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 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 ...

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 Murree (Punjabi, Urdu: مری) is a mountain resort city, located in the Galyat region of the Pir Panjal Range, within the Muree District of Punjab, Pakistan. It forms the outskirts of the Islamabad-Rawalpindi metropolitan area, and is about ...

, 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 Medical Services. History Although an "official" nursing service was not established until 1881, the corps traces its heritage t ...

(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 ...

in 1931. In 1940, Cruickshank was named Commandant of the Rushen Women's and Married Internees Camp on the

Isle of Man ) , anthem = " O Land of Our Birth" , image = Isle of Man by Sentinel-2.jpg , image_map = Europe-Isle_of_Man.svg , mapsize = , map_alt = Location of the Isle of Man in Europe , map_caption = Location of the Isle of Man (green) in Europ ...

; she was later succeeded by Detective Inspector Cuthbert of

New Scotland Yard Scotland Yard (officially New Scotland Yard) is the headquarters of the Metropolitan Police, the territorial police force responsible for policing Greater London's 32 boroughs, but not the City of London, the square mile that forms London' ...

.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 Englis ...

at age 82 in 1958. The Dame Joanna Cruickshank Ladies Singles tournament (

) 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 CruickshankNCBI abstractRAF 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