse from the Royal Victoria School of Nursing, McGill University, in Montreal.

During World War 1, Blanche (she went by her middle name) joined the Canadian Army Medical Corps as a nursing sister. She was still living in Montreal at the time and enlisted there on April 3, 1917. She went oversea to England in May-June, 1917, where she was posted to various hospitals in England including Canadian Military Hospital Basingstoke, Kitchener Military Hospital in Brighton and No. 10 Canadian General Hospital in Brighton. In August of 1918, she proceeded to France where she was posted to No. 3 Canadian General Hospital.

In January, 1919, shortly after the end of the war, Blanche was hospitalized herself in Boulogne, France, when she contracted influenza. She later spent two weeks sick leave in Cannes in the south of France. Blanche returned to Canada in March, 1919, and was demobilized shortly after that. In later years, Blanche worked at Sydney City Hospital in Sydney, NS. She passed away in 1981.

Blanche's two brothers, Percival and Archie, also served overseas with her. Both men were officers in the 85th Battalion (Nova Scotia Highlanders). Archie survived the war but Percival was killed in action.

For additional information on Minerva Blanche Anderson, refer to the following online source:

• Service File of Minerva Blanche Anderson - Digitized personnel file available from Library & Archives Canada in Ottawa. 

Notes on the Collection:

Thanks to Caitlin Hanam for sharing her wonderful family photo of Blanche Anderson and her brother Archie, and thanks to Jim MacDonald of Baddeck for putting me in contact with Caitlin. The photo of Blanche with her brothers Archie and Percival is from my own collection.

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