Ella Jane Osborn
Ella Jane Osborn, a nurse deployed to France during World War I, is buried in Wainscott Cemetery in New York.
Early Life
Ella Jane Osborn was born to Bordalou Shaffer Osborn and Frances Hulse Osborn in Wainscott, Long Island, New York, on February 16, 1881. Osborn was one of five children and the only daughter. Her father and oldest brother were house painters.
Before World War I, Osborn worked as a surgical nurse at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City.
Joining the Military
In 1918, Osborn volunteered to serve with the American Expeditionary Forces in Europe as a member of the Red Cross’s nursing service. She kept a diary from January 1918 through April 1919 to capture her experiences during the war.
On January 18, 1918, Osborn wrote in her diary that her unit was to “report to Ellis Island without delay” for deployment. In anticipation, Osborn recorded, she and her peers stayed up most of the night to pack.
Osborn’s diary entry from January 18, 1918. The Gilder Lehrman Institute.
Military Service
Ella Osborn arrived in Europe on February 6, 1918. Her unit was assigned to Evacuation Hospital Number 1 in Toul, France, seven miles from the war front. Wounded soldiers were sent to the evacuation hospitals for treatment before relocating to other hospitals farther from combat. In February 1918, Osborn’s hospital had a 1000-bed capacity. As the conflict intensified, it expanded to accommodate 2,800 men. Osborn documented her experience in the diary she kept for the duration of her service. Her short entries provide glimpses into her life and duties in France. She described caring for sick and wounded men, air battles, and the deaths of several patients who had an impact on her. When off duty, Ella visited local towns, had picnics in the woods, went to the movies, and attempted to live as normal a life as possible.
Ella Jane Osborn served as a nurse in Evacuation Hospital 1, pictured above. The hospital was only seven miles from the western front. The Gilder Lehrman Institute.
Legacy
On February 17, 1919, Osborn set sail from Bordeaux, France, back to New York City, where she was relieved of duty in April. The final entry in her diary, dated April 29, 1919, reads “Married.” She died in February 1966 at the age of 85.
Ella Jane Osborn's last diary entry: "April 29. Married." The Gilder Lehrman Institute.
