March 16, 2025. It’s a funny coincidence as, a few years ago, Judy Parks, a friend living in Nova Scotia, sent me her father’s WWII war diary.  Her father, Dr. James ‘Alton’ Ross, was a doctor aboard the hospital ship HMHS Lady Nelson.  I kept planning to write his story, but something else always kept coming up. 

Then, a few months ago, Etienne Gaudet sent us an article about 101 year old veteran Romeo LEBLANC of Memramcook, New Brunwick.  In this article it stated that Romeo had travelled on the same hospital ship as Judy’s father!  Talk about a nudge from up above!

Born March 26, 1915 in Stellarton, Pictou County, Nova Scotia, James ‘Alton’ ROSS was the son of James and Lida (nee Cook) Ross, their only child.

….Alton had a medical practice in New Brunswick….

After graduating from Dalhousie University’s School of Medicine in Halifax, Nova Scotia in June 1941, Alton married Betty Bauld the same year.  Their daughter Judith ‘Judy’ Ann was born the following year in Moncton, New Brunswick. 

Alton initially practiced in Albert, New Brunswick (now part of the village of Fundy Albert) for a short period before opening a practice in Salisbury, New Brunswick. 

….Alton enlisted in the RCAMC in 1943…

Not long after settling into his practice in Salisbury, Alton enlisted with the Royal Canadian Army Medical Corps (RCAMC).  Judy explained that she was “….only 6 months old when my father enlisted… It seems like four years of the war had already taken place but my father only graduated from medical school in June 1941 so he was just starting his practice in Salisbury, New Brunswick when he decided he was needed in the medical corps…”

According to his war diary, Alton “…enlisted on 29 December 1942 and was sent to Halifax Military Hospital and put on Ward I Medicine…” A few days later, he was transferred to “…No. 6 District Depot Standing Medical Board…” at Chebucto Barracks in Halifax, Nova Scotia.

With Alton in military service, Judy and her mother “…moved back to her parents in New Glasgow, Nova Scotia…”

On March 6, 1943, Alton was sent to A22 Canadian Army Medical Corps Training Centre in Camp Borden, Ontario for a “…six weeks qualification course…” 

After returning to Nova Scotia, Alton was “….posted to Halifax Military Hospital again to Ward 2, Eye, Ear, Nose and Throat….” until June 20, 1943, when he left for “…Aldershot Military Hospital…” in Nova Scotia, where he was “….placed on Infectious and Military Wards…”

On November 5, 1943, Alton “…received word to go to Suffield, Alberta, on a Chemical Warfare Course…” for 5 days.  After returning to Aldershot, he was informed on November 20, 1943 that he would be posted to a hospital ship.  His orders came through 6 days later, and meant he had to travel to Halifax.

….Alton was assigned to the HMHS Lady Nelson….

Judy confirmed that her father served as a doctor aboard the hospital ship HMHS Lady Nelson, which had first arrived in Halifax on April 22, 1943. “…It was the Lady Nelson my father was on…. There were five lady boats in the war and two were torpedoed by the Germans in spite of the big Red Cross on the sides. The Lady Nelson had been a cruise ship that went between Halifax, New York, and Bermuda…”

The Lady Nelson was Canada’s first hospital ship, outfitted with 515 special hospital beds, special wards for shock cases, contagious diseases and fractures, private cabins, a fully equipped operating room, a modern sterilizing room, an inspection room for minor dressings, a dispensary, and a portable x-ray outfit.

The ship’s white hull was painted with 11 large red crosses on the funnel, deck and hull. It was brightly lit up at night for greater visibility so that the enemy would recognize that she was a ‘mercy ship’ and not fire on her in accordance with the Geneva Convention.

….Alton’s first voyage aboard the HMHS Lady Nelson….

Alton’s first trip aboard the HMHS Lady Nelson began on November 30, 1943, and he noted that it was a round trip of 8,093 miles (13,024 km). 

The route took him from the port of Halifax, Nova Scotia, across the Atlantic Ocean to Gibraltar, sailing past Tangier, to Phillipville (now Skikda), Algeria, and then on to Algiers before sailing to Avonmouth, United Kingdom, before returning to Halifax.

Alton wrote in his diary that the ship reached Gibraltar at 10:00 am on December 9, 1943 and left an hour later.  He noted that he had a “….grand journey down Mediterranean and landed off coast of Phillipville, where we anchored all day and night.  Docked Sunday am 12 December 1943 and loaded patients….Left at 5 pm…”

Why was a Canadian hospital ship in Algeria?  While no formed Canadian units took part in fighting in North Africa, which began in November 1942, a number of Canadian officers and non-commissioned officers had been offered three-month tours of duty attached to forces in Algeria, designated as the 1st British Army.

The objective was to allow them a chance to see combat and take that battle experience back to the Canadian Army in the United Kingdom before Canadians saw active service during the invasion of Sicily in July 1943, followed by the invasion of the Italian mainland in September 1943.

By October 1943, the Canadian Section, including No. 14 Canadian General Hospital, was still near Philippeville. 

From Phillipville, the ship began its long journey to the United Kingdom, picking up more patients along the way.  “…Arrived Algiers 8 am, 13 December. Loaded more patients then waited in stream two days for Nursing Sisters coming by air from Sicily.  Left 6:30 pm, 15 December…”

The ship arrived in Avonmouth, United Kingdom on December 22, 1943, unloaded the patients and reloaded patients who were returning back to Canada.  They left for Canada on December 28, and arrived in Halifax on January 5, 1944.

….Alton’s second voyage aboard the HMHS Lady Nelson….

Alton’s second trip aboard the HMHS Lady Nelson began on January 14, 1944, and he noted that it was a round trip of 9,196 miles (14,800 km). 

The route took him from the port of Halifax, Nova Scotia, across the Atlantic Ocean to Gibraltar, to Naples, Italy, and then on to Algiers before sailing to Avonmouth, United Kingdom, before returning to Halifax.

Alton wrote in his diary that the ship reached Gibraltar on January 23, 1944 and left the following day at 7:00 pm.  He noted that this time when they reached Algiers on January 26, they didn’t dock but were there for “….orders only… and  left one hour later for Italy…Anchored in Naples harbour just off Mount Vesuvius which was puffing away intermittently….Docked in Naples 29 January and loaded British and Canadian patients…Left at 4 pm…” for Algiers.

This time the ship docked when it reached Algiers on January 31, 1944, at 3:00 pm, where the “…British disembarked, Canadians embarked. Left February 1, 4:30 pm….Passed Gibraltar 6 am, 3 February…”

The ship was again enroute to Avonmouth, but Alton recorded that he “…did an appendectomy off Bay of Biscay….” The patient survived.

The ship anchored off Avonmouth on February 7, 1944 and unloaded the patients the following day.  It wasn’t until February 15 that the ship left for Halifax, arriving in port on the afternoon of February 23 in “….a blinding snowstorm – visibility nil….”

Alton’s second trip was notable as they “….began an orchestra with three violins, saxophone, piano, accordion, and drums…Put on two concerts…” 

Judy reflected that “…one thing that strikes me from my father’s diary is how much fun they had …music…dances…and orchestra …..” and explained that her father “…. played the saxophone…” The purpose was “…to entertain the troops they were taking to war and those wounded returning….”  She marvelled at this “…ability to switch off the war around them and enjoy the moment…for themselves and for others …”

Alton recorded 20 trips in his diary, always being fortunate to return home for a few days with his wife and daughter between each voyage. In Part 2, his story concludes with a return to Italy to pick up wounded servicemen and some of the devastation of war that he saw, and finally, after his 20th voyage he was able to return to the life of a civilian and a rural medical practice.

Thank you to Judy Parks for sharing photos and her father’s war diary, and to Etienne Gaudet for sending newspaper articles about Romeo LeBlanc and Dr. Ross.

© Daria Valkenburg

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