A Painting Inspired by U.S. Army Nurses in Greenock
This post introduces an artwork inspired by the arrival of African-American U.S. Army nurses in Greenock, Scotland, during the Second World War. Laurence Kirwan's original text reflects on their service and the segregation they faced.
My sister Polly and her husband and two sons live in Greenock which sits on the Clyde Estuary about 30 miles West of Glasgow. On August 15, 1944, 63 US Army Nurses arrived at Greenock aboard a Clyde Shipping Co. boat. They were the first contingent of Black Nurses sent as a segregated unit to help the American War effort. Hard to believe that America went to Civil War to abolish slavery between April 12, 1861 and May 26, 1865, and yet 79 years later, they are still segregating their Black citizens. These were remarkable nurses and depite their segregation they served honorably in an honorable war. One wonders if any of these Nurses remained in the UK.
Related reading and artwork: View the U.S. Army Nurses at Greenock art print.
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