Photograph and postcard album: 46th General Hospital (France and post war), 1944, 1945, 1960, 1962, 2004

The Irene and Hugh Currin papers houses the personal papers of Hugh and Irene Currin. The collection, which dates from 1942 to 2004, consists of military documentation, photographs, postcards, memoirs and obituaries, diaries, World War II era ephemera from France, newspaper clippings, and letters telling the story of medical professionals in the 46th General Hospital during World War II.

While this collection is named the Irene and Hugh Currin papers, it primarily showcases the war through the eyes of Irene Currin (née Davis) as a nurse in the 46th General Hospital from Portland, Oregon. Her story, told here, spans the years 1942 to 1945 while deployed in both North Africa and France through the close of the European campaign. Photographs alongside a diary and scrapbook detail her military life from enlistment and training, through multiple campaigns, and finally to her return to Portland, Oregon. This collection is an incredible look into the everyday life of a nurse during the war and of interest to anyone looking to learn more about Oregon’s medical history.