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Biography
Olive Lillian Hackney was born 30th December 1903 in Kirkton, Perth County, to parents Alexander (1868-1942) and Margaret Ellen (Robertson) Hackney (1873-1952). She was the oldest of five children. The Hackneys lived on North Thames Road, lot 24 in Hibbert Township. Her great grandparents were born in Scotland.
In 1925, Olive graduated from the nursing program at Seaforth Memorial Hospital in Seaforth, Huron County, Ontario, after which she worked as a nurse in Albany, New York, USA.
On Sept. 10, 1939, Olive was commissioned into the Royal Canadian Army Medical Corps and received her certificate of military qualification in June 1940 after passing her examination at the Toronto Military Hospital. She initially worked as a Nursing Sister with the No. 15 Canadian General Hospital, which operated in the old Grace Hospital in Toronto.
In June 1940, Olive was deployed overseas with the No. 15 General Hospital to Bramshott, England. Later, in 1943, No.’s 15 along with numbers 1, 3, 5, 14, and 28 Canadian General Hospitals were sent to the Mediterranean Theatre. No.15 was posted in El Arouch, Algeria, in North Africa, from July to December, 1943, where they treated the Canadian wounded from the Dieppe raid and Operation Husky.
In December 1943, Canadian authorities relocated the No. 15 General Hospital Nursing Sisters to England to pass on their experience in preparation for the invasion of Western Europe, where Olive Hackney transferred to No. 10 Canadian General Hospital. No. 15 General Hospital in February 1944 was relocated to Caserta, Italy.
In April, Olive decided to return home and boarded the SS Empress of Scotland ship to Canada in April 1944, where she continued her service at Chorley Park hospital in Toronto until joining the No. 1 Canadian Hospital ship, the Lady Nelson, in July 1944 until March 1945 which operated to bring home the Canadian wounded.
After returning from active service in 1945, Olive continued to serve as a nurse in civilian life.
Following the tragic death of her brother, Wilfred, in 1949, Olive and her mother moved to Mitchell, Perth County, from the farm in Kirkton in 1950-51. They resided at 152 St. David Street. Olive commuted to Toronto to work as a nurse during the 1950s. IN the 1960s, she was a nurse at the Stratford General Hospital.
Olive suffered a stroke in the late 1960s, resulting in her left side being paralyzed. A friend of hers lived with her and took care of her for a couple of years. In 1971, Olive’s sister, Emmalene, and her husband, Frank, moved into the house with Olive. In 1973-4, Olive was moved to a LTC home in Toronto for veterans. She passed away September 9. 1974, at Sunnybrook Hospital, the funeral held at Lockhart Funeral Home in Mitchell, Ontario, on September 12 1974.
WWII Service Distinctions: 1939-1945 Star, Defense Medal, Canadian Volunteer Service Medal, Italy Star