Dame Joanna Margaret Cruickshank, (28 November 1875 – 16 August 1958) was a British military nurse and nursing administrator. She founded
Princess Mary's Royal Air Force Nursing Service in November 1918 and served as its first Matron-in-Chief from 1921 until her retirement in November 1930.
Biography
Joanna Margaret Cruickshank was born the second daughter of William and Johanna Cruickshank on 28 November 1875 in
Murree, India (now in Pakistan). She trained at Guy's Hospital, London,
then travelled back to India in 1912 to serve as sister in the Lady Minto Nursing Association. In 1917 she joined
Queen Alexandra's Imperial Military Nursing Service
Queen Alexandra's Royal Army Nursing Corps (QARANC; known as ''the QAs'') is the nursing branch of the British Army Army Medical Services, Medical Services.
History
Although an "official" nursing service was not established until 1881, the corp ...
(QAIMNS). After contracting a malignant form of malaria, and suffering a series of fevers, she was invalided home to Britain in March 1918. She was made a
Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations,
and public service outside the civil service. It was established o ...
in 1931.
In 1940, Cruickshank was named Commandant of the Rushen Women's and Married Internees Camp on the
Isle of Man
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, image = Isle of Man by Sentinel-2.jpg
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;
she was later succeeded by Detective Inspector Cuthbert of
New Scotland Yard.
WWII history per The Times Online archive
accessed 3 January 2018.
Dame Joanna Cruickshank died in Sussex
Sussex (), from the Old English (), is a historic county in South East England that was formerly an independent medieval Anglo-Saxon kingdom. It is bounded to the west by Hampshire, north by Surrey, northeast by Kent, south by the English ...
at age 82 in 1958. The Dame Joanna Cruickshank Ladies Singles tournament ( Princess Mary's Royal Air Force Nursing Service) is named in her honour.
References
Sources
*Cuthbert, C. R., ''Papers of the Commandant of Rushen Women's and Married Internees Camp 1941– 1945 Detective Inspector Cuthbert of New Scotland Yard succeeded Dame Joanna Cruickshank as Commandant''. This small deposit contains two volumes of UK and IOM newspaper cuttings relating to internment as well as letters and greeting cards from internees. (Archive Reference# MS 11196)
External links
U.K. government bio of Joanna Cruickshank
NCBI abstract
RAF Nursing Service website
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cruickshank, Joanna
British nursing administrators
Dames Commander of the Order of the British Empire
British women in World War II
1875 births
1958 deaths
British women in World War I
Members of the Royal Red Cross
Princess Mary's Royal Air Force Nursing Service officers
Royal Air Force personnel of World War I
Queen Alexandra's Royal Army Nursing Corps officers
British Army personnel of World War I