Ross Hamilton
Ross served in two wars and was famous as a wartime entertainer. Military authorities dismissed him from service because of his sexuality.
Joined
1916
Postings
- Canadian Expeditionary Force
- Canadian Army
Deployments
- First World War
- Second World War
Introduction
Ross Hamilton was born in Pugwash, Nova Scotia in 1892.
He enlisted in the Canadian Expeditionary Force in 1916 and initially served as an ambulance driver during the First World War.
Improving troop morale
Ross, who was a talented singer, soon joined an all-male team of performing soldiers.
As Ross could also sing in a high falsetto voice, he played a female character on stage named Marjorie. He made his first outfits from tent canvas, old curtains, pillow feathers and rosary beads.
Joins the “Dumbells”
Ross became a member of the famous vaudeville-style acting troupe, the Dumbells.
For the rest of the war, he performed in shows for the troops. Ross was so popular he had to change out of costume before going back to the barracks for fear of being mobbed by fans.
As one soldier said, “When [Ross] marched into a mess in costume, every officer would stand to attention until he was seated. Then, in a truck driver’s voice, he’d call for a drink—and the illusion soon vanished!”
It was nothing unusual
This presents an interesting case study for the 2SLGBTQI+ experience during the First World War. Drag was not closely associated with this community in the early 1900s.
In wartime, hundreds of vaudeville acts were popular and female impersonators were ingrained into the culture. People like Ross helped pioneer the drag scene that today is popular around the world.
The Second World War
When the Second World War broke out in 1939, Ross volunteered to serve with the Royal Canadian Army Medical Corps.
Once again, he entertained soldiers, in a group called “Chin up.” This time, his female character was a middle-aged opera singer.
Ross Hamilton in uniform during the Second World War.
Photo: Library and Archives Canada
However, military authorities discovered he was a member of the 2SLGBTQI+ community and quietly discharged Ross for “reasons other than medical.” The military often used this reason to release service members like him during this era.
Later life
Ross retired to a quiet life in a log cabin back in Nova Scotia to read, garden and help others in his home community. He died in 1965 at the age of 76.
Related information
The Dumbells – The Canadian Encyclopedia
WWI entertainers remember "young lady" Ross Hamilton in 1965 – cbc.ca
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