New Britain herald., 1918-11-30
LOCAL Army nurse
DIES OF Shell SHOCK
PlalnVille Saddened by News Of
Monica Brooks Death
HAD SERVED Tn FRANCE

Was Only Woman From This Town
to Join Regular Army For Over
seas Work-ReguIar Church serv-
ices TomOITow-I3riefs.
Plainyille was saddened last night
when 1t was learned that Miss Monica
Brock the only heroine which this
town had In the great world war; Is
dead. To go to France and suffer all
to this country a physical wreck is
the fate which Miss Monica Brock
met. 1t was the one ambition Of her
life to see service in the great war and
the seeing of that service has cost her
life.
Miss Brock was the daughter of Mr..
and Mrs. Peter B. Brock of South
Washington street and died yesterday
afternoon, at st. Elizabeth's hospital
in Washington, d. c., which is an
army hospital for those who have re-
turned broken in health from France.
Miss Brock was q United States Army
nurse During her stay in France she
worked continually, and overwork
o. uLnl7I leu peoIoJ Tooqs IIeQs puB
this country. She was 33 years old
and was born in P1ainville. Her early
life was spent in this town where she
received her education. She was q
graduate of New Britain High school
and Of a private business college in
Hartford. After finishing her busd-
ness education she entered the. en-
where her work was highly COM
nended by her employers. The call
for the good Of humanity was always
in her and she obeyed this cali when
she left for New York and entered
the New York city hospital where she
trained for her profession. Her work
as an undergraduate was remarkable,
and as soon as she was graduated,
she was sought by many for private
work. This she did for some time
but later she entered the employ OF
the Morgan Memorial hospital In
New York. She was superintendent OF
nurses at that institution for three
years and left there to enter the
army.
From the start of the great war
she had always had a desire to enter
United States at last entered the war
she was among the first to offer her
services She was sought by the Red
Cross and could have had a Iucra-
tive position in this country, but her
thoughts and desires were for Serv-
ice right up ] nthe front line trenches
with the real heroes. The Bellevue
hospital in New York organized a
special unit for service overseas and
tried to obtain her services, but again
she declined for more humble posi-
ton. Her call to duty as a United
States Army nurse finally came and
in December, 1917, she started on
active duty. In February her plea to
be sent overseas was answered and
she was sent to France. Before sail
Ing she had a furlough which she
spent at her home here. When she
arrived in France she was sent to var
ious places. AT Neutilly her great
est work was done and in the pages
of history which will deal with the
work Of the nurses the name Of Moni-
ca Brock of Plainville, Conn, u. S. A,
should be among the first.
The strain Of the hard work told
on her after six months but she would
not give In. Her vitality was remark
ed of, but, at last. as in all cases where
the body is overwork ed, she was forced
to retire. Even then she was unwi1-
ling to leave, but her condition con-
tinued to grow worse, and the doc
tors, fearing an attack Of amnesta,
ordered her return to this country.
She arrived here in October and was
sent Immediately to Washington. She
was a physical wreck when she ar
rived back in this country. Her en-
tire nervous system was affected and
her condition was attributed to shell
! shock. Two weeks ago her sister,
Miss Anna Brock, a dietitian at the
| Plainfield hospital in Plainfield, n. j.,
! visited her at the hospital and found
her i'm proving. Her condition must
| have changed suddenly for the tele-
| gram received here yesterday came
| like d bolt of lightning from clear
| sky. The town was shrouded in grief
]