▁Mer chant ▁Navy ▁and ▁ 1 0 0 ▁medical ▁staff ▁from ▁the ▁Canadian ▁Army . ▁Comple ted ▁as ▁a ▁hospital ▁ship ▁in ▁April ▁ 1 9 4 3 , ▁Lady ▁Nelson ▁had ▁an ▁operating ▁theatre , ▁x - ray ▁machine ▁and ▁w ards ▁for ▁ 5 1 5 ▁men . ▁A ▁special ▁medical ▁emb ark ation ▁unit ▁was ▁created ▁at ▁Pier ▁ 2 1 ▁in ▁Hal if ax ▁to ▁un load ▁patients ▁and ▁transfer ▁and ▁esc ort ▁them ▁on ▁hospital ▁trains ▁which ▁took ▁the ▁wounded ▁to ▁hosp it als ▁across ▁Canada . ▁As ▁a ▁hospital ▁ship , ▁Lady ▁Nelson ▁made ▁ 3 0 ▁cross ings ▁of ▁the ▁Atlantic ▁and ▁brought ▁ 2 5 , 0 0 0 ▁wounded ▁Canad ians ▁home . ▁When ▁fighting ▁ended ▁in ▁Europe ▁in ▁June ▁ 1 9 4 5 , ▁Lady ▁Nelson ▁was ▁switched ▁to ▁returning ▁Canadian ▁soldiers ▁and ▁war ▁br ides . ▁ ▁Post war ▁Lady ▁Nelson ▁returned ▁to ▁civil ian ▁duties ▁in ▁ 1 9 4 6 , ▁the ▁only ▁Lady ▁Bo at , ▁along ▁with ▁Lady ▁Rod ney , ▁to ▁surv ive ▁the ▁war . ▁However ▁decl ining ▁passenger ▁traffic ▁due ▁to ▁air ▁travel , ▁high ▁fuel ▁consumption ▁from ▁the ▁ship ' s ▁tur bine ▁engines ▁and ▁rising ▁labour ▁costs ▁made ▁the ▁Lady ▁Bo ats ▁too ▁expensive ▁to ▁run . ▁It ▁was ▁decided ▁to ▁replace ▁the ▁two ▁lady ▁boats ▁with ▁motor ▁vessels ▁with ▁smaller ▁passenger ▁capacity ▁in ▁ 1 9 5 1 . ▁In ▁ 1 9 5 2 ▁Lady ▁Nelson ▁and ▁Lady ▁Rod ney