Evelyn Smith: World War II survivor
SHE’S an ex-soldier and a nurse who attended to colleagues in World War II, a woman, who at 97, can outwalk persons many times younger than herself without stopping to catch a breath.
For Evelyn Smith, the events of the war are a bit hazy, but she does remember the many sacrifices, losing friends who went to the war and never came back, and most of all, her service in battle.
Smith, who opened her own retirement home — Kingsgate Retirement Home — after returning home, is believed by many to be the only living Jamaican female who served in the war, which ran from 1939 to 1945.
Being a British colony, Jamaica, like other colonies, became involved in the war after Germany invaded Poland and Britain declared war on Germany. Many Jamaicans volunteered for service within British units.
“Quite a few ladies went to World War II but I am the only one left,” Smith told All Woman from her living room in Kingston last Wednesday. “I left from Jamaica for England by boat. As a matter of fact, I was very ill when I left here. I don’t know if it was the excitement,” she smiled.
Born in Falmouth, Smith received both her training as a soldier and as a nurse in England.
It was this training that helped her to help those who were hurt in the war, during which her duty was to travel to numerous countries in Europe, aiding injured soldiers.
“I saw a lot of persons who lost limbs,” she recalled.
Smith said she had wanted to be a nurse for as long as she could remember, a move that even after reaching retirement age, saw her being the matron at her own nursing home until she was 94.
“When she was in her 90s she was still running the (nursing) home and running it very good,” said Sonia Smith (no relation), her caregiver for over four years and an associate for over 11 years.
“I am still in my 90s. I am not dead yet,” Smith chipped in in amusement.
Born December 14, 1914, Smith received her education at Gordon Martin Grammar School and Alpha Girls School. She studied nursing at the Crumpsall Hospital in Manchester, England, and did post graduate studies in plastic surgery at Mount Vernon, England.
She also worked at the Kingston Public Hospital as a nurse; at the Georgetown Hospital in Grand Cayman as Matron and on Cayman Brac as resident nurse. She also operated a nursing school.
Among her awards received, were those for her service in World War II, as well as a certificate of merit from the government of Jamaica in appreciation of her outstanding public service in the Kendal railway disaster which took place in Manchester in 1957.
Described as the worst rail disaster in Jamaica’s history, the crash — on an overcrowded train carrying churchgoers returning from a church trip as well as “hooligans and pickpockets” — took almost 200 lives and injured hundreds of other persons.
Today, Smith loves to sit and listen to talk shows.
“I love to listen to find out what is going on,” Smith said. “I like talk shows and anything else that tells you what is going on.”
Said her caregiver: “When she tells you that she’s doing something, she is doing it. She can walk very strong. Up to 2003 she used to go down to police officers’ club and walk every morning.”
And while her memories of the past may be dull due to age, Smith said she has lived a full life.
“I don’t know about being satisfied but I know I can’t complain. I tried to do as much as I could,” she said.
