Dame ''Dame'' is an honorific title and the feminine form of address for the honour of damehood in many Christian chivalric orders, as well as the Orders, decorations, and medals of the United Kingdom, British honours system and those of several oth ...

Anne Margaret Bryans (; 29 October 1909 – 21 April 2004) was a British

humanitarian Humanitarianism is an active belief in the value of human life, whereby humans practice benevolent treatment and provide assistance to other humans to reduce suffering and improve the conditions of humanity for moral, altruistic, and emotional ...

and healthcare administrator, remembered as an "indomitable doyenne of the caring profession." She spent much of her life in the service of the

British Red Cross Society The British Red Cross Society is the United Kingdom body of the worldwide neutral and impartial humanitarian network the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement. The society was formed in 1870, and is a registered charity with more ...

and the Order of St John of Jerusalem in England, serving with distinction with the

Voluntary Aid Detachment The Voluntary Aid Detachment (VAD) was a voluntary unit of civilians providing nursing care for military personnel in the United Kingdom and various other countries in the British Empire. The most important periods of operation for these units we ...

(VAD) and

Joint War Organisation The Joint War Organisation (JWO) was a combined operation of the British Red Cross Society and the Order of St John of Jerusalem during the World Wars. It was first created in 1914 and ceased operations when World War I ended in 1919; the organisa ...

during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

. She was Chairman of the Joint Service Hospitals Welfare and VAD Committee from 1960 to 1989.

Early years

Anne Margaret Gilmour was born at 9 Atholl Crescent in

Edinburgh Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian ...

, Scotland on 29 October 1909, the eldest child of the

Rt Hon. ''The Right Honourable'' (abbreviation: ''Rt Hon.'' or variations) is an honorific style traditionally applied to certain persons and collective bodies in the United Kingdom, the former British Empire and the Commonwealth of Nations. The term is ...

Sir John Gilmour of Lundin and Montrave, 2nd Baronet, and Mary Louise (). She was privately educated at Montrave, the Gilmour family estate near

Leven, Fife Leven ( gd, Inbhir Lìobhann) is a seaside town in Fife, set in the east Central Lowlands of Scotland. It lies on the coast of the Firth of Forth at the mouth of the River Leven, north-east of the town of Kirkcaldy and east of Glenrothes. ...

, by a Belgian governess and later studied at the

Sorbonne Sorbonne may refer to: * Sorbonne (building), historic building in Paris, which housed the University of Paris and is now shared among multiple universities. *the University of Paris (c. 1150 – 1970) *one of its components or linked institution, ...

Career

She joined the

in the late 1920 and became a member of staff in 1938. She became the Deputy Commissioner of the British Red Cross and St John War Organisation, Middle East Commission, in 1943 and was Commissioner from January 1945 to June 1945. She was the only woman to be appointed a Commissioner during the Second World War. She was Deputy Chairman of the BRCS Executive Committee from 1953 to 1964, and Vice-Chairman from 1964 to 1976. Dame Anne Bryans died at

Lundin Links Lundin Links is a small village in the parish of Largo on the south coast of Fife in eastern central Scotland. The village was largely built in the 19th century to accommodate tourists visiting the village of Lower Largo. Lundin Links is conti ...

Fife, Scotland Fife (, ; gd, Fìobha, ; sco, Fife) is a council area, historic county, registration county and lieutenancy area of Scotland. It is situated between the Firth of Tay and the Firth of Forth, with inland boundaries with Perth and Kinross (i.e ...

, on 21 April 2004, aged 94.

Personal life

In 1932, she married

Lieutenant Commander Lieutenant commander (also hyphenated lieutenant-commander and abbreviated Lt Cdr, LtCdr. or LCDR) is a commissioned officer rank in many navies. The rank is superior to a lieutenant and subordinate to a commander. The corresponding rank i ...

John Reginald "Jack" Bryans , son of clergyman Reginald du Faure Bryans. The couple had one child, Lieutenant Commander John Patrick Gilmour Bryans , born in 1933.

Other appointments

* Lay Member of the Council for Professions Supplementary to Medicine (a predecessor of the

Health and Care Professions Council The Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC, formerly the Health Professions Council, HPC) is a statutory regulator of over 280,000 professionals from 15 health and care professions in the United Kingdom. The Council reports its main purpose i ...

), 1973–79 * Member of the Board of Governors, the

Eastman Dental Hospital The Eastman Dental Hospital was based on Gray's Inn Road until it co-located with the University College London ear, nose, throat, balance and hearing services on Huntley Street, London as the Royal National ENT and Eastman Dental Hospitals in Oc ...

, 1973–79 * Member, Camden and Islington Area Health Authority, 1974–79 * Vice-President, Open Section,

Royal Society of Medicine The Royal Society of Medicine (RSM) is a medical society in the United Kingdom, headquartered in London. History The Society was established in 1805 as Medical and Chirurgical Society of London, meeting in two rooms in barristers’ chambers ...

, 1975, President 1980–82; * Member of the

Independent Television Authority The Independent Television Authority (ITA) was an agency created by the Television Act 1954 to supervise the creation of "Independent Television" (ITV (TV network), ITV), the first commercial television network in the United Kingdom. The ITA exi ...

, later

Independent Broadcasting Authority The Independent Broadcasting Authority (IBA) was the regulatory body in the United Kingdom for commercial television (ITV and Channel 4 and limited satellite television regulation – cable television was the responsibility of the Cable Authorit ...

* Member of the Government Anglo-Egyptian Resettlement Board; Member of the BBC/ITA Appeals Committee * Special Trustee and Chairman of the

Royal Free Hospital The Royal Free Hospital (also known simply as the Royal Free) is a major teaching hospital in the Hampstead area of the London Borough of Camden. The hospital is part of the Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust, which also runs services at Barn ...

and the Friends of the Royal Free Hospital * Vice-President of the

Royal College of Nursing The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) is a registered trade union in the United Kingdom for those in the profession of nursing. It was founded in 1916, receiving its royal charter in 1928. Queen Elizabeth II was the patron until her death in 2022. ...

* Governor of

Westminster Hospital Westminster Hospital was a hospital in London, England, founded in 1719. In 1834 a medical school attached to the hospital was formally founded. In 1939 a newly built hospital and medical school opened in Horseferry Road, Westminster. In 1994 the ...

Source:

References

External links

Photographs of Dame Anne Bryans
at the British Red Cross Museum & Archives * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Bryans, Anne 1909 births 2004 deaths British humanitarians Dames Commander of the Order of the British Empire Dames of Grace of the Order of St John Daughters of baronets People in health professions from Edinburgh Fellows of the Royal Society of Medicine