Nancy Malloy (October 6, 1945 – December 17, 1996) was a medical administrator and nurse for the British Columbian branch of the
Canadian Red Cross
The Canadian Red Cross Society ()Chechnya
Chechnya ( rus, Чечня́, Chechnyá, p=tɕɪtɕˈnʲa; ce, Нохчийчоь, Noxçiyçö), officially the Chechen Republic,; ce, Нохчийн Республика, Noxçiyn Respublika is a republic of Russia. It is situated in the ...
, Russia. Posthumously, she was awarded both the
Florence Nightingale Medal
The Florence Nightingale Medal is an international award presented to those distinguished in nursing and named after British nurse Florence Nightingale. The medal was established in 1912 by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), f ...
and the
Meritorious Service Medal A Meritorious Service Medal is an award presented to denote acts of meritorious service, and sometimes gallantry, that are worthy of recognition. Notable medals with similar names include:
*Meritorious Civilian Service Award
*Meritorious Service Med ...
.
Life
Born in
Brockville
Brockville, formerly Elizabethtown, is a city in Eastern Ontario, Canada, in the Thousand Islands region. Although it is the seat of the United Counties of Leeds and Grenville, it is politically Independent city, independent of the county. It i ...
, Ontario, on October 6, 1945, she studied at the KGH School of Nursing before completing her bachelor's degree in Nursing Science at Queen's University in 1969. After being a teacher in
Montreal
Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-most populous city in Canada and List of towns in Quebec, most populous city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian ...
, she moved to
Vancouver
Vancouver ( ) is a major city in western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the ...
in 1979, where she worked as a nurse at
Vancouver General Hospital
Vancouver General Hospital (locally known as VGH, or Vancouver General) is a medical facility located in Vancouver, British Columbia. It is the largest facility in the Vancouver Hospital and Health Sciences Centre (VHHSC) group of medical faciliti ...
. She joined the local Red Cross branch in 1987. Over the course of nine years, she was a director and medical administrator for six outpost hospitals in remote
British Columbia
British Columbia (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. It has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that include rocky coastlines, sandy beaches, ...
.
As well, she participated as a medical administrator and nurse during
ICRC
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC; french: Comité international de la Croix-Rouge) is a humanitarian organization which is based in Geneva, Switzerland, and it is also a three-time Nobel Prize Laureate. State parties (signator ...
missions to Ethiopia (1990), Kuwait and Iran (1991), Belgrade (1993), Zaire (1995), and Chechnya (1996).
Murder
In the mission following a peace treaty between Russia and Chechnya, Nancy Malloy, together with six international Red Cross workers were located in a hospital in
Novye Atagi
Novye Atagi (russian: Но́вые Атаги́: ce, Жима АтагӀа, ''Ƶima Ataġa'') is a rural locality (a '' selo'') in Shalinsky District of the Chechen Republic, Russia, located south of Grozny
Grozny ( rus, Грозный, ...
, close to
Grozny
Grozny ( rus, Грозный, p=ˈgroznɨj; ce, Соьлжа-ГӀала, translit=Sölƶa-Ġala), also spelled Groznyy, is the capital city of Chechnya, Russia.
The city lies on the Sunzha River. According to the 2010 census, it had a pop ...
, the capital of the
Chechnya
Chechnya ( rus, Чечня́, Chechnyá, p=tɕɪtɕˈnʲa; ce, Нохчийчоь, Noxçiyçö), officially the Chechen Republic,; ce, Нохчийн Республика, Noxçiyn Respublika is a republic of Russia. It is situated in the ...
region. On December 17, 1996, when the mission had been running for two and a half months, armed men entered the sleeping quarters of the hospital and shot and killed Malloy, together with five of her coworkers.
In 2010, it was reported that a Russian special forces major had claimed to be part of the group which carried out the shooting, and that their intention was to target Chechen fighters. However, witnesses had claimed soon after the event that they had heard the attackers speaking Chechen, and that the Red Cross staff had been directly targeted.
Honours
A memorial plaque on the fatal attack is present in a school and former hospital in Novye Atagi.
Nancy Malloy was awarded the
Meritorious Service Medal A Meritorious Service Medal is an award presented to denote acts of meritorious service, and sometimes gallantry, that are worthy of recognition. Notable medals with similar names include:
*Meritorious Civilian Service Award
*Meritorious Service Med ...
in 1997 by Governor General Romeo LeBlanc.
As well, she was awarded the
Florence Nightingale Medal
The Florence Nightingale Medal is an international award presented to those distinguished in nursing and named after British nurse Florence Nightingale. The medal was established in 1912 by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), f ...
by the
ICRC
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC; french: Comité international de la Croix-Rouge) is a humanitarian organization which is based in Geneva, Switzerland, and it is also a three-time Nobel Prize Laureate. State parties (signator ...
, while receiving the Order of the Red Cross from the
Canadian Red Cross
The Canadian Red Cross Society ()
In addition, Queen's University's school of nursing administers the Nancy Malloy Memorial Award, handed out by her friends and classmates.