Jane I. Rignel St. John ARRC (June 16, 1884 – April 1, 1977) was a United States Army nurse who was the Chief Nurse of Mobile Hospital No. 2 during

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

. For her heroism she was awarded the French Croix de Guerre, the British

Royal Red Cross The Royal Red Cross (RRC) is a military decoration awarded in the United Kingdom and Commonwealth for exceptional services in military nursing. Foundation The award was established on 27 April 1883 by Queen Victoria, with a single class of Mem ...

, and the United States Silver Star medal.

Early life, education, and early career

Jane I Rignel was born in

Lockport, New York Lockport is both a city and the town that surrounds it in Niagara County, New York. The city is the Niagara county seat, with a population of 21,165 according to 2010 census figures, and an estimated population of 20,305 as of 2019. Its name d ...

. She graduated from Columbia University Presbyterian School of Nursing in 1913. After graduation, Rignel went to work at

Western Electric Company The Western Electric Company was an American electrical engineering and manufacturing company officially founded in 1869. A wholly owned subsidiary of American Telephone & Telegraph for most of its lifespan, it served as the primary equipment m ...

plant in New York City where she established a workmen's compensation health aid station.

World War I

World War I hospitals were often organized around civilian hospitals. In May 1917, Rignel joined the Army Nurse Corps. as Chief Nurse of Mobile No. 2 Hospital which was primarily staffed by personnel from the Presbyterian Hospital in New York. On August 14, 1918, General John J. Pershing sent a commendation to the whole staff of Mobile Hospital No. 2 to recognize them for their courage under fire. For her heroism she was awarded the French Croix de Guerre, the British

, and the United States Silver Star medal.

World War II

During World War II, St. John was the assistant director of the Nurse's Aide Corps of the New York Chapter of the American Red Cross.

Family life

Rignel married Captain Fordyce B. St. John, the commander of Mobile Hospital 2, in 1919. The St. John's lived in

Manhattan, New York Manhattan (), known regionally as the City, is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the five boroughs of New York City. The borough is also coextensive with New York County, one of the original counties of the U.S. state ...

and

Woodstock, Vermont Woodstock is the shire town (county seat) of Windsor County, Vermont, United States. As of the 2020 census, the town population was 3,005. It includes the villages of Woodstock, South Woodstock, Taftsville, and West Woodstock. History Cha ...

. Fordyce St. John, a professor of surgery at Columbia University, died in 1973.

Death and legacy

St. John died in April 1977 in New York at 92 years old.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Rignel, Jane Military personnel from New York City World War I nurses American nurses American women nurses 1977 deaths 1884 births Associate Members of the Royal Red Cross