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Description
Ms. Whittaker discusses how the misery she dealt with during the Second World War positively shaped her attitude in her career as a civilian nurse in Newfoundland's outports.
Transcription
I think it helped me because I think I went overseas as a youngster, as a child almost, you know, I had never experienced anything like that and I grew up I was very much more mature when I came back. Even my father said that. He said, “You know you’ve grown up!” And I said, “I’ve grown up very fast!” I think so, I think it made me better as far as treating other people. I saw so many miserable, miserable creatures over there who had nothing and nobody helped them, nobody... When I came back to Newfoundland, went nursing out in the outposts, I’m telling you I was everything I could be to those people. Oh I think it helped me in a way. For one thing I went out to the outpost to work and I was in charge of myself, nobody was telling me what to do except headquarters in St. John’s or something like that. I built up my little nursing station and I delivered babies and I hadn’t delivered a baby or seen a baby delivered for months and years but we managed. Interviewer: That must have been a joy after what you had seen in the army.Oh God to bring life in rather than see it going out.