The Olive E. Wilcox Scrapbook

Nurses in a Trench with Helmets
1986.202, Page 6

While it was typical for women to follow the traditional gender roles by performing duties in the home before the War, World War I urged the movement of women out of the house and into positions requiring different skills and responsibilities.  Young women volunteered with war work organizations across the country, devoting their time to become nurses.  During World War I, it is estimated that approximately 10,000 American nurses served overseas.  One of these nurses, Olive E. Wilcox (Bozell), served with Base Hospital #21 and documented what she saw in a scrapbook that now resides at the National World War I Museum.

KC Nurses of BH #21 with Captain Francisco
Olive E. Wilcox (Bozell) Back, Right
1986.202, Page 48

Olive entered service with the Army Nurse Corps on May 14, 1917, and was one of ten Kansas City nurses to be assigned to Base Hospital #21, a hospital organized through Washington University in St. Louis.  Base Hospital #21 was associated with General Hospital #12 of the British Expeditionary Forces in Rouen, France.  Rouen was the hub of several British hospitals in France.  While Base Hospital #21 treated varying types of wounds and diseases, the American Expeditionary Force designated it as the center for neurological disorders in the Rouen area.

Mobile Unit #4 Situated at Cheppy
1986.202, Page 34

Nurses Showing the Depth of a Shell Crater in Cheppy
Olive E. Wilcox (Bozell) Front, Center
1986.202, Page 35

Olive indicated that on August 20, 1918, she became involved with an organization called Mobile Unit #4.  These mobile hospitals performed similar functions to their larger counterparts but were a more condensed and agile version.  Mobile Unit #4 was equipped at the local polo field and made its way toward Cheppy, France.

Nurses with Trench Coats, Helmets, and Gas Masks
1986.202, Page 64

Olive remained with Mobile Unit #4 until her return to General Hospital #12 on December 23, 1918.  While little more is known about Olive, her 74-page scrapbook of photographs and notations includes several images of different nurses associated with Base Hospital #21, hospital structures, and damage and destruction around Cheppy.





Bibliography

Olive E. Wilcox Collection, 1917-1919. 1986.202. National World War I Museum, Kansas City, MO.