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Princess Mary's Royal Air Force Nursing Service

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Royal Air Force Nursing Service
RAF General Hospital in Brussels during the Second World War
Active1 June 1918–present
(originally as Royal Air Force Temporary Nursing Service)
CountryUnited Kingdom United Kingdom
AllegianceHM The King
Branch Royal Air Force
RAF Medical Services
TypeNursing
RoleMedicine
Size498 nurses
Garrison/HQAir Command, RAF High Wycombe
EngagementsWorld War II,
Korean War,
Falklands War,
Gulf War (Op GRANBY),
Bosnian War,
Kosovo War,
War in Afghanistan,
Gulf War II (Op TELIC)
Commanders
Matron-In-ChiefGroup Captain Charlie Thompson
PatronPrincess Alexandra, The Honourable Lady Ogilvy
Insignia
RAF Ensign
Red Cross Emblem

Princess Mary's Royal Air Force Nursing Service (PMRAFNS) is the nursing branch of the British Royal Air Force.

It was established as the Royal Air Force Temporary Nursing Service (RAFNS) in 1918, and became part of the permanent establishment as the Royal Air Force Nursing Service on 27 January 1921. It received the Royal prefix after Princess Mary agreed to become its Patron in June 1923.

It was a women-only branch until 1980, when men were also permitted to join. Until the Second World War, it was only open to unmarried women, or childless widows. There was also a Princess Mary's Royal Air Force Nursing Service (Reserve) (PMRAFNS(R)) to supplement the regular service during times of war or emergencies.

A history of the service was commissioned from the writer Mary Mackie and appeared in 2001.[1] An updated and extended edition covering subsequent decades (including service in Afghanistan) was published in September 2014.[2]

Ranks

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The initial ranking system used by the PMRAFNS was as follows.

PMRAFNS rank Equivalent RAF rank (from 1943)
Staff Nurse[3]
Sister Flying Officer
Senior Sister[4] Flight Lieutenant
Matron Squadron Leader
Principal Matron[5] Wing Commander
Chief Principal Matron[6] Group Captain
Matron-in-Chief Air Commodore

From 1 June 1943, PMRAFNS personnel were granted emergency Commissions, and wore rank insignia corresponding to their equivalent Royal Air Force officer rank. On 1 February 1949, the women's forces were integrated into the Armed Forces, and a new ranking system was introduced, although professional titles were still used on the wards.

PMRAFNS rank Equivalent RAF rank
Flying Officer Flying Officer
Flight Officer Flight Lieutenant
Squadron Officer Squadron Leader
Wing Officer Wing Commander
Group Officer Group Captain
Air Commandant Air Commodore
Air Chief Commandant[7] Air Vice-Marshal

Other Ranks were introduced in 1956, although unqualified Nursing Orderlies had previously served in the Women's Auxiliary Air Force and Women's Royal Air Force. They held standard RAF ranks. Officers used the separate ranking system until 1980, when they too adopted RAF ranks.

Hospitals

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The RAF had several hospitals which were staffed by nurses from the PMRAFNS. These were located at Akrotiri, Albrighton, Wolverhampton, Ely, Halton Nocton Hall, Lincolnshire, Aden, Uxbridge, Wegberg and Wroughton.[8]

Matrons-in-Chief

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Early matrons of the new Royal Air Force Temporary Nursing Service

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See also

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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Princess Mary's Royal Air Force Nursing Service.

References and notes

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  1. ^ Mary Mackie: Sky Wards - A History of the Princess Mary's Royal Air Force Nursing Service (London: Robert Hale, 2001).
  2. ^ Mary Mackie: Wards in the Sky – the RAF's Remarkable Nursing Service (The History Press, UK, 2014, ISBN 9780750959568).
  3. ^ Phased out during the Second World War.
  4. ^ Initially called Superintending Sister, but renamed after a few years.
  5. ^ Introduced later than other ranks.
  6. ^ Introduced later than other ranks, possibly not until the Second World War.
  7. ^ An honorary rank held only by Princess Mary (7 October 1950) and Princess Alexandra (1 November 1966).
  8. ^ "RAF - PM MDHU History". www.raf.mod.uk. Retrieved 31 July 2017.
  9. ^ Rees-Mogg, William, ed. (14 January 1977). "Dame Veronica Ashworth (Obituary)". The Times. No. 59907. p. 18. ISSN 0140-0460.
  10. ^ Thomson, Robert, ed. (28 October 2005). "Air Commandant Dame Pauline Parsons". The Times. No. 68530. p. 74. ISSN 0140-0460.
  11. ^ "History". Archived from the original on 18 April 2009. Retrieved 2 February 2016.
  12. ^ "BLDSS". Direct.bl.uk. Retrieved 1 February 2016.
  13. ^ "Welcome to Group Captain Emma Redman DNS RAF". Princess Mary's Royal Air Force Nursing Service Association. 10 November 2021. Retrieved 19 December 2021.
  14. ^ Laura Margaret Holroyde, Register of Sisters and Nurses; RLHLH/N/4/3, 133; Barts Health NHS Trust Archives and Museums, London  
  15. ^ Laura Margaret Holroyde, Register of Probationers; RLHLH/N/1/15, 138
  16. ^ Matrons Report to House Committee, 8 January 1917; House Committee Minutes, 1916–1918; RLHLH/A/5/55, 160; Barts Health NHS Trust Archives and Museums, London  
  17. ^ Rogers, Sarah (2022). 'A Maker of Matrons'? A study of Eva Lückes's influence on a generation of nurse leaders:1880–1919' (Unpublished PhD thesis, University of Huddersfield, April 2022)
  18. ^ "Royal Air Force, Royal Red Cross". The British Journal of Nursing. 62 (402). 14 June 1919.
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