Achilles Bentos and Nurses

In the face of the pandemic that confines us all and whose end we cannot (yet) really see, we all pay tribute to the nursing staff. Indirectly, this blog page is a tribute to all of them.

At the end of the Second World War, Achilles Bentos painted the portrait of several women who accompanied the Allied troops as nurses.

The first portrait depicts a young woman wearing the uniform of the Canadian Nursing Sisters. On the back of the photo, Bentos noted: "Mrs. R. Medhead 343 Sylvia Street Victoria (Brit. Columbia) Canada". Little more is known at this time.

A second painting shows another young woman, wearing the uniform of the nurses of Queen Alexandra's Imperial Military Nursing Service. It is not known who she is, but the painting is today in the collection of the Army Medical Services Museum.

The third nurse is more problematic and more interesting, but we will dedicate a later blog on her.

A fourth woman is depicted in a traditional khaki uniform. According to Bentos' notes, she is 'Mrs Savage 860 Shaw Street Ontario Toronto Canada'. It is unclear what role this woman played in the army. Perhaps she was also a nurse?

Translated with the help op DeepL