Princess Mary's Royal Air Force Nursing Service

Royal Air Force Nursing Service
Royal Air Force Nursing Service
	RAF General Hospital in Brussels during the Second World War
Active	1 June 1918–present; (originally as Royal Air Force Temporary Nursing Service)
Country	United Kingdom
Allegiance	HM The King
Branch	Royal Air Force; RAF Medical Services
Type	Nursing
Role	Medicine
Size	498 nurses
Garrison/HQ	Air Command, RAF High Wycombe ;
Engagements	World 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-Chief	Group Captain Charlie Thompson
Patron	Princess 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

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

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

Dame Joanna Cruickshank, 1918–1930
Dame Katherine Watt, 1930–1938
Dame Emily Blair, 1938–1943
Dame Gladys Taylor, 1943–1948
Air Commandant Dame Helen Cargill, 1948–1952
Air Commandant Dame Roberta Whyte, 1952–1956
Air Commandant Dame Alice Williamson, 1956–1959
Air Commandant Dame Alice Lowrey, 1959–1963
Air Commandant Dame Veronica Ashworth, 1963–1966^[9]
Air Commandant Dame Pauline Giles, 1966–1970^[10]
Air Commandant Ann McDonald, 1970–1972
Air Commandant Barbara Ducat-Amos, 1972–1978
Air Commodore Joan Metcalfe, 1978–1981
Air Commodore Joy Harris, 1981–1984
Air Commodore April Reed, 1984–1985
Group Captain Mary Shaw, 1985–1988
Group Captain Elizabeth Sandison, 1988–1991
Group Captain Ethnea Hancock, 1991–1994
Air Commodore Valerie Hand, 1994–1997
Air Commodore Bob Williams, 1997–2001^[11]
Group Captain Annie Reid, 2001–2004^[12]
Group Captain Wendy Williams, 2004–2006
Group Captain Jackie Gross, 2006–2010
Group Captain Phil Cushen, 2010–2013
Group Captain Phil Spragg, 2013–2015
Group Captain Michael Priestley, 2015–2018
Group Captain Fionnuala Bradley, 2018–2021
Group Captain Emma Redman, 2021–^[13]

Early matrons of the new Royal Air Force Temporary Nursing Service

Laura Margaret Holroyde, RRC and bar, was Matron of a new Royal Flying Corps Hospital, later renamed as the Royal Air Force Hospital, in Eton Square, London from 1917-1919. ^[14]^[15]^[16] She had trained at The London Hospital under Matron Eva Luckes. From June 1921 Holroyde became matron of the London Fever Hospital until 1946.^[17]^[18]

References and notes

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

External links

[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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Authority control databases
International	VIAF
National	United States