Wed, 22 Feb
|St Andrew's Church Hall
Talk at Peterborough NHS Retirement Fellowship - Angels in Drab
Personal Experiences of Nurses during WW2 from the British Commonwealth & the USA
Time & Location
22 Feb 2023, 14:00 – 16:00 GMT
St Andrew's Church Hall, Ledbury Rd, Peterborough PE3 9RF, UK
About the event
During World War 2 The Queen Alexandra's Imperial Military Nursing Service continued to look after the medical and nursing care of soldiers.
In 1941 nursing sisters were awarded badges of rank from Lieutenant through to Brigadier when an emergency commission was granted.
Previously, they all had officer status though had no distinction of rank and were not permitted to wear badges of rank.
This change was largely due to the dedication of the new Matron in Chief Dame Katherine Jones who wanted her nurses to be seen as army personnel first and nurses second.
The nurses continued to serve abroad in many countries which included in those who were prisoners of war in concentration camps in Malaya and Hong Kong.
During World War II from 1939 to 1945 members of the QAIMNS served in many countries ranging from Africa, Burma, China, Egypt, France, Gibraltar, Hong Kong, Iceland, Italy, Malaya, Malta, Normandy, Palestine and Singapore.
These were generally in Field Hospitals, Hospital Ships, Trains numbering 153.